Autism diagnoses are on the rise. The reasons are elusive, but understanding the disorder doesn’t have to be

Unique merchandise and free yoga: 35 new stores with the best stuff and the sweetest perks.plus 25 spots for deep discounts and fun amenities

Can true love tame James Ellroy, the Demon Dog of L.A. fiction?

Planting firebombs and issuing death threats, activists are waging war to stop scientists at UCLA from experimenting on animals. One researcher has chosen to push back 

Call it blight. Call it rebellion. Taggers cost the city millions of dollars in damage each year, tattooing neighborhoods and unsettling residents with their feverish writings. We peek inside their secretive world, following two crews as they make their mark

Behold the bastion of soggy pizza and greasy corn dogs that is the American food court. Throughout Asia, however, entire floors of shopping centers are dedicated to everything from bubbling hot pots to sweet gems of colorful mochi. In L.A., similar hubs of top-notch ethnic cuisine have sprung up inside the malls of immigrant communities from Torrance to Koreatown. Grab a tray and dig in.

The food truck fad has revolutionized how we engage with our cuisine and our city, but does it live up to the hype?

Breakfast may be the "most important meal," but lunch is our favorite. We've rounded up the best sandwiches, salads, and ethnic food courts in the city. PLUS: Patric Kuh on the food truck craze and a former production assistant on midday madness

Twenty-five years after Less Than Zero, Bret Easton Ellis has written a sequel that follows the teens of his breakout novel into middle age. As Imperial Bedrooms hits stores, the author reconnects with a friend who knew him back in the day

Why would a former two-term governor and lifelong politician want to run a state that can’t be governed? A Q&A with Jerry Brown 

Some neighborhoods feel as if they’re out in the country, others are minutes from downtown. Each has accomplished that rare feat in L.A.: stood the test of time. A guide to where to eat (cupcakes!), shop (leather bags!), and play (tiny trains!) in ten picture-perfect places

Manny Pacquiao, who defends his welterweight title against Joshua Clottey this month, is just one of a ringful of boxing champions the ex-fighter has honed. What makes Roach so good?

The writer-director most associated with Brooklyn explains how he made an (almost) cliché-free movie about L.A.

Dan Winters’s portfolio of oranges, tangerines, lemons, and other members of the citrus clan should bring back memories of Valley groves—or send you rushing off to the nearest farmers’ market

There are plenty of virtuous reasons to buy locally made stuff—you’re investing in the metropolis, possibly helping the environment, and supporting a battered tradition. If all that sounds a little too earnest, here’s another: quality. From furniture to playthings to everyday embellishments, the products we’ve sussed out aren’t just made by hand; they’re made well. See for yourself

This patient was in a car wreck. That one was sprayed with bullets. Another was struck by a forklift. The injured keep arriving—many of them mere seconds from death. It is the job of the trauma surgeon to keep them all alive. Dr. Gracie Dinkins tells what it's like

What I learned while waiting for my flight at LAX

A decorated marine, Archie O’Neil came back from Iraq saddled with post-traumatic stress disorder. Now he’s in prison for murder. With thousands of veterans like him in L.A., agencies are gearing up to help former troops struggling on the home front

Charlie Chan worked to give his children every opportunity. His son, Hamilton, became a banker, a lawyer, and a studio executive—but he was not happy. How he found joy is a modern parable

L.A.’s coolest new watering holes may look retro, but it’s all about adaptive reuse. We explore 15 nightlife newcomers, learn how to make a proper Sazerac, find out why goblets have replaced pints, and venture into two of the last remaining dives. Bottoms up!

A third of California’s inmates come from L.A. County, and many of them transfer through the state prison in Lancaster. Seventy-five miles from downtown, it’s overcrowded and underfunded and embodies everything that’s gone wrong with the corrections system. PLUS: See additional photos from photographer Ted Soqui's shoot inside the prison

He’s responsible for the Von Dutch fad and now the Ed Hardy craze. How long can fashion designer Christian Audigier reign? PLUS: Go behind the scenes at our over-the-top photo shoot at Audigier's home

At an electrifying new station, an architect looks backward—and forward—to celebrate our love affair with the automobile. PLUS: a slideshow of L.A.'s showiest stations 

An extravagant compendium to frugal dining

City council member Tom LaBonge is out of another era. To him the job is about constituent services and public cheerleading. But don’t underestimate him. Just ask Bob Barker, Lily Tomlin, and Cher

Planning a wedding and buying a home in the same year? Is she cuckoo? Eager to find a house for under $400K in L.A.’s topsy-turvy real estate market, first-time buyer Lesley Bargar found the road to Happily Ever After paved with stiff competition on even the most forlorn foreclosed homes. PLUS: A price guide that tells you how much your house is worth right now

My Year of Looking for the Insanely Beautiful, Life-Changing Birds of Los Angeles. PLUS: The Primer: Bird-Watching

Cars, boats, trucks—Quentin Gutierrez has repossessed them all. The economy is keeping him busy. He considers himself a professional thief, licensed to steal. But believe it or not, he has a soft spot 

Interior designer Craig Raywood is gifted and glamorous. His clients included an A-list producer and the reigning realtor to the stars. His West Hollywood bungalow was a showplace. There was only one problem—he ripped off almost everyone with whom he did business, from high-end antiques dealers to the local pharmacist. In part one of the story, we detail the designer's scams and set the stage for his several days in court. Part one of a two-part series 

Don’t know your dragon fruit from your galangal, or where to get crispy pig face? To find the best products, we explored the aisles of Asian megamarkets from 99 Ranch to Marukai, dined on tofu, dumplings, and noodles, and ate too much ginger candy

An ex-Jack Sparrow spills on life at the Magic Kingdom

They can’t sketch, drape, or sew, but celebrities do have opinions on fashion. How clothing lines went from dowdy to dynamite for a new flock of A-listers

How Los Angeles has fared on screens big and small

A list of getaways that are doable in a long weekend and, more to the point, guaranteed to help you recharge and relax

We ate, we judged, we numbered. From Matsuhisa to Mastro’s to Mozza, here are our favorite spots for dining out, ranked in descending order, and for the first time ever, rated with stars. Wow, we're full.

Philip Seymour Hoffman has always been a character's best friend. He makes us want to spend time with them—even when we don't like them.

Despite being HIV positive for 17 years, his partner was the cheerful one, the rational half, the nurturer. Now, after 24 years together, the roles were reversed

L.A.’s delis are more than purveyors of towering pastrami sandwiches, house-brined pickles, and foaming egg creams. They are social temples where all are welcome to nosh.

Coach Moore, Ace Bunny, and the nerds of Watts take on L.A.'s toughest academic challenge

Los Angeles kills more animals in its shelters than any other metropolitan area in the United States. For that to change, we will have to figure out what to do with the pets none of us want

Brent Bolthouse has never owned a nightclub, but he can fill one up. His phone book and talent have made places like Concorde, Joseph's, and LAX hot and left him free to pick his partners. Now L.A.'s most successful club promoter has signed on with a single company, possibly the best—or or worst—decision he's ever made