As part of our jobs, we busy Buzz bees read a lot of local (and not-so-local) news. And in addition to the issues we cover directly, we often run across items that we haven’t (yet) reported, but which we know would interest our readers who might not have seen the original publications. Here are a few recent stories we feel are worth sharing, In Case You Missed It (ICYMI).
Where Did All the Scooters Go?
CurbedLA takes note of the recent decrease in electric scooters on our city streets, and suggests there may be several reasons for the decline: a seasonal dip in demand, novelty wearing off after a couple of years, and a citywide regulation program – now in a pilot stage – which has imposed fees that may reduce the profitability of the scooters for operating companies like Bird and Lime.
12 Essential Restaurants in Miracle Mile
EaterLA lists a dozen places to find great pasta, Chinese, Vietnamese, deli, tacos, roast beef sandwiches, waffles, pizza and more…all within easy walking distance of Wilshire Blvd. between La Brea and Fairfax. Some are old favorites (Appolonia’s Pizzeria), some are newcomers (Eleven City Diner), some are very well known (Republique) and others are more hidden gems (Yuko Kitchen). All are yummy…so we hope you’re reading this at lunch time!
The 2020 James Beard Award Semi-Finalists
In other foodie news, every year, the James Beard Foundation bestows its prestigious awards on a select few restaurants, chefs, bakers and other MVPs in the U.S. restaurant world. This year’s semi-finalists were recently announced, and – as usual – a number of Los Angeles noteworthies are singled out, with several in or near our local area. The local contenders include: Outstanding Chef – Ludo Lefebvre, Trois Mec, 716 N. Highland Ave., Outstanding Pastry Chef – Margarita Manzke, République, 624 S. La Brea Ave., and Best Chef: California – Genet Agonafer, Meals by Genet, 1053 S. Fairfax Ave. Congratulations to them…and more great food for us to explore!
Annual Financial Report of the City of Los Angeles
Yes, we know…but please don’t just roll your eyes, assume it’s boring, and scroll on by. LA City Controller Ron Galperin‘s city finance report card shows, with some nicely eye-catching, easy-to-understand and informative graphics, where your city gets its money, how it divvies up its $30 billion budget, and even such interesting details as how many tons of yard clippings its trucks collect each year, the ratio of animals euthanized to adopted at city shelters, and how many parking tickets were written this year vs. in years past. It’s fascinating information about the things we Angelenos live every day.
The Toxic Legacy of Old Oil Wells
Last spring, the Buzz reported on a meeting of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council at which GWNC board members debated the merits and demerits of a potential resolution on banning new gas and oil extraction operations within 2,500 feet of existing housing in the city of LA. At the time, it was a new topic for the board members, but with a couple of big stories about old urban oil wells in the LA Times recently, it may be something we’ll be hearing more about moving forward. First, on February 6, the Times ran a big story about the 35,000 idle oil wells in California, a number that is growing as fossil fuel production decreases (a handy interactive map shows the locations of old wells in various areas). And then, just today, there’s another story looking more closely at the 1,000+ old wells specifically within the City of Los Angeles, and the city’s struggle to deal with inspections, fumes, cleanup and other safety issues. (The interactive map is included in this one, too.) Our neighborhoods are certainly among those sitting atop LA’s vast oil fields, so this is an issue with potential to affect many of us as awareness increases.
Happy reading!
