L.A. Meekly: A Los Angeles History Podcast

Stop where you're driving right now and look at the street sign. Ever wonder why it's named that? Well get back in your car and buckle up for this month's episode where we delve into the names of a few of the streets around town. We'll cover Chevy Chase Drive (18:56), Sepulveda Boulevard (28:32), James M. Wood Boulevard (44:23), Rosecrans Avenue (56:26), General Thaddeus Kosciuszko Way (1:16:02) a...

It's been a year since COVID first showed up on our turf and we've been pining for the old days when museums weren't just places we pined for so this month we're going to give the histories of three that we miss in particular. We've got the Natural History Museum (23:01), the Southwest Museum (1:07:45) and the Autry (1:44:48). We want to thank Podcorn for sponsoring this episode! Get started findi...

Covid has hit the city hard and since the government has abandoned us maybe we can at least try to save a few historic businesses that are at risk of going away for good. In this month's episode we'll give you the jam packed history of just a handful of these places. We'll cover the El Segundo Old Town Music Hall (18:11), the Pacific Dining Car (44:27), the Bob Baker Marionette Theater (1:04:01) a...

It's the most punderful time of the year, indeed. This December we're back at it with some more creepy/haunted stories for you from around the city. This year we cover the Monster of Elizabeth Lake (34:42), the Bat Man of Echo Park (53:27), the dark secret of a J.M. Barrie (1:14:28), the Mummy of the Pike (1:24:49) and the curse of Rudolph Valentino's Ring (1:38:59).

We asked you, dear listener, what annoyed you most in Los Angeles and after we got past the snarky remarks putting us down we have our answers. This month we go off the cuff to air the grievances we and our listeners have with the city from what parts of town are considered suburbs to parking in Century City.

Happy Cancelled Halloween! This month we learned how many p's are in the word "disappearances" to bring you this decidedly un-spooky episode on some of the biggest unsolved mysteries in Los Angeles history. We'll cover Jean Spangler (22:24), Gertrude Tompkins Silver (42:16), Jonathan Aujay (1:10:59) and the Salomon family (1:26:59).

Regular episode of L.A. Meekly this is not! Your beloved Greg has made a special recording on the history of displacement in Los Angeles for the Glendale Public Library's lead up to a virtual author discussion with Eric Nusbaum author of "Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers and the Live Caught in Between" and we wanted to share it with you. Be sure to tune in to the discussion! Details inside....

Fade in on a sleepy pueblo street. This month we are diving into the early, lawless party days of the Sunset Strip and a few of its biggest night clubs. We'll cover the creation of Sunset Boulevard itself (22:49), the Trocadero (36:18), Ciro's (1:01:50) and Mocambo (1:25:48).

I'll get it out of the way early and invite you to get your kicks right now. Take a cruise down LA's stretch of route 66 with us as long as you're in a completely different car with a mask on and nowhere near us. We'll cover the convoluted history of the road itself in LA (29:12), the Fair Oaks Pharmacy (38:59), the Aztec Hotel (51:22), the Formosa Cafe (1:12:59), the Rialto Theater (1:29:18) and,...

Listeners sick of our voices rejoice: an entire episode made up of you the listener! We reached out to all of you who took part in the Black Lives Matter protests to send in recordings of your experiences and you came through. What you're about to hear are a few different stories from the streets of the marches from the people who were there. We want to again thank everyone who helped out and also...

Another month of 2020, another episode of L.A. Meekly. In viewing what has been going on in our city the past month and looking towards the future we decided to take a look back at two parallels from the city's past: the 1965 Watts Uprising (21:09) and the 1992 Riots following the beating of Rodney King (1:04:31). ATTENTION! We mention in this episode we will be including recordings from people wh...

Summer is here and it's nothing like any of us expected. In this very summer vacation style loose episode we'll be covering what summer in LA means to us and a few of our favorite traditions we like to take part in under better circumstances. DISCLAIMER: This episode was recorded well before the current situation in the city unfolded which makes our laments sound even more trivial. More important...

Hold onto your wallets; this month we're covering some of the city's most notorious con artists. We'll be talking about the town of Girard (19:52), the Bling Ring (35:13), the Julian Pete Scandal (1:09:52), Michael Romanoff (1:30:03) and the Billionaire Boys Club (1:53:22).

Pack a lunch or just catch what you eat out of the always fresh L.A. River as we sit down with author Paul Haddad to discuss his book "10,000 Steps A Day in LA." We'll cover some of the best walks in the city and how great his book is at being a jumping off point to explore new parts of the city. (Never fear: this episode was recorded pre-quarantine)

Stuck in the house all day and night? Scared to go outside and would rather get lost safely in a book? If this unique situation applies to you and you alone then this is the episode for you. This month we cover a few of LA's prized local pulp writers. Travel to Mars with Edgar Rice Burroughs (14:57), travel to Mars with Leigh Brackett (53:37), travel to Mars with Ray Bradbury (1:20:49) and travel...

Strap down your porcelain butts and get ready for "the big one." Our episode on earthquakes. Relive the horror and aftermath of Longbeach '33 (16:42), Sylmar '71 (36:43) and Northridge '94 (47:46).

Now that the '20s are roaring forward, we thought we'd take a look back on the previous decade to reflect on the buildings and businesses we lost during the 2010s. Relive the memories that are too soon to relive from places like the Buggy Whip, the LA Sports Arena and Meltdown Comics.

Put the needle on the podcast and ring in a whole new decade with a whole new episode on your favorite local record stores. We've got the granddaddy Wallichs Music City (:17), the young punk Rockaway Records (:41), the scrappy Tower Records (:55) and the mighty Amoeba (1:06).

Crack open the eggnog and fry up the latkes because it's time to get creepy and haunted. This year we tackle the Queen Mary in all her luxury lining, world war serving, ghost pool glory. Both the straight history (:14) and the ghouls (1:08).

You asked for it so we asked it right back. This month we tackle two listener submitted questions: What do you like most about Angelenos? and What should someone not from here be aware of to make their stay as agreeable as possible? Listen to our bumbling answers and the much better answers of you, the listener, who submitted your own takes. You know who you are. And those of you who didn't? Consi...

Pack your sack lunches for the nicest museum you've ever visited inside a cemetery: the Forest Lawn Museum. We talk with the museum's curator James Fishburne about the museum's role in shaping the art scene of Los Angeles, pigeon photography and the biggest painting of Jesus you've ever seen.

Halloween is here and what better way to spend it than with your two favorite grave robbers? To get you in the...spirit...of the season we'll be covering the stories of a few of the biggest graveyards in the city: Valhalla Memorial Park (:14), Hollywood Forever (:32) and Forest Lawn (1:03).

Pack a picnic for this one as we sit down with Executive Director of the L.A. Philharmonic Gail Samuel (Yes, you read that correct) to talk about everything Hollywood Bowl related from decrepit band shells to Cab Calloway.

Ever wondered where you put that old screwdriver you can't find? How about your mint condition copy of Action Comics #1? Or that old Hope Diamond you used to have lying around? Check the junk drawer! L.A. Meekly's got one too filled with topics that didn't quite fit anywhere else so from that drawer we submit to you: the Spike Jones grocery story of La Crescenta (:13), inspiration for Indiana Jone...

School may be back in session today but it's already time for a field trip. Join us on our trip to La Plaza de Cultura y Artes as we discuss the museum's mission and importance as the keeper of the history of the early days of this city with Associate Curator Mariah Berlanga-Shevchuk and Assistant Curator Esperanza Sanchez.