Considering a move to Los Angeles? Cypress Park is just one of many unique neighborhoods in LA with about a 150 homes to choose from, most in the 300 to 500 range. But don’t jump in your car yet. Find out everything you can on the internet before you make the drive to inspect the neighborhood in person.

Cypress Park which is in northeast Los Angeles was once inhabited by the Shoshone Native American Indians but is now about 85% Hispanic which usually means a lot of the residents there are foreign born, and in Cypress Park 53% were. The population here is quite dense. The average density in Los Angeles is almost 8,000 people per square mile, while the density in Cypress Park is nearly 19,000. Nearly 60 percent of the residents here are married couples and the average family size is a little over four per household.

As far as income goes, median income was just under 43k, about five thousand less than the average for Los Angeles, possibly due to the fact that nearly 70% of the neighborhood’s residents have lower than a high school education. A full quarter of male wage earners here make their money in the construction industry, followed by roughly 20% in both sales and service occupations. Women here work predominantly in sales office occupations to the tune of 44%. Getting to work usually starts in Cypress Park at about 7am and takes 35-40 minutes to get there. Nearly a quarter of those take the bus and the same goes for car pools. Of the remaining workers, nearly all of them take their own cars to work.

So there you have some of the demographics of the Cypress Park neighborhood but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Cypress Park actually rates high when it comes to the nightlife there, which includes the popular dive bars and burger joints. Businesses there are often used as film locations for the motion picture industry. Two of those films were Catwoman and The Fast and the Furious. The TV show Heroes also films scenes in Cypress Park. The hugely popular bar Footsies has been used to film a number of music videos by artists like T.I. and Rihanna.

The neighborhood is also in the beginning stages of an economic revitalization with many of the California Bungalow, Craftsman, and Victorian houses are being restored by private real estate investors. The future is looking bright for this densely populated but not overly priced Los Angeles neighborhood. Good luck and happy house hunting.

We’ll start at the beginning of the day, with the early morning (for some, really early) fry up. There’s nothing as good as a large pile of grease after a late night, is there?

The Griddle is great for hangovers and a little A.M. star gazing. Here you can enjoy a morning coffee with others who are probably worse off than you in the hangover stakes and even bump into a few green- tinged rock stars. It’s on 7916 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood. Breakfast starts at 7am, 8am on Weekends.

In N Out Burger is the long standing ‘It Place’ for late night burgers. The food is good and fresh (never frozen) and you can always run into a drunken celebrity on their way back to rehab. Catch one of their famous burgers and fries at 7009 Sunset Blvd, though it is a chain and you can find stores everywhere.

The fattier and deadlier Fat Burger is almost a rival of In N Out, except that Fat Burger is exactly that, and the image conscious don’t often eat at places that have this many calories. The burgers are laden with grease and fatty ingredients, surely to put a healthy person over the edge, and the unhealthy people in utter nirvana.

If you’re thinking about hitting up Fat Burger more than once, think again, the obesity statistics in this country are against your favor. Here’s an address for you, 1611 North Vermont Avenue, though there are others around.

Moving on to middle of the day (not so drunk) food, are the places that are good for a snack, lunch or coffee. Great fresh pastries, fruit tarts and coffee in a Parisian style café are at the Susina Bakery and Cafe on 7122 Beverly Blvd. You can savor rich chocolates, their famous spinach and garlic turnover and also check your mail on your laptop.

Similarly, good hearty breakfasts are served up at BLD (breakfast, lunch, dinner- in case you wondered). There are fluffy pancakes and croissants, salads and meat dishes, burgers and deserts. In essence, this restaurant caters for all occasions, doing all meals well and with style. BLD is at 7450 Beverly Blvd, from 8am till 11pm (very handy).

Asian fusion is the latest thing, but if you’re on the run and you’re craving something decent, Daikokuya is a great change. This restaurant/ diner is infamous for excellent ramen and noodles. It’s not exactly high brow, and looks kind of dinky, but the food is worth being squashed in the crowded room. All up, it’s cheap, good for you and good quality ramen. If ramen is your thing, don’t miss this one at 327 E. First Street, (downtown).

Another local favorite is The Oinkster, on 2005 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock. The atmosphere is like an old school diner selling pastrami sandwiches, but the food draws a regular crowd. It’s a great option for a hearty lunch, but maybe not if you’re watching your weight. Recommended dishes are the pulled-pork sandwich, Belgian fries and the ube milkshakes.

Angeli Caffe on 7274 Melrose Ave does lunch and dinner and is fantastic if you are hankering for some Italian. The food is simple and authentic and always inspires the laziest of diners.

More great Italian food and personality can be found at Angelini Osteria on 7313 Beverly Blvd. The food is a little more complicated and the flavors are adult, buy the recipes are old school. The oxtail here is worth a mention if you can get it and the wine list is decent. The restaurant itself is a trattoria full of loud conversations that only the Italians can do best.

Finally there are the decadent restaurants we hear about in the papers and movies, the ones that will empty your bank account without shame. These restaurants employ imported chefs and seduce you with flavors, wine cellars and the supermodels (literally) that dine next to you. If you have the time and money, go to at least one, it’s a different world (at least in comparison to Fat Burger).

The Château Marmont deserves no introduction. It is as famous for its food as it is for its hotel, clientele and snobbery. Plan ahead for this one, and enjoy yourself when you are sitting in its grandeur. You’ll probably see Paris Hilton across the room, but don’t stare. The food is divine, of course, the service is surprisingly friendly and the atmosphere is beautiful and out of this planet. Address is 8221 Sunset Blvd, but you’ll see the castle…

Cut is the best steak in the city, and is obviously priced accordingly. If you need the best wagyu steak of all time in your belly, there is only one place to go, though you clearly will need an advance booking. Cut is in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, 9500 Wilshire Boulevard.

Koi is the latest hip place for sushi, and is frequented by a ridiculous amount of stars and star wannabes. The food is great, the atmosphere and mood is even better. If you want an Asian treat, don’t hesitate on this one, it’s at 730 N. La Cienega Blvd.

The best seafood in the city it the Water Grill, though you will pay dearly. This is an LA icon, so if you love oysters, and you want to spend the money on something you’ll truly never forget, make a reservation. The wine list is excellent and you can find it at 544 South Grand.

Custody and Visitation in the Divorce Process in Los Angeles

How can parents decide on a parenting plan?

Parents who separate must have a parenting plan for deciding how they will share parenting responsibilities. A parenting plan must be in writing and signed by both parties and a judge to be enforceable.

What if parents cannot agree on a parenting plan?

If parents cannot agree on a parenting plan on their own they may go to court and ask a judge for a temporary order. The Court will first send them to Conciliation Court where a trained mediator tries to help the parties agree on a parenting plan. In Los Angeles conciliation services are free. An appointment can be made by calling conciliation services at (213) 974-5524.

If the parties still cannot agree, the Court will make a temporary custody and visitation order that is in the best interests of the children. The temporary order will continue until the parties can reach an agreement or until custody and visitation is resolved after a trial.

If parents cannot agree on custody and visitation, they can also ask the court to appoint a mental health expert such as a psychologist to carry out a custody evaluation. A list of custody evaluators can be found at the Los Angeles Court’s web site at http://www.lasuperiorcourt.org.

What goes into a parenting plan?

When parents decide on a parenting plan they should develop a plan around the needs and best interests of their children and not their needs or schedules. In other words, they should adjust the plan to the children, not the children to the plan. Parents should be looking at their children’s need for love, emotional support and security. Parents should take into account their children’s age, personality and experiences. Children will generally be better off when both parents are involved and participating in their upbringing.

Any parenting plan will have to make provision for who gets “legal” custody and who gets “physical” custody of the children.

“Legal” custody means which parent gets to make important decisions about the children’s education, religious upbringing, medical treatment and other legal decisions. If one parent gets to make these decisions they have “sole legal custody.” If both parents get to make those decisions together, they

have “joint legal custody.” It is rare for one parent to be granted sole legal custody unless there is a history of the parents being unable to communicate. In deciding on issues relating to legal custody, form “Joint Legal Custody Attachment” FL-341 (E) which has been approved by the Judicial Council of California is helpful. It can be found at http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/forms/.

“Physical” custody means who the children live with on a daily basis. A parent has “sole” physical custody if the primary residence of the child is with that parent. The non-custodial parent then has visitation rights. The parents have “joint” physical custody if the children live with each parent for significant periods of time during the week.

A parenting plan should be consistent and detailed. It should spell out who gets the children when and where in enough detail so that it is easy to understand and enforce. Important questions are who has the children in the week and on the weekends? Who transports the children for exchanges and to activities? Who gets the children on holidays and vacations? To get ideas for parenting plans you can take a look at forms “Child Custody and Visitation Attachment FL-311 and “Children’s Holiday Schedule Attachment.” These forms have been approved by the Judicial Council of California and can be found at http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/forms/.

Are there typical parenting plans?

The answer is no. Each parenting plan should be tailored to the needs of each family. The following are, however, examples of timeshares that often form the basis of parenting plans.

Freeman Order: One parent has primary custody and the other has visitation on alternate weekends and one evening a week.

2-2-3 timeshare: In week one, Parent 1 has physical custody on Monday and Tuesday (2), Parent 2 has Wednesday and Thursday (2), and Parent 1 has Friday, Saturday and Sunday (3). In week two, Parent 2 has Monday and Tuesday, Parent 1 has Wednesday and Thursday, and Parent 2 has Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and so on.

2-2-5-5 timeshare: This is generally more appropriate for older children. In week one, Parent 1 has physical custody on Monday and Tuesday (2), Parent 2 has Wednesday and Thursday (2), Parent 1 has Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (5). In week two, Parent 2 has Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (5), and so on.

Some state courts have developed model parenting plans that take into account what is appropriate for children of different ages. The Supreme Court for the State of Arizona has developed a model parenting plan that can be found at: [http://www.supreme.state.az.us/dr/Text/ModelPTPlans.htm].

Any tips for making a parenting plan work?

o Use a calendar so each of you knows the children’s schedules. Put it in a place that’s easy for you and the children to see.

o Communicate in a civil and timely manner with the other parent when scheduling conflicts arise. The more notice you give, the better. These days email and other online calendaring tools can be effective.

o Never put the children in the middle of fights.

How do we modify a parenting plan if circumstances change?

Once a parenting plan has been signed by a Court, the parties can change the plan by agreement which they then submit to the Court. If they cannot agree a party can request that the Court modify the plan. If the plan is part of a final custody determination that party must prove that a change is in the best interests of the children and also has to show that there has been a substantial change of circumstances.

I’m afraid that my spouse poses a threat to the kids when they visit. What can I do?

If there has been domestic violence or one parent believes that the other poses a risk to the children, the Court may order supervised or monitored visitation. Visitation may be supervised by a professional or non-professional monitor such as a friend or family member. When choosing nonprofessionals parents should chose more than one so that no visits are missed for lack of a monitor.

The other parent wants to move out of state. What can I do?

In recent years several appellate court decisions have settled the following rule regarding move-aways. If there has been no court order, the Court looks to the best interests of the children. If there has been a Court order and one parent wants to modify that order by moving out of state the legal standard depends on whether the Court order provides for joint custody. If the parents have joint custody, the court decides what is in the best interests of the child. However, if one parent has primary physical custody (more than 60%) it is much harder for the non-custodial parent to prevent the move away. They must prove that the move is being made in bad faith or would be detrimental to the welfare of the child.

Links

www.lasuperiorcourt.org

www.courtinfo.ca.gov/forms/

[http://www.supreme.state.az.us/dr/Text/ModelPTPlans.htm]www.camft.org

In a Southern California city such as Ventura, Pasadena, or Los Angeles, criminal lawyers are a dime a dozen. But how do you find the most qualified counsel out of the many expert lawyers in California? Which defense counselor in San Bernardino is immensely educated in forgery law, DUI/DWI law, writs and appeals law, or assault law? A person wanting to hire a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney has to ask himself/herself these questions! People are stunned to realize that many of my clients are first time lawbreakers, who because of dubious circumstances are arrested and charged with a criminality. Sound familiar?

Many of my customers are word of mouth referrals, referred by acquaintances, people in their network or their lawyer. Being referred is the starting step, but how do I, as a prospective client, know if this criminal defense attorney is most appropriate for me? My administrative assistant, Cynthia, is the first person who has communication with a prospective customer. Cynthia is frequently asked if the criminal attorney has any experience handling criminal court trials just like theirs and what is my success rate? Often the client will directly ask me those same question.

Those are terrific questions that need to be answered honestly. But how do you know if your criminal defense attorney is honestly telling you the truth? “Buyer beware”- there are a lot of attorneys out there who will exaggerate the facts when it comes to their qualifications and previous experience – my investigator, refers to this puff as the attorney at law “selling wolf tickets”.

To help you find a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who is suitable for you and your criminal court case, here are five easy steps to help you choose a competent criminal defense attorney.

5 steps to find a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles

1. Know the crime you have been arraigned with. Ask colleagues and friends for recommendations to criminal lawyers. Word of mouth is a great way to find an lawyer that’s right for you. You will feel more confident hiring a criminal defense legal representation who was recommended by someone you trust.
2. Go online to expand your list. A good site to find good criminal lawyers is lawyers.com. Simply type in the area of law and location to determine your query. For example, “Riverside criminal attorney”, or to be even more precise, “drug trafficking attorney San Diego”.
3. Research the list of attorneys you’ve put together. Find out how long they have been practicing criminal law (general rule of thumb is at least 15 years), how many criminal law court litigations they have won/lost. In California, you can look up an attorney’s undergraduate and law school schooling and how long they have been admitted to the bar at The State Bar of California website. More importantly, check whether the lawyer has an AV Peer Review Rating on lawyers.com website. This rating is a recognition of the attorney’s legal competence and adherence to the highest level of professional ethics as judged by other attorneys and judges.
4. Ask the legal representation about the fees. Depending on the counsel, rates can vary greatly from $100/hour to over $750/hour. Get his/her costs schedules up front to know precisely what you will be paying. Never be in agreement to work with an attorney that charges a percentage of the total settlement he/she gets for you. It is unethical for the attorney to do so.
5. Meet with the attorney in person. But before meeting, make sure you find out whether there is an initial consultation fee. Ask as many questions that pertain to your criminal case as possible. Get an overall sense of how comfortable you feel and whether or not he/she is competent enough to represent you in the court of law. Does the defense counselor ask appropriate, sensible questions? Will he/she handle the case or let junior associates do the work?

   To hire the best Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, ask to see their track record in writing and then go to the court and check them out!

Often referred to as LAX, which is its IARA airport code, Los Angeles International Airport is the main airport which serves Los Angeles and the surrounding area in California, USA. It is an extremely busy airport and was found to be the sixth busiest airport in the world in 2010, with 59 million passengers walking through its doors.

Location and history

It is located in the south west area of the city called Westchester which is located about 16 miles from downtown Los Angeles. It covers some 3,500 acres of land which was founded in 1928when the city of Los Angeles acquired the land which was then fields of lima beans, barley and wheat and converted them to dirt landing strips and the first airport structure was built in 1929.

Originally known as Mines Field, after the realtor that arranged the purchase of the fields, the airport’s name was changed in 1941 to Los Angeles International Airport. From then the airport grew to be the main airport in Los Angeles taking over from Burbank airport and Grand central airport in Glendale and in 1961 the ‘theme building’ was constructed providing a sweeping view of the airport.

From the first jet service taking off from LAX in 1959 to New York, the airport began to be a major centre for jet travel, highlighted by the use of Boeing 747s by TWA from 1970 on the route to New York. Terminals were also in use as satellite buildings which were accessed by underground tunnels from the ticketing area, and in 1981 a $700 million expansion of LAX was undertaken to prepare for the 1984 Olympics which involved the construction of two new terminals for the airport including the sophisticated Tom Bradley terminal.

A brief explanation of the terminals of LAX

Today LAX has nine passenger terminals that are arranged in a horseshoe shape and served by a shuttle bus.

Terminal One serves mainly regional flights and is the busiest terminal offering around 135 departures each and every day.

Terminal two, serves foreign airlines that do not utilise the tom Bradley terminal. It was the original international terminal having been built in 1962.

Terminal 3 is currently used by the airlines, Virgin America, V Australia, JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, and AirTran Airways.

Terminal 4 is used by American Airlines exclusively, with the exception of Qantas departures to Brisbane and Auckland. Terminal five is used by Delta Airlines, with terminal 6 used by Continental and some Delta flights and now Alaska Airlines from April 2011.

Terminals 7 and 8 are the home for United Airlines.

The Tom Bradley International terminal which is the latest terminal to built hosts the international airlines not using terminal 2 such as British Airways, Swiss airlines, Lufthansa and Turkish airlines amongst others.

In summary

Los Angeles International Airport handles more non-connecting passengers than anywhere else in the world and is also the busiest airport in California and the third busiest airport for passenger traffic in the United States of America alone.

The recent months have been full of change for me, one of which being the switching of my personal training business from the Orange County area to the Los Angeles area, what a difference! In the midst of training for an upcoming bodybuilding show in September, my diet and cardio have had to become exponentially more strict and intense. Just like many of you out there, I too dread the thought of waking up to an hour of Stairmaster or treadmill training, particularly before breakfast. Who wouldn’t want to start off with a nice stack of strawberry pancakes and a t-bone steak from the nearest IHOP! Alas, it’s not going to happen for me, at least for now. But the one thing that I can do, and it’s something I wanted to share with all of you, is the ability to change up my boring cardio routine, all with the help of my new location in Los Angeles. You see, there’s nothing like getting in a good workout in an environment that motivates you and gives you the thrill and exhilaration that you won’t find in any indoor gym. By taking my workout outdoors, I’ve been able to eliminate the dreaded hour of morning cardio staring at the clock, watching the seconds tick by. Here, I’d like to share with you some of my favorite environments, all nearby in beautiful Los Angeles.

For those of you that enjoy the beach, nothing beats a morning workout near the beautiful California coast in Santa Monica. Near the Santa Monica pier there is an area complete with rings, pull up and push up stations, a rope to climb, as well as room for many other exercises. For me, I like to begin my work out on the rings, work my way through the bar, and finish it off with a grueling rope climb that challenges my upper body strength like nothing else in any indoor gym. After repeating this circuit 4 times, I complete my workout with a 2-3 mile run on the shore, enjoying the coastal breeze and the sound of crashing waves distracting me from my body’s physical stress.

Next, I’d like to mention the one and only UCLA stadium which is open to the public. I enjoy coming here on weekends because nothing beats a hardcore workout in the college campus of one of our very own LA sports champions. Starting off with 8 sets of 100 yard sprints with a 1 minute rest in between sets, I get my heart rate going to prepare for the intensity yet to come. I then strap on a weighted vest and head for the stairs. Half way up the stairs, and back down for a total of 10 tiring sets. Does it hurt…HECK YES! But the results are beyond worth it. The bars and ropes at the end of the football field conclude my work out here with about 3 circuits. For those of you that are just beginning, start off at a slower pace, this is an advanced workout and to prevent injury, listen to your own body.

Lastly, here’s an activity that we all can remember enjoying as kids, plain and simple bike riding. There’s nothing quite like the simplicity of riding a bicycle, something that for many of us can take us back to pleasant childhood memories of the days when we had not a care in the world. As children, many of us ride bikes for hours on end, never watching the clock to see when it would be time to stop, and most of us not finding it tiring or physically draining. I thought to myself, why ride a bike in a stuffy gym when I can buy a real bike and pedal away with the scenery of downtown Los Angeles beside me. With a good mp3 player and my new bike, my 7 am cardio session flew by me before I even knew it! Since my first ride, I can’t help but get my cycling in twice a week, you simply can’t get over the excitement!

We see now that you don’t have to live near green pastures, forests or mountains to get a good quality outdoor workout. Whether you live in Los Angeles or New York City, the metropolitan areas give us plenty of opportunities to challenge ourselves physically and mentally. No longer do we have to think that in order to get a good workout you MUST go visit a gym, this isn’t the case. As with anything else, repetitiveness gets old and the last thing you want is to get bored and tired of exercising. The environment you place yourselves in for your workouts will make a huge difference in your mental state which will eventually affect your intensity in your workouts. I challenge you all to take a look around your local surroundings and find a way for you to challenge yourself physically outside of your local gym. For those of you in the LA area, I highly recommend the locations mentioned above. Take a step out of your comfort zone and get out there like our great ancestors once did and have some fun!

You do not have to follow basketball to know who the Los Angeles Lakers are. The Lakers are one of the most well known teams on the NBA. They do hold a number of records, but throughout their history, there have been a number of bad years. Through good team selection and coaches, the team has fought to get themselves to where they are today.

In the beginning, the Lakers faced a number of difficulties – they won some and they lost some. There were no championship titles or records won by the team – not in the early days.

Originally founded in 1946, the Lakers were known as the Detroit Lakers, as they were based out of Detroit, Michigan. Shortly later, they moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. This move was a good one for them, as this is where they won their first championship game – as a matter-of-fact – they won five when they were the Minneapolis Lakers.

Finally, in 1960, the Lakers moved to their home town of Los Angeles. The first decade was a tough ride for the team, as they could not even get into the NBA finals.

The next decade did not look much brighter for the Los Angeles Lakers. In the 1970’s they won a title, which was definitely better than the previous 10 years, but that was it.

In the 1980’s the team started to make a turn for the better. During this decade is when Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – two of the biggest names in the NBA – played for the Lakers. Additionally, Coach Pat Riley coached the team on team-work and helped them jump over their hurdles. During this time, the Los Angeles Lakers won five additional championships, and had their highest number of wins in one given season.

Like any roller coaster, there was a down-slope coming. The 1990’s proved to be an uneventful year for the Lakers. Not to say there was nothing to talk about, but compared to the 80’s, nothing spectacular happened.

Finally, in the 21st century, things are really beginning to look up for the Lakers. They now have players like Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, along with Coach Phil Jackson. Already, in just eight years, they have won five NBA finals.

The turn-around, of events, over the past decade, has captured the attention of many fans. The Lakers fans are not your typical fan, but are die-hard fans as they have watched their team struggle and come out of it with shining colors.

At the end of their most recent season, the Lakers held one of the highest number of records in NBA history. One of which was given to them for having the highest number of wins, ever, at over 2,900 wins.

They also hold records for the highest percentage (60%) of won games and appearing in the Finals 29 times. One fete, for them personally, to beat is the number of championship wins held by their rivals – the Boston Celtics. The Lakers are only three championship wins away, but this would be a grand accomplishment for the team.

The amount of talent that has passed through the Los Angeles Lakers is phenomenal. There have been 14 Hall of Fame players, and 4 Hall of Fame coaches, throughout their history. The combination of this talent and coaching has brought the team to where they are today.

Los Angeles is a very fascinating city and a great place for anybody to take a vacation. Visiting Los Angeles and the surrounding areas could be one of the best and most memorable experiences that you will ever have. Tourists seem to get excited about everything from the simplest things to the bigger things. For some reason, tourists always like to see the famous Hollywood sign and especially visitors from non-coastal states like to go to the beach and see the Pacific Ocean for the first time.

If you like more of an adrenalin rush of fun and are planning to come to the city of Los Angeles, you will be in reasonable driving distance from several amusement and water parks including Six Flags Magic Mountain, Hurricane Harbor, Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios, Raging Waters and other places like the Los Angeles Zoo and Griffith Park.

If you are really interested in the Film Industry, you can go to the tapings of numerous television shows where you can see your favorite stars live and in person. Or if you prefer to be in front of the camera instead of in the audience, there are several advertisements in newspapers, magazines and posted on telephone poles looking for all kinds of people who want to be background Extras in movies, television shows and commercials. No experience is necessary. Be sure to go down Hollywood Boulevard and look on the ground for the stars of your favorite entertainers on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

You can go to Staples Center, home of the 9 time NBA (National Basketball

Association) World Champions Los Angeles Lakers. Magic Johnson has moved on from playing professional basketball, but you will still see his name all over Los Angeles. He is involved with a few businesses around town including some 24 Hour Fitness locations, the Magic Johnson Theatres located in the Crenshaw Shopping Center, Starbucks Coffee and Magic Johnson’s TGI Friday’s Restaurant.

Right across the street from the Forum in Inglewood where the Lakers used to play for about 30 years until a few years ago, is the Hollywood Park Race Track and Casino. They only have horse racing a few months out of the year. But you are in “Luck” because the Casino is in full swing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to satisfy your gambling needs. It is one of the few places around here that at least so far, they still have FREE parking.

For Baseball fans you can go to Dodger Stadium, home of the former World Series Champions Los Angeles Dodgers. You would not want to go to Dodger Stadium without eating one of their famous Dodger Dogs.

Not only do we have professional sports champions, we also have our very famous cross town college rivals, the U.C.L.A Bruins and the U.S.C Trojans who have both brought back team championships to the city of Los Angeles and they both have had their students and alumni bring back Gold Medals when they were representing the United States over the years in the Olympics.

If you want to see another historic Sports site, then go to the Los Angeles Coliseum. Not only was it the home of the Rams and then the Raiders, way back when Los Angeles used to have a NFL Football team, but it was a major venue for both the 1932 and the 1984 Summer Olympics. If you watched the Olympics then you saw the Los Angeles Coliseum during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the Track and Field events. The Olympic Torch is still there.

While you are at the Coliseum, it would be well worth your while to walk over to the California Science Center in Exposition Park. It is a great educational learning experience for both adults and children. The Sports Arena is in that general area. Also, within walking distance in that area are several museums that you might be interested in going through.

You would not want to miss out on spending time on the 405 San Diego Freeway which runs along the west side of Los Angeles County so you can enjoy the bumper to bumper traffic that we all get to experience so frequently. Most people in the area call it the world’s largest parking lot. Your foot rides the brake of your car while burning that expensive gasoline. Usually you are either at a full stop or traveling at a snails pace. Just hope that they do not have a vehicle accident on the freeway ahead of you because the snail would actually beat you in a race.

If you leave the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) which is right next to the Playa del Rey Beach on the far west side of the city, you can get on the 405 freeway and head northbound. When you are finally able to get through the traffic, you can visit the J. Paul Getty Museum which is just before you get to the valley.

You can go to Marina del Rey just north of the airport where you can enjoy a dinner cruise on the ocean or bring your fishing pole and go out on one of the all day fishing boats or just hang out in the Fisherman’s Village that overlooks the Pacific Ocean and has food, drinks and gift shops. There are places near most of the beaches where you can rent bicycles. There is Bike Path the runs along the side of the Pacific Ocean right on the beach. If you like rollerblading, rollerskating and / or skateboarding, then you will really like Venice Beach.

Normally from the west side of Los Angeles if you are at or near the Playa del Rey Beach and look up, you can see the planes taking off over the ocean. If you are somewhere east of the airport you can see the planes coming in for a landing. But if you look up and see a helicopter, don’t get confused. It is probably not a guided helicopter tour. More than likely it is the Los Angeles Police Department Helicopter chasing down a suspect with the news media helicopters trying to get their shots and doing their best to stay out of the way. Police car chases are very common around here. You hear sirens from emergency vehicles coming from all directions. But that is Los Angeles’ finest keeping our city nice and safe.

In all fairness, as a traveler you really need to make the safety of both yourself and your family a top priority no matter what city in the world you visit.

If you want to go on another cruise, you can go to Catalina Island. You can go over there, have some fun and come back the same day if you want or you can stay for several days if you really like it. There are numerous activities out there.

Another historic site that you would not want to miss is the street corner of Florence and Normandie Avenues which was where the 1992 Los Angeles Riots all began. Most of the businesses that were burned to the ground during that time have been rebuilt since then, so of course they look much better and more modern. Others may never be rebuilt.

On the far south side of Los Angeles County is Long Beach where you can see the Queen Mary Ship that is docked. You can tour the ship. Also, while you are in Long Beach you can visit the Aquarium of the Pacific for underwater adventure. Just like the California Science Center, it is another great educational learning opportunity for both adults and children.

For shopping, it depends what you are interested in. You can get just about anything you can think of at the malls which are located all over the place. The Del Amo Mall in Torrance (the southern part of Los Angeles County) is one of the largest malls in the United States. If you are looking for discount clothing and other merchandise, then go to the garment district in downtown Los Angeles. If you want the expensive stuff, then go down Rodeo Drive and the Wilshire Boulevard area in Beverly Hills. Just east of Beverly Hills is the Grove where you can check out the Farmers Market that has been serving Los Angeles since 1934. The area has been changed, expanded and built up over the past few years.

Wilshire Boulevard is one of the main business streets in Los Angeles that runs from the beach to downtown Los Angeles. So if you want to drive down Wilshire Boulevard just for fun, you can start by the Santa Monica Pier overlooking the Pacific Ocean and it will take you through the cities of Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Los Angeles. When you get to downtown, be sure to take a look at the Los Angeles Civic Center area.

Another interesting street to drive down for fun is Crenshaw Boulevard. You can start at Wilshire Blvd and go southbound on Crenshaw Boulevard. It will take you through the inner city of Los Angeles. Your trip will take you by the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Shopping Center, Leimert Park in the Crenshaw District, then through Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Torrance, Rolling Hills Estates and all the way down until you end up in Rancho Palos Verdes in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County.

Check the schedule of the Los Angeles Convention Center. They always have some type of entertainment, business or informational seminars, expos or workshops going on over there. You might find something going on that you may want to attend.

There are countless food and beverage locations all over the Los Angeles area from fine dining restaurants to fast food places and every shade of grey in between that will satisfy any appetite. You just have to find the ones that match your taste. There are all kinds of entertainment, dancing, activities and shows even in addition to all of the things that are mentioned above.

If you are not visiting someone who has a car that you can use, then you should probably rent a car because waiting around for public transportation in Los Angeles will use up most of your vacation time. Have fun.

Have you recently decided to sell your home? If you have sold a home before, you are likely to know the expenses associated with doing so. If you have never sold a home before then you are about to find out. That is unless you make the decision to obtain the services of a low commission real estate agent. Los Angeles residents have reported success with using their services and you could to.

If you are unfamiliar with real estate agents, you may be wondering exactly what a low commission real estate agent is. In the Los Angeles area, a large number of real estate agents retain their fees from a percentage of a home’s sale. This percentage is often referred to as commission. The commission obtained by local real estate agents is likely to vary.

If you were to contact a number of local real estate agents you would find that some charge a commission as high as five or six percent. Does this sound like a large percentage to you? If it does, you are right. Those individuals cannot be classified as low commission real estate agents. An agent charging one or even two perfect can be classified as a low commission real estate agent. Los Angeles residents, to save money on the sale of their home, are encouraged to find these agents.

Searching for a low commission real estate agent is similar to searching for a traditional real estate agent. You can use a local Los Angeles phone book to find a number of local real estate agents. It is important to note that phone books are limited on the amount of information they provide. If you are interested in determining whether or not a real estate agent can be considered a low commission agent, you will have to contact that agent directly.

In addition to using a local Los Angeles phone book, you can also use the internet to find a low commission real estate agent. Los Angeles residents, including yourself, can use online business directories or online real estate resources. Each of these resources are likely to point you in the direction of a low commission real estate agent. Los Angeles residents can also perform a standard internet search. That search is also likely to produce the same type of results.

Many low commission realtors offer services that are similar to full priced real estate agents. To determine the difference in services, you are encouraged to speak directly with a low commission real estate agent. Los Angeles homeowners have been profiting from the sale of their home with discounted agents and so can you.

Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO). Basics & What’s New for 2016. RSO regulates the stabilization of rents, evictions and relocation assistance. If a property is for rent in the City of Los Angeles with a Certificate of Occupancy, it is covered by RSO. That incorporates hundreds of thousands renter occupied housing units including condominiums, co-ops, rooming houses, mobile home parks, hotels and motels. RSO does not apply to a singular single-family home on a lot, exempt affordable housing units and usually doesn’t apply to dwelling units built after 10/1/1978. It also doesn’t apply to luxury units approved by HCIDLA, hotel and motel rooms occupied less than 30 days, rental units in converted commercial buildings (adaptive re-use projects) with the first rental use after 10/1/1978.

Units rented or offered for rent must be registered every year with HCIDLA. Annual rental unit registration fees shared by landlord and tenants include a $24.51 rent registration fee per unit and a $43.32 per unit systematic code enforcement program (SCEP) fee. These fees can be passed through to tenants at 50% of the rent registration fee per unit and may be requested in the month of June only. $3.61 may be passed through per month to tenants for the SCEP fee and will be paid in full in twelve months.

There are two types of rent increases, those that require approval and those that do not need approval. Approval is not required for vacancy decontrol and the annual allowable rent increase, increased rent for additional tenants within 60 days of the landlord having knowledge of the additional occupants. Note that there is no increase for the first minor dependent. Rent increases that require approval include capital improvements, primary renovations, rehabilitation work, seismic retrofitting on soft-story buildings, and just and reasonable rent increases related to net operating income. Examples of capital improvements include work on pools/jacuzzis, roofing, carpet, drapes, air conditioners, washers and dryers, security gates and exterior painting. Examples of primary renovations include work to plumbing, lead-based paint, structural improvements, asbestos abatement and electrical. Rehabilitation work is done to comply with an order issued by various departments as a result of changes in the building, fire or health codes or to damage from a natural disaster.

There are two types of evictions, tenant at fault and tenant not at fault. A tenant is at fault when they don’t pay their rent, they violate their leases, they’re a nuisance, they’re into drugs and gang activity, they’re using their units for illegal purposes, they fail to renew a like lease to the original one, they deny access to their units, they have a subtenant that is not approved or they fail to relocate according to the Tenant Habitability Plan. A tenant is not at fault if there is demolition, permanent removal of the unit from the rental market, there is a government order, HUD foreclosure or the unit is converted to affordable housing.

Relocation assistant amounts can range from $7,550 to $19, 500 depending on the length of tenancy and other factors.

Updates:

Landlords must pay annual interest on security deposits under RSO for all tenancies of at least one year.

Disputes on the return of security deposits are handled through Consumer Affairs or Small Claims Court.

The seismic retrofit work program allows landlords to pass through 50 percent of costs to tenants over time with certain collection restrictions.

This article is for informational purposes only and the accuracy of the contents is not guaranteed. Reader to verify all information independently.