Willie Nelson, beardless and braidless, at the Palomino in 1970. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images at LA Magazine's website Before everyone forgets that LA's music lore includes North Hollywood, Los ...

Sandstone Retreat was a clothing-optional refuge in Topanga Canyon that began in the late 1960s and survived efforts by the county to shut it down. John Williamson opened the retreat with his wife, ...

With Ayn Rand in the media conversation around Paul Ryan and the Republican convention, here's a look at the home that Rand used to occupy in Northridge. And what a house it was — if it still existed, ...

If you didn't grow up in the Los Angeles area during the baby boom, you can leave the room for a couple of minutes. Though if your parents fit the description, you might want to stick around. Sheriff ...

LA Times staffers say this is where the newspaper will be moving before July. Meg James on Twitter For the first time in its history, the Los Angeles Times will be housed outside the city of Los ...

Visitors to Santa Monica Beach in the 1880s. This is pretty awesome. Ernie Marquez, a member of the land-grant family that owned Santa Monica Canyon and Rancho Boca de Santa Monica, grew up in the ...

The passing of Ray Manzarek, the legendary keyboard player for The Doors, has brought up personal memories of the band all over social media. The Doors performed live a lot, and of course their music ...

Los Angeles car culture never saw anyone like Big Willie Robinson — or needed anyone quite so much. In the mid 1960s, when baby boomers were racing hot rods and fighting each other and the cops all ...

Recently retired (from daily journalism) Los Angeles Times food editor Russ Parsons showed up in Sunday's Washington Post writing about the process of disconnecting with the cookbook collection he has ...

I'm pretty sure the journalists at the Los Angeles Times never received any first greeting this warm from any of the people sent out from Chicago. Patrick Soon-Shiong doesn't take over until April, ...

From the outside, the Conejo Creek Condos look like anywhere else in Newbury Park, the Ventura County suburban community. Inside is more chaotic. The immigrants from rural Mexico, Guatemala, El ...

Our occasional roundup of news, notes and chatter. Between posts you can keep up with LA Observed on Twitter — now with 24,858 followers. Joe Frank, a giant voice for KCRW who produced more than 230 ...