Once again this week, we’ve had a number of interesting stories from other publications cross our desk that, while in some cases not super specific to our neighborhood, may be of great interest to our local readers. So, without further ado, In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)…
First, the Crosstown blog, from USC’s Annenberg School of Journalism and the Data Science Institute at the Viterbi School of Engineering, wrote recently about “The Precipititous Rise of ‘Porch Pirates’ in LA.” Porch pirates are, of course, the thieves who steal packages delivered to people’s homes or apartments, a type of crime that has, according to the article, increased by 581% since 2010. So, no, you’re not imaging that this kind of activity has increased in your neighborhood, or the rest of the city. Read all about it, and see maps of the neighborhoods where the problem is at its worst, at the link above.
Next, CurbedLA has a fascinating look at the history of the single-family neighborhood in Los Angeles, and why this city (unlike others such as New York and San Francisco) grew up full of roomy single family homes instead of denser styles of construction. It all started with some major zoning decisions back in the 1920s to 1940s, which defined the character of the city for decades to come. See “Single Family Homes Cover Almost Half of Los Angeles – Here’s How that Happened” for the full story.
Third, from VoyageLA, a local arts and culture blog, comes a profile of Miracle Mile artist Carole Silverstein, whose work is based on mesmerizing patterns from “Islamic tiles and architecture, Japanese clouds, Spanish textiles, Celtic knotwork, India & Kuba textiles,” and more. Her paintings and collages have been featured at many galleries in Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as in the show “We Must Risk Delight: 20 Artists from Los Angeles” at the 2015 Venice Biennale in Venice, Italy. The story recounts Silverstein’s development as an artist growing up in Los Angeles, and contains many images of her unique work.
And finally, from Wehoville, West Hollywood’s online news source, we learned that the Wing, a women-only co-working space, has recently opened in that city. The facility includes “meeting rooms, phone booths, showers, lockers, a cafe and bar, beauty and lactation rooms, a library and a gallery showcasing artwork by female artists.” It sounds a bit like the Jane Club (still operating, as far as we know, on a residential block of Larchmont Blvd.)…but when the Wing says women only, it means it – no men are allowed in the space, either as members or guests. The exclusivity may appeal to some, but it may also be a double-edged sword – as the Jezebel blog reports, the Wing has attracted some serious venture capital (nearly $40 million)…but also an investigation by the New York City Human Rights Commission for its strict gender policy. (In contrast, our own historic women’s club, the Ebell of Los Angeles, welcomes everyone to its events and activities, and even accepts men as members.)
Happy reading…and if you find an interesting story you think our readers would enjoy, please pass it along!
 - recent stories of interest on "porch pirates," single-family zoning, a local artist profile and the new The Wing women's co-working space in West Hollywood.){kind=link}