San Fernando Business Journal writer Jason Schaff is a fan of the Orange Line, but with the gas prices and higher ridership, the "Valley's Shortcut" is no longer that desirable he says. "At the end of summer 2008 the buses are crowded all hours of the day. I will go to the office sometimes at 7 a.m. – they’re crowded. I’ll come home sometimes at 8 p.m. or later – they’re crowded. I stand up......

On Saturday morning at Reseda Park in the Valley, two men were shot ending in the death of one of them. The LAPD today announced a suspect in the case. 20-year-old Andrew Lee Thomas Jr. (pictured to the right) is described as "a male, black, 5’8” tall and weighs about 150 pounds" and is considered armed and dangerous by police. Homicide detectives at the West Valley division could not be immediately reached for further information.......

Adding to the hundreds of official "blue sign" Los Angeles neighborhoods (we estimate it to be around 185), Reseda Ranch in the Valley became the latest to celebrate its individuality. Was this another move for real estate? Yes, but not necessarily for upping the values of home, but rather to protect it from developers. The area's boundaries (shown in a Google Map below) "boasts predominantly half-acre and one-acre lot homes zoned to allow large animals,"......

Vitello's in Studio City has been a Valley classic for years, serving up simple but extremely tasty Italian food. Despite some of its popular culture references (notably the Robert Blake murder case and when the image of Jesus was found in some Manicotti), the restaurant is a neighborhood icon and consistently a community partner. Today, they opened their second space at the corner Woodman and Ventura. Vitello's Express has some of the Studio City menu......

Construction noise on the weekends irritates those trying to sleep in. Noisy sex got one man banned from his girlfriend's apartment in London. And playing music too loud got one man shot and killed in the Valley neighborhood of Pacoima early Wednesday morning. The LAPD says that preliminary reports point towards one neighbor waking up around 2:00 a.m. to loud music playing from a car stereo, confronted and got into a struggle his other neighbor......

Just as I reached Fab Hot Dogs in Reseda, forty-five painful minutes on the 101 from Los Feliz, my iPod kicked up Bruce Springsteen, the unofficial state poet of New Jersey. It was a good omen, given all the noise about hot dog excellence on LAist lately. The ripper, Fab’s deep-fried dog, is a Garden State original, featured since at least the 1930s at Rutt’s Hutt in Clifton, New Jersey, at the gritty junction......

A situation like this, occurred several times over the past year, according to the LAPD: "In March 2007, a student at California State University Northridge (CSUN) was approached by a suspect who asked the victim to cash a check at his bank. In exchange for his efforts, he would be given several hundred dollars. Unfortunately, the he was unaware the check was forged. Several days later, a hold was placed on his account to cover......

The Los Angeles Fire Department is reporting flooding at Macy's Department Store at the Westfield Topanga shopping mall in Woodland Hills. They are unsure if it is earthquake related or not: "3rd floor of Macy's dept store; EQ related?; No injury; No formal evac; NFD (No Further Details)," wrote LAFD Spokesman Brian Humphrey in an e-mail alert.......

An early Sunday evening walk exploring your own neighborhood can be quite fulfilling. Here's what caught our eye while taking a walk up Alomar Drive in the hills of Sherman Oaks towards a little known piece of public open space that overlooks the San Fernando Valley (nearby, you can hike a small trail in Dixie Canyon Park). Looking for a walk that is a little more than casual? Try the Hollywoodland Staircases Walk in Beachwood......

This title was bestowed upon the Luther Burger by Real Life comics. Inspired by an episode of the Boondocks, a few brave souls from the heart of the Valley undertook the monumental task of creating and eating a Luther Burger. It consists of one pound of ground beef, cheese, grilled onions, and five strips of bacon. Sounds over the top? Replace the buns with Krispy Kreme donuts and you've got yourself a Luther burger. And......

The National Weather Service is saying weather this holiday weekend "poses modest danger for fire," per the LA Times. But winds are expected to remain calm while humidity stays within critical ranges. Temperatures this weekend are forecasted to range from the mid-70s to the mid-80s to high 90s, depending if you are in a coastal area, in the city or in a valley, respectively.......

Over in Valley Village, a new store has opened on Laurel Canyon Blvd. Green & Greener has been an online only website for two years now, but two weeks ago, a husband and wife duo made the leap from the web to the street. Green & Greener is one of the most exciting green stores in Los Angeles. From a selection of clothing and bathroom products to hardware, this store is holds some of your......

"He definately knew how to make everyone laugh," wrote a friend of Staff Sgt. Du Hai Tran on an LA Times comment board. Tran, 30, of Reseda was killed Friday by a roadside bomb in Baqubah, Iraq. He is the 501st soldier from California (24th from Los Angeles) to be lost due to the war.......

There's no better time to open the city's first New Orleans snow-ball shop than during a heatwave. Tucked between two of the many small restaurants in Sherman Oaks' restaurant row is Nola Ice, a product of two entertainment publicists with Southern origins and aspirations to bring the Big Easy treat to the West Coast. A New Orleans sno-ball is the refined and more delectable version of a streetfair sno-cone. The ice is finely shaved (it......

Face it, it's hot. And with some people, especially the elderly, living without AC in poorly insulated homes, cooling centers can literally be a lifesaver. Three cooling centers in the Valley will remain open tonight until 8:00 p.m. tonight and will be open tomorrow from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. There's also free water! The centers are located at parks in Canoga Park, Sunland and Northridge. [Via Mayor's Office Press Release]......

When the power goes out, that means the traffic lights go with it, making it harder to tell if there is even a traffic light there to begin with (especially if you're unfamiliar the neighborhood). Despite that, signals that are out must be treated like a stop sign. The LAPD never seems to send these educational warnings out, but this friendly reminder comes from the Los Angeles Fire Department. "With power out to many traffic......

Photo by WTL photos via Flickr As temperatures easily reach over 100 in some parts of the region, it is affecting those who are vulnerable. An 90-year-old woman driving in San Bernardino County died when she stepped out of her car to search for her husband who left the car for unknown reasons. They were found 50 yards from their car and the 116 degree heat killed Virgil Sanders and the husband had 2nd......

Photo by cheesee via Flickr As Spring turns to Summer this weekend, the temperatures are expected to mark the season change with a bang starting today. The National Weather Service is predicting today's temperatures to range from 95 to 105 in region's valleys. Downtown is expected to be in the 90s and beaches should stay normal (upper 60s, low 70s). Friday is supposed to be the worst: 109 degrees on Friday in the Valley?......

Simon's Cafe is a wonderful little gem of a place, located in an awkward intersection just under the 405 freeway at Ventura Boulevard, but this Mediterranean/Moroccan treat is well worth the trip. Stop in tonight to say hi to Simon himself, who is often in the kitchen and serving the guests with speed and politesse. If you enjoy your meal, he's also giving a cooking lesson next Sunday morning on house specialties like feuillettes aux......

On Sunday at 12:55 a.m., a pair of young men, Rosalio DeLa Rosa, 22, and one underage 17-year-old teen, engaged in an argument with another man, Anthony DeLa Cruz, outside a Valley market near Parthenia and Woodley. DeLa Cruz left in his car and the two others followed, eventually using their vehicle to stop DeLa Cruz after flashing a gun while driving, reports the Daily News: As DeLa Rosa got out of his vehicle he......

View Larger Map Within four hours last night, two people were shot dead and another eight were injured in a spree of gun violence that went from Northridge to North Hollywood to Sylmar, the Daily News is reporting. It began in Northridge between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. where one 16-year-old boy was shot, but survived with non-life threatening injuries. Then one hour later, two men were shot and killed in related cases on Coldwater......

Yesterday, a Los Angeles City fire helicopter makes a water drop on a brush fire near the Griffith Observatory with the Planetarium and the telescope domes seen in the background. (AP Photo/Kevork Djanse) Yesterday's fire was knocked down quickly, but it started to bring back memories of last year, almost to date. The big 2007 wildfire charred 800 acres, but when yesterday's fire began, the Los Angeles Fire Department went aggressively after it, sending......

Photo by phogel via Flickr After a one year hiatus, one of the best green festivals, Worldfest, is back. Two years ago, the solar-powered festival scheduled near Earth Day was a gem among the numerous green events around the city. Located at Woodley Park in Encino, steps away from the eponymous Metro Orange Line station, a slew of eco-friendly vendors showed off their wares, vegan chefs shared their creations and music and recognizable faces......

A scuffle between a group of teens that apparently knew each other left one 14-year-old shot and killed. The incident happened last night around 8:30 p.m. near the intersection of Van Nuys and Glen Oaks Boulevards in the Valley neighborhood of Pacoima. "Witnesses said the fight looked almost over when shots were fired. The young boys dispersed, and a 14-year-old victim was left laying on the ground with a gunshot wound," reported ABC7. Police do......

The Mexican/Spanish restaurant-lounge Senor Fred has cemented its reputation as a Ventura Blvd. hot spot for drinks, but it's also a nice lunch destination for those of you trawling the Sherman Oaks area. The place fulfills at least two requirements of a good Mexican restaurant: spicy salsa that tastes homemade (their version has a nice smoky flavor to it), and strong, simple margaritas. The food is far superior to Mexicali's questionable menu, but about......

Photo by delara-photos via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr Attracting tourists to Los Angeles has never generally been a problem. The appeal of eternal sunshine, movie star sightings, and well-documented destinations means folks come here without much enticement besides a copy of US Weekly and a dream. Of course, parts of the city have more stigma than widespread appeal for out-of-towners, including the much-maligned San Fernando Valley (see: Clueless, Swingers, et al).......

Someone trying to kidnap you is never a fun memory. At least when the alleged kidnapper was nude, it's a good story to tell in years to come. Last night around midnight, the victim, walking alone, was on Parthenia Street near Wilbur Avenue in Northridge when a car pulled up and began tailing her. Then at one point, the man in the car, stopped, got out and began chasing her. It was only when he......

Joe Crawford (artlung) captures this image of last night's fiery crash on his cell phone | Via Flickr CC License Update: The westbound 118 freeway should be open by now.It was 11:35 p.m. last night when 911 calls started coming into dispatchers. California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles Fire Department headed out to the westbound 118 Freeway east of Reseda Blvd. in Porter Ranch to find a tractor-trailer truck on fire and two......

LAist Featured Photos Pool contributer delara-photos submitted this shot of an exit sign that calls to mind elements of surrealism or, at the very least, makes you wonder "exit to WHERE, exactly?" From the position of the sign, it looks like the way out leads to either the big blue sky, or the mountains that curtain the San Fernando Valley. The photo was taken in North Hollywood. Photo by delara-photos via the LAist Featured......

What's in a name? Well, for residents and leaders who have won the battle to keep the San Fernando Valley designated as "America's Suburb," it means everything. The Census Bureau released today their official ruling that the iconic SFV--home to shopping malls, car dealerships, and Valley Girls--can keep the designation first assigned in 2005 that allows for data compiled to be limited to the immediate area, which will help its 1.8 million residents see......