Larchmont Buzz

Larchmont Buzz News and information about the Larchmont - Hancock Park community in Los Angeles.

Buzzing with news from the LA neighborhoods of
Hancock Park, Windsor Square, Larchmont Village, and surrounding communities

Fabulous FungiAfter the recent rains, our front yard is filled with mushrooms, the visible fruiting bodies of certain fu...
01/08/2026

Fabulous Fungi

After the recent rains, our front yard is filled with mushrooms, the visible fruiting bodies of certain fungi that come to the surface.

We never really thought much about these unusual plant forms until we started reading Fearless, Sleepless, Deathless: What Fungi Taught Me About Nourishment, Poison, Ecology, Hidden Histories, Zombies, and Black Survival, a debut book by Maria Pinto, a naturalist and educator who will be a Chevalier’s Books this Friday.

Pinto is a dedicated mycophile and a fabulous storyteller. She melds her personal story with fascinating stories about fungi and the ecosystems they sustain. Her book blends the thrill of mushroom foraging with reflections on race, ecology, and resilience. She explores how fungi and mycological knowledge intersect with Black history and survival strategies, including stories of Black farmers domesticating truffles and the possibility that enslaved people used fungal poisons in acts of resistance.

“I will be reading brief excerpts pulled from the book’s essays about truffles, zombie ant fungi, and some tantalizing mysteries around Jamaican ancestral uses of mushrooms,” Pinto told the Buzz. She will be joined by food journalist and expert forager, Jeff Gordiner, for what promises to be a most unusual evening exploring this amazing and often overlooked plant form.

Pinto invites folks to bring photos of mushrooms they’ve found in their yards (or nearby pocket parks or playgrounds). Follow these tips for mushroom identification as a guide for photographing these fabulous fungi!

The event is free, RSVP here, and everyone is welcome.

Click the link in our bio to read more local news on the Larchmont Buzz. 🐝

’sbooks
 


SideWalking with MusicSideWalking.org is planning a walk and a mini concert at Kasimoff Blüthner Pianos on Saturday, Jan...
01/08/2026

SideWalking with Music

SideWalking.org is planning a walk and a mini concert at Kasimoff Blüthner Pianos on Saturday, January 10 at 4 pm.

“Neighbors are invited to join a small group (30-person limit) as we walk to one of the oldest piano stores in Los Angeles, located on Larchmont,” Marcelo Ziperovich, co-founder of the community walking and engagement project SideWalking.org, told the Buzz.

Walkers will be treated to a mini-concert, where international award-winning concert pianist Ilya Ramlav will play a brief history of piano music, stopping in different eras to hear how composers across time have used the same instrument in strikingly different ways.

Space is limited. Register soon at SideWalking.org

Click the link in our bio to read more local news on the Larchmont Buzz. 🐝




New Mom School Opening in Larchmont VillageNew Mom School is opening a new location at 658 N Larchmont Blvd, led by loca...
01/08/2026

New Mom School Opening in Larchmont Village

New Mom School is opening a new location at 658 N Larchmont Blvd, led by local mom and owner Stephanie Marker. Focused exclusively on supporting moms during the first year postpartum, the program offers a non-judgmental space with expert guidance to help new moms feel confident and supported.

Classes are small, mom-and-baby cohorts grouped by similar due dates, creating a built-in community of moms going through the same stage together. Sessions include discussions, expert visits (lactation consultants, therapists, pediatric professionals), and plenty of real talk.

📍 Located on North Larchmont near Tacos Tu Madre and Color Me Mine
🗓 Classes run in 8-week packages
💲 Intro price $375 (increases to $425 after Jan 12)
📲 Follow their Instagram for sign-ups and grand opening details in late January

Click the link in our bio to read more of this story on the Larchmont Buzz. 🐝




♻️🎄 **Recycle Your Real Christmas Tree the Easy Way** 🎄♻️It’s time for our annual reminder: real Christmas trees can be ...
01/08/2026

♻️🎄 **Recycle Your Real Christmas Tree the Easy Way** 🎄♻️

It’s time for our annual reminder: real Christmas trees can be recycled and turned into free compost and mulch by LA Sanitation. Simply remove all decorations, tinsel, and the stand. If it fits, place the tree in your green bin; if it’s too large, set it curbside next to the green bin on collection day.

🌱 **Collection options:**
• Green bin or curbside pickup
• Schedule pickup via MYLA311 or call 1-800-773-2489
• Drop off at **Fire Station #29** (4029 Wilshire Blvd) through **Jan 10, 2025**

🚫 Flocked and artificial trees go in the black bin (landfill).
📦 Extra cardboard is accepted curbside through **Jan 31, 2024** (bundled).
🔋 Electronics and batteries should go to S.A.F.E. Centers — not curbside bins.

Recycle right and give your tree a second life! 🌍

MONUMENTS Brings American History to Downtown Los AngelesOn a rainy December afternoon, Buzz write Madison Dang visited ...
01/06/2026

MONUMENTS Brings American History to Downtown Los Angeles

On a rainy December afternoon, Buzz write Madison Dang visited MONUMENTS at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA—and the impact didn’t fully hit until she was inside.

The exhibition places decommissioned Confederate statues alongside contemporary art, asking us to confront how post–Civil War history continues to shape American identity today. Nothing here is hidden or softened. The massive scale of the monuments, some pristine and others scarred by graffiti, makes the weight of history impossible to ignore.

One of the most striking moments: granite fragments from Richmond’s Robert E. Lee Monument, marked with messages for racial justice from the 2020 protests. Past and present collide—literally—reminding us that history doesn’t disappear just because monuments come down.

Contemporary works deepen the conversation. Jon Henry’s Stranger Fruit photographs stop you in your tracks, capturing the quiet terror and love of Black mothers holding sons who could one day be victims of police violence. Video works by Stan Douglas and a moving film collaboration between Julie Dash and Davóne Tines add further layers, exploring memory, grief, and racial perception across time.

The exhibition is thoughtfully arranged, pairing historic monuments with contemporary paintings, photography, and film to show how deeply intertwined the past and present truly are. It’s not always comfortable—but it’s necessary.

🖼️ MONUMENTS
📍 The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA & The Brick
📅 Through May 3, 2026

Powerful, challenging, and deeply relevant—this is an exhibition worth sitting with.

Click the link in our bio to read more of Madison’s story on the Larchmont Buzz. 🐝

LA Art Show 2026 Returns With Global Exhibits🎨 Los Angeles’s largest and longest-running art fair is back.The 31st editi...
01/06/2026

LA Art Show 2026 Returns With Global Exhibits

🎨 Los Angeles’s largest and longest-running art fair is back.

The 31st edition of the LA Art Show opens Wednesday, January 7, running through January 11 at the LA Convention Center. With more than 90 exhibitors from around the world, the fair once again brings international galleries, museum-quality exhibitions, and timely cultural conversations to the heart of downtown LA.

This year introduces several notable firsts: Ireland makes its LA Art Show debut with Dublin’s Oliver Sears Gallery, while Provident Fine Art presents a solo exhibition of Sylvester Stallone’s abstract works.
London’s Pontone Gallery adds a rhythmic edge with works by visual
artist and drummer Chris Rivers.

Highlights include the first public showing in over 40 years of Karl A. Meyer’s powerful 1980s woodcut prints (LICHT FELD Gallery, Switzerland), hyperreal figurative paintings by Israeli artist Yigal Ozeri (Corridor Contemporary), and a continued spotlight on Korean contemporary art with J&J Art’s Elegant Freedom, featuring Jinny Suh’s modern Hanji techniques.

A major new addition is the Latin American Pavilion, curated by Marisa Caichiolo, exploring memory, migration, and identity through the work of Latin American artists navigating an increasingly globalized world. Caichiolo also returns as curator of DIVERSEartLA, examining the role of biennials, museums, and institutions in shaping today’s art ecosystem.

The fair continues its tradition of honoring the city, following last year’s powerful live mural Heroes by Robert Vargas, created in tribute to LA County firefighters and first responders.

📍 LA Convention Center
📅 January 7–11, 2026


Click the link in our bio to read more of this story on the Larchmont Buzz. 🐝

What does it mean to be an “alien”? 👽✨
For actor and activist Jonathan Del Arco—best known as Hugh the Borg on Star Trek...
01/06/2026

What does it mean to be an “alien”? 👽✨

For actor and activist Jonathan Del Arco—best known as Hugh the Borg on Star Trek—the word carries a deeply personal double meaning.

“I’m an actor, and I ended up on Star Trek playing an alien,” Del Arco told the Buzz. “I wanted to use the double meaning of the word alien to share my story of feeling out of place as a kid—and then ending up being a successful actor playing one.”

That idea became Freddy the Alien, a children’s book inspired by Del Arco’s own experience immigrating from Uruguay to New York City and growing up feeling confused, invisible, and far from home. Like Freddy, everything begins to change when one caring teacher truly sees him.

Co-written with educator Trisha DiFazio, Freddy the Alien is a gentle, powerful story about empathy, identity, resilience, and belonging—and a reminder that being yourself is the bravest thing you can do. The book was recently named the Human Rights Campaign’s Book of the Month for January 2026.

📚 Jonathan Del Arco and Trisha DiFazio will be at Chevalier’s Books on Thursday, January 8, from 3–5 pm for a reading and book signing.

The event is free. All aliens are welcome.

Click the link in our bio to read more of this story on the Larchmont Buzz. 🐝




A rainy start to another growing season.
01/04/2026

A rainy start to another growing season.

This fragment cymbidium orchid now blooming is a lovely start to 2026! Happy New Year! 🎈
01/01/2026

This fragment cymbidium orchid now blooming is a lovely start to 2026!
Happy New Year! 🎈

Understanding January 6 – Book Talk at Chevalier’s BooksAs the fifth anniversary of the January 6 attack approaches, Che...
01/01/2026

Understanding January 6 – Book Talk at Chevalier’s Books

As the fifth anniversary of the January 6 attack approaches, Chevalier’s Books will host a timely conversation on how the U.S. arrived at this moment of political division—and how the nation might move forward. On Tuesday, January 6 at 7 pm, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Paul E. Starr will discuss his new book, American Contradiction: Revolution and Revenge from the 1950s to Now, in conversation with local author and journalist Todd Purdum.

“This remarkable book tracks the seventy-year cycle of progress and backlash in American politics,” Purdum said, noting that it uses sociological and polling data to examine the growing gap between a changing American people and entrenched political institutions—tensions that have shaped the eras of both Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

Chevalier’s Books co-owner Bert Diexler said hosting Starr “perfectly captures the role that our 85-year-old independent bookstore plays in our community,” adding that the evening will feature “a great thinker walking us through the arc of American history that many of us lived and all of us need to remember.”

The event takes place at Chevalier’s Books, 133 N. Larchmont, is free and open to the public, and includes a 10% discount on the book with advance purchase. RSVP encouraged.

Click the link in our bio to read more of this story on the Larchmont Buzz. 🐝




Top Stories of 2025In 2025, over 253,000 active users, an increase of 13 percent from the previous year, visited the Buz...
01/01/2026

Top Stories of 2025

In 2025, over 253,000 active users, an increase of 13 percent from the previous year, visited the Buzz website, reading local news. Our social media reach has also grown. We now have over 8,300 Instagram followers who also enjoy reading local news. Here’s a look back at the stories that captivated readers.

News that Lucy’s El Adobe would reopen in 2026 was one of the most popular stories. Our thanks to owner Patricia Casado, who spoke with us in November. We are looking forward to reporting more in 2026. Our coverage of Max and Helen’s, the diner opened by Phil Rosenthal and Nancy Silverton, was popular with readers who eagerly anticipated their opening in late November.

Most residents were fortunate not to have been directly affected by the Palisades and Altadena fires; our news coverage of how residents stepped up to help drew lots of readers. But when the Sunset Fire broke out, many residents considered evacuating. Fortunately, fire crews were able to stop the fire quickly, preventing what could have been a catastrophic event. It certainly inspired us to learn more about emergency preparedness by taking a CERT class.

In Larchmont news, readers said goodbye to Above the Fold, Larchmont’s beloved newsstand, when the Rite Aid closed due to bankruptcy. While it didn’t make the top list of most-read stories, the saving of Larchmont’s city parking lot from possible development was a very big local story.

We mourned the passing of retail scion Liz Reilly, who opened Flicka kids’ clothing store over 30 years ago. And, the fatal stabbing of Hancock Park resident Gary Nelson shocked and saddened readers.

Vegan writer Deborah Brook’s Chickpea Winter Salad continued to draw readers for a second year! As did several stories about architecture and preservation. So You’ve Got a Batchelder Fireplace? What Does That Mean? and A Rossmore Treasure — The Mauretania Apartments at 520 – 522 N. Rossmore Avenue remain among the most read stories on our website.

Happy New Year!

📷 2 from Susan Lizzote

🔗 Link in bio for more local news on the Larchmont Buzz 🐝

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Buzzing with news from the LA neighborhoods of Hancock Park, Windsor Square, Larchmont Village, and surrounding communities since 2011. Over 4,600 local news stories on our website.