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L.A. TACO

Acton

Adams-Normandie

Agoura Hills

Agua Dulce

Alhambra

Alondra Park

Altadena

Angeles Crest

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Artesia

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Avalon

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Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw

Baldwin Park

Bel-Air

Bell

Bell Gardens

Bellflower

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Beverly Grove

Beverly Hills

Beverlywood

Boyle Heights

Bradbury

Brentwood

Broadway-Manchester

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Calabasas

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Carthay

Castaic

Castaic Canyons

Central-Alameda

Century City

Neighborhoods

Lexis-Olivier Ray is an award-winning staff investigative reporter for L.A. TACO known for holding powerful people in Los Angeles accountable and his reporting on Los Angeles culture. As well as an artist and filmmaker. In 2022, the Society of Professional Journalists&#8217; Los Angeles chapter named Ray one of their &#8220;distinguished journalists.&#8221; In 2023, Ray won a second place Anthem Award in their Health Innovation category for a texting service geared towards the unhoused community and service providers that he launched in 2021 with L.A. TACO and Subtext. Ray was a 2020 USC Center For Health Journalism (CHJ) Data Fellow. As well as a 2022 CHJ Impact Fellow. As a freelancer, Ray has contributed to the L.A. Times, Men&#8217;s Health Magazine, KCET and SFGATE.

Lexis-Olivier Ray

Los Angeles

Exclusive: LAPD Launches Internal Investigation Into Photo of Nearly 40 Unmasked Officers Socializing in DTLA

Crime

UPDATE: Company Selling L.A. Cop-Influencer Gear Removes Item After Cease and Desist From City

Melissa was born in Moreno Valley, raised in Arizona, and recently returned from living in México, the motherland. She lives by the words: “siempre en la calle.” USC and Fulbright alum, but don’t tell her to &#8220;Fight On.&#8221;

Melissa Montalvo

History

While Hollywood Had the Sunset Strip, East L.A. Had the ‘Latin Strip’

Lisa Kwon is a writer born, raised, and currently living in Koreatown. She will talk your ear off about Korean coffee culture and the dreadful effects of Los Angeles’ palm tree fetishism.

Lisa Kwon

Opinion

Why Is Koreatown Parking So Bad?

Jared Cowan is a photographer who also writes and podcasts extensively about L.A. filming locations. He is the co-founder of My Valley Pass, through which he leads film tours of the San Fernando Valley and Pasadena. Jared is also the co-editor of the recent book &#8220;World Film Locations: Los Angeles Volume 2&#8221; and the editor of the upcoming &#8220;World Film Locations: Philadelphia.&#8221;

Jared Cowan

Film

How El Pino From ‘Blood In, Blood Out’ Became East L.A.’s Own Tree of Life

Mike Sonksen aka Mike the PoeT is a 3rd-generation Los Angeles native. Poet, professor, journalist, historian and tour-guide, his latest book &#8220;Letters to My City&#8221; was just published by Writ Large Press. He teaches at Woodbury University.

Mike Sonksen

In a Rapidly Changing L.A., This OG Muralist From South Central Captures Communities As They Transform

Ural Garrett is an Inglewood native and graduate of Southern University And A&amp;M College. For over a decade, the content curator and social media strategist has worked alongside various brands and outlets including Complex, IGN, MTVNews, Oculus, Trigger Mix Reality, TechRadar, LA Weekly, and more.

Ural Garrett

Food

36 Years of Vegan Soul Food: How Simply Wholesome Built a Black Utopia of Wellness in L.A.

Capital & Main

Featured

L.A. 2020: Photos That Captured Our City’s Best and Worst Year

Laura is a desmadrosa, a product of East Los, an educator, and a hood establishment connoisseur.

Laura Tejeda

Boyle Heights’ Juan Gabriel-Themed Gay Latinx Bar, Noa Noa Place, Is Now Open

Professional punk and Editor-In-Chief for James Beard Award-winning L.A. TACO. Associate Producer for JBA-winning Las Crónicas Del Taco. Former restaurant scout for Jonathan Gold. Co-author of &#8220;Oaxaca: Home Cooking From the Heart of Mexico (2019, Abrams) and &#8220;Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling&#8221; (2023, Abrams).

Javier Cabral

Tacos

Twenty L.A. Tacos That Made 2020 Suck Less

Hollywood