Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles
@esotouric.bsky.social
Just a couple of lifers looking out for Los Angeles. Join us for architecture, crime, literature & history tours, preservation battles. Newsletter: http://esotouric.substack.com
Pinned
Los Angeles is confounding, by design, but it is not unknowable. These folks are telling real L.A. stories if you want to listen.
go.bsky.app/zi1abc
go.bsky.app/zi1abc
Who took the W.P. Story Building gates? Do they still exist in some rich collector's hands, or were they melted down for scrap? If anyone knows, speak now!
December 15, 2025 at 5:04 AM
Who took the W.P. Story Building gates? Do they still exist in some rich collector's hands, or were they melted down for scrap? If anyone knows, speak now!
So there we were, leading a tour group through the redevelopment ruins of Main Street, lamenting all the quirky/sleazy small business run off by City Hall prudes, when we came upon @isiahdoesthis at @shopandprop. So great to see vacant #DTLA storefronts come alive again!
youtu.be/IM3rt9sjSXg
youtu.be/IM3rt9sjSXg
youtu.be
December 15, 2025 at 2:08 AM
So there we were, leading a tour group through the redevelopment ruins of Main Street, lamenting all the quirky/sleazy small business run off by City Hall prudes, when we came upon @isiahdoesthis at @shopandprop. So great to see vacant #DTLA storefronts come alive again!
youtu.be/IM3rt9sjSXg
youtu.be/IM3rt9sjSXg
It's Christmas time at Grand Central Market, and the neon glows just a little warmer, it seems.
Wishing (almost) all Angelenos a Joyeux Noël.
Wishing (almost) all Angelenos a Joyeux Noël.
December 14, 2025 at 10:18 PM
It's Christmas time at Grand Central Market, and the neon glows just a little warmer, it seems.
Wishing (almost) all Angelenos a Joyeux Noël.
Wishing (almost) all Angelenos a Joyeux Noël.
Surprise new friend! Coming home from the 40th Anniversary party of Hollywood Heritage moving the Lasky-DeMille Barn to be a museum of cinema history, we spotted a baby kitten all alone on a freeway overpass. Kim managed to catch this teeny mackerel tabby and... it's love. <3
December 14, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Surprise new friend! Coming home from the 40th Anniversary party of Hollywood Heritage moving the Lasky-DeMille Barn to be a museum of cinema history, we spotted a baby kitten all alone on a freeway overpass. Kim managed to catch this teeny mackerel tabby and... it's love. <3
Next weekend: a rare Sat/Sun double feature, with Know Your Downtown L.A. featuring the Dutch Chocolate Shop (almost sold out!) and Miracle Mile Marvels & Madness. Come discover how strange, beautiful and exciting Los Angeles can be, in good company. esotouric.com
December 14, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Next weekend: a rare Sat/Sun double feature, with Know Your Downtown L.A. featuring the Dutch Chocolate Shop (almost sold out!) and Miracle Mile Marvels & Madness. Come discover how strange, beautiful and exciting Los Angeles can be, in good company. esotouric.com
We saw a post on Instagram from @palisades_embers about a "remodel" (stealth demolition) happening on the residential property next to where their family has relocated, and encouraged them to document it with video. www.instagram.com/p/DSGdBATkiH4/
December 14, 2025 at 4:30 PM
We saw a post on Instagram from @palisades_embers about a "remodel" (stealth demolition) happening on the residential property next to where their family has relocated, and encouraged them to document it with video. www.instagram.com/p/DSGdBATkiH4/
Today on the Westlake Park tour: the many ways City Hall worked internally NOT to save the Silver Platter, one of the oldest gay bars in the US and a safe space for trans immigrant Angelenos. But Eunisses Hernandez can fix this. Hear all about it! esotouric.com/event/westla...
December 13, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Today on the Westlake Park tour: the many ways City Hall worked internally NOT to save the Silver Platter, one of the oldest gay bars in the US and a safe space for trans immigrant Angelenos. But Eunisses Hernandez can fix this. Hear all about it! esotouric.com/event/westla...
Today! We've got room for you on the Westlake Park tour, featuring very special interior visits (you will regret not signing up!) and weird tales of Murphy bed murders, deadly house pets, cult killings, art school lore, newspaper bombings and much more. esotouric.com/event/westla...
WESTLAKE PARK TIME TRAVEL TRIP WALKING TOUR
Visit the post for more.
esotouric.com
December 13, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Today! We've got room for you on the Westlake Park tour, featuring very special interior visits (you will regret not signing up!) and weird tales of Murphy bed murders, deadly house pets, cult killings, art school lore, newspaper bombings and much more. esotouric.com/event/westla...
Half way into 43 pages of Los Angeles City Council motions, we did not expect to find the City getting into the niche business of guided motion picture location tours. Cultural tourism is cool, but PLEASE hire cinema historians and do not just use AI to steal their work!
December 13, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Half way into 43 pages of Los Angeles City Council motions, we did not expect to find the City getting into the niche business of guided motion picture location tours. Cultural tourism is cool, but PLEASE hire cinema historians and do not just use AI to steal their work!
First completed Pacific Palisades house: not a rebuild lost to the fire, but a spec project from Thomas James Homes. www.yahoo.com/news/article...
This is the developer that tried to fill an artesian spring in Los Feliz and made a marsh down the block. esotouric.com/creek/
This is the developer that tried to fill an artesian spring in Los Feliz and made a marsh down the block. esotouric.com/creek/
December 13, 2025 at 3:39 AM
First completed Pacific Palisades house: not a rebuild lost to the fire, but a spec project from Thomas James Homes. www.yahoo.com/news/article...
This is the developer that tried to fill an artesian spring in Los Feliz and made a marsh down the block. esotouric.com/creek/
This is the developer that tried to fill an artesian spring in Los Feliz and made a marsh down the block. esotouric.com/creek/
The Ethics Commission seeks to impose a huge fine on councilman John Lee, former Mitch Englander Chief of Staff and wingman on developer-funded junkets, as "concealment and deceit were found to be present in this case." ethics.lacity.gov/pdf/agenda/2...
December 13, 2025 at 1:41 AM
The Ethics Commission seeks to impose a huge fine on councilman John Lee, former Mitch Englander Chief of Staff and wingman on developer-funded junkets, as "concealment and deceit were found to be present in this case." ethics.lacity.gov/pdf/agenda/2...
Tomorrow, join us on a deep dive into the rich cultural, architectural, artistic, literary and true crime history of the Westlake Park neighborhood, featuring some stunning interiors that are new on this edition of the tour. No, not the Park Plaza--maybe better! esotouric.com/event/westla...
December 13, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Tomorrow, join us on a deep dive into the rich cultural, architectural, artistic, literary and true crime history of the Westlake Park neighborhood, featuring some stunning interiors that are new on this edition of the tour. No, not the Park Plaza--maybe better! esotouric.com/event/westla...
Calling all young(ish) book and ephemera fiends in the greatest state: submit up to twenty of your treasures and a short essay and you might just win the California Young Book Collector’s Prize. Deadline December 19 and 36 is too old. www.abaa.org/general-cont...
December 12, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Calling all young(ish) book and ephemera fiends in the greatest state: submit up to twenty of your treasures and a short essay and you might just win the California Young Book Collector’s Prize. Deadline December 19 and 36 is too old. www.abaa.org/general-cont...
"This is not Des Moines!" On the 40th anniversary of National Register designation, Hollywood Heritage co-founder Fran Offenhauser calls for the City and property owners to DO SOMETHING about all the empty retail space and revive the derelict Boulevard.
youtu.be/O9RwobI9Wns?...
youtu.be/O9RwobI9Wns?...
December 12, 2025 at 12:48 AM
"This is not Des Moines!" On the 40th anniversary of National Register designation, Hollywood Heritage co-founder Fran Offenhauser calls for the City and property owners to DO SOMETHING about all the empty retail space and revive the derelict Boulevard.
youtu.be/O9RwobI9Wns?...
youtu.be/O9RwobI9Wns?...
Candelas has "only" been selling guitars in Boyle Heights since the 1940s, but the shop proudly claims nearly a century in trade in Tijuana and Los Angeles.
Most comprehensive About Us page ever!
www.candelas.com/about-us-upd...
Most comprehensive About Us page ever!
www.candelas.com/about-us-upd...
December 11, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Candelas has "only" been selling guitars in Boyle Heights since the 1940s, but the shop proudly claims nearly a century in trade in Tijuana and Los Angeles.
Most comprehensive About Us page ever!
www.candelas.com/about-us-upd...
Most comprehensive About Us page ever!
www.candelas.com/about-us-upd...
Lanza Bros. Market cruising into its centennial year in Italian flag brick glory on the industrial edge of Lincoln Heights.
December 10, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Lanza Bros. Market cruising into its centennial year in Italian flag brick glory on the industrial edge of Lincoln Heights.
Lanza Bros. Market cruising into its centennial year in Italian flag brick glory on the industrial edge of Lincoln Heights.
December 10, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Lanza Bros. Market cruising into its centennial year in Italian flag brick glory on the industrial edge of Lincoln Heights.
Do you love Los Angeles, have a taste for noir real estate schemes and no day job? We're rallying volunteers to attend and take notes at Councilmember Curren Price's pre-trial public corruption hearings Downtown, estimated to last a week (12/11-12/19).
esotouric.substack.com/thepriceisri...
esotouric.substack.com/thepriceisri...
December 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Do you love Los Angeles, have a taste for noir real estate schemes and no day job? We're rallying volunteers to attend and take notes at Councilmember Curren Price's pre-trial public corruption hearings Downtown, estimated to last a week (12/11-12/19).
esotouric.substack.com/thepriceisri...
esotouric.substack.com/thepriceisri...
Wonder why elected officials seem so checked out when you ask them to solve local problems? In Compton, it might because the CM is juggling a complex Baldwin Park marijuana bribery scheme. www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr...
Former Compton Politician Pleads Guilty to Bribing Corrupt Baldwin Park Official for Marijuana Permits and to Cheating on Taxes
A former Compton city councilman pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for paying $70,000 in bribes to a Baldwin Park city councilman in exchange for that official’s votes and support for c...
www.justice.gov
December 10, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Wonder why elected officials seem so checked out when you ask them to solve local problems? In Compton, it might because the CM is juggling a complex Baldwin Park marijuana bribery scheme. www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr...
Saturday, on the Westlake Park walking tour, we'll seek out the legendary art schools and relics of a lost world of scandal, culture and sly curiosity. Could it come back one day? We think it could! esotouric.com/event/westla...
December 10, 2025 at 5:23 AM
Saturday, on the Westlake Park walking tour, we'll seek out the legendary art schools and relics of a lost world of scandal, culture and sly curiosity. Could it come back one day? We think it could! esotouric.com/event/westla...
Thanks to our Hollywood Heritage preservation pals for the invite to the 40th Anniversary confab, a chance to view the amazing miniature and brainstorm about how to reactivate all that empty retail. The PRC on the Blvd. will open to the public in the new year--let's get to work and SAVE HOLLYWOOD!
December 10, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Thanks to our Hollywood Heritage preservation pals for the invite to the 40th Anniversary confab, a chance to view the amazing miniature and brainstorm about how to reactivate all that empty retail. The PRC on the Blvd. will open to the public in the new year--let's get to work and SAVE HOLLYWOOD!
Greetings, all who are freaking out about Netflix slurping up more than its share of the media ecosystem. We raised the alarm in 2019, after Ted Sarandos /American Cinematheque board ran the nonprofit into the ground, "saved" it by selling the Egyptian to Netflix. esotouric.com/egyptianthea...
Egyptian Theatre Advocacy
< The original name of this page was “Petition to Save the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre” – Click here to sign the petition. < UPDATE NOVEMBER 18, 2025: The …
esotouric.com
December 10, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Greetings, all who are freaking out about Netflix slurping up more than its share of the media ecosystem. We raised the alarm in 2019, after Ted Sarandos /American Cinematheque board ran the nonprofit into the ground, "saved" it by selling the Egyptian to Netflix. esotouric.com/egyptianthea...
Starting now: auction of the Joseff of Hollywood costume jewelry archive, including many iconic screen-worn pieces. Watch live and lament the death of prop houses, artistry and the industry's investment in the past. www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/3989...
December 9, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Starting now: auction of the Joseff of Hollywood costume jewelry archive, including many iconic screen-worn pieces. Watch live and lament the death of prop houses, artistry and the industry's investment in the past. www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/3989...
Scoops! Marilyn Monroe house landmarking appealed & Silver Platter redevelopment project expired.
Plus a way to attend the Burial of the Unclaimed Dead on Thursday morning even if you didn't get a ticket esotouric.substack.com/silvermarilyn
Plus a way to attend the Burial of the Unclaimed Dead on Thursday morning even if you didn't get a ticket esotouric.substack.com/silvermarilyn
December 9, 2025 at 6:15 AM
Scoops! Marilyn Monroe house landmarking appealed & Silver Platter redevelopment project expired.
Plus a way to attend the Burial of the Unclaimed Dead on Thursday morning even if you didn't get a ticket esotouric.substack.com/silvermarilyn
Plus a way to attend the Burial of the Unclaimed Dead on Thursday morning even if you didn't get a ticket esotouric.substack.com/silvermarilyn
The Burial of the Unclaimed Dead is Thursday and the County is again using Eventbrite to limit capacity.
We have confirmed that there will be tickets released in the event of no-shows. And you can see the service from Evergreen Cemetery next door.
esotouric.substack.com/unclaimed2025
We have confirmed that there will be tickets released in the event of no-shows. And you can see the service from Evergreen Cemetery next door.
esotouric.substack.com/unclaimed2025
The Burial of the Unclaimed Dead is for all Angelenos who care (2025)
Gentle reader,
esotouric.substack.com
December 9, 2025 at 3:16 AM
The Burial of the Unclaimed Dead is Thursday and the County is again using Eventbrite to limit capacity.
We have confirmed that there will be tickets released in the event of no-shows. And you can see the service from Evergreen Cemetery next door.
esotouric.substack.com/unclaimed2025
We have confirmed that there will be tickets released in the event of no-shows. And you can see the service from Evergreen Cemetery next door.
esotouric.substack.com/unclaimed2025