From the Editor
Before the summer of 1984, I’d never thought of Los Angeles as a cohesive city. To me it was a series of disconnected neighborhoods: the one I grew up in, the two I went to school in, the ones I had friends in. But that summer, thanks to the design genius of architect Jon Jerde and the organizational vision of businessman Peter Ueberroth, Los Angeles felt whole... Read
Features:
Doctor’s Orders
By Dave Gardetta
No one in the country makes more vibrators, plugs, and erotic prosthetics than Doc Johnson, the father-son operation based in North Hollywood
WEB EXTRA: Dave Gardetta shares what it was like to enter the sex toy-filled offices of Doc Johnson for the first time
London Calling
As told to David Davis
Seven L.A. athletes on their way to the Summer Games show off the moves that propelled them to the Olympian heights of their sports
WEB EXTRA: The Olympic hopefuls take us behind the scenes of their photo shoot with Patrik Giardino
End of the Line
By Charles Fleming
Operating a train in L.A. can be trying. Hitting pedestrians by accident is bad enough. Then there are the suicides that haunt you forever
WEB EXTRA: Executive editor Matthew Segal interviews Charles Fleming about "End of the Line"
(Buzz)
CityThink
Budget cuts are leading to statewide park closures. Can our California history be saved?
L.A. Archetype
A sommelier opens the cellar door
WEB EXTRA: Our Archetype offers drink suggestions for readers' favorite hard-to-pair dishes
Ask Chris
Chris Nichols talks frankly about Orson Welles
L.A. Story
Elijah Wood shares his Valley teen spirit
The Seen
All the parties fit to crash
How L.A. Works
The Hollywood sign’s balancing act
WEB EXTRA: Deputy editor Nancy Miller reports from inside the L.A. icon's security gate
WEB EXTRA: See a slide show of close ups on the Hollywood SIgn
(Columns)
TV
By Steve Erickson
TV’s most astonishing show, Breaking Bad, enters its final season
WEB EXTRA: An episode guide to the AMC drama
Cut!
By Nicole LaPorte
For the celebrities who live in them, hotels are more than a haven
Open City
By Anne Taylor Fleming
Why HBO’s Girls struck such a chord
PLUS: 5 Things We’re Not Supposed To Tell You About This Issue
77 down- the-hatches
→ Estimated number of cocktails swigged by dine editor Lesley Bargar Suter and senior editors Linda Immediato and Elina Shatkin while reporting “L.A.’s 15 Best New Bars.” But hey, who’s keeping track? (Our accounting department, most likely.)
159 videos
→ Posts by “sexuality educator” and girl-gadget expert Dr. Ruthie on YouTube, many of which writer-at-large Dave Gardetta viewed while working on his sex toy manufacturing story, “Doctor’s Orders.” “YouTube is this new forum for women to share feedback on products,” says Gardetta. “I honestly lost count of how many videos I watched.”
32 $#&*s!
→ Profanities uttered by deputy editor Nancy Miller while rappeling 75 feet down Mount Lee. She was trying to access the hard-to-reach Hollywood sign she writes about in How L.A. Works.
4 balls
→ Orbs purchased by the photo department because the Olympians featured in “London Calling” didn’t BYOB to the shoot. “One of them said, ‘Never ask athletes to bring anything,’” says photo editor Amy Feitelberg. “We’ll always forget.”
3 toppings
→ Garnishes (chili, cheese, onions) that associate editor Chris Nichols added to his Pink’s hot dog while researching a question for Ask Chris.