local history in los angeles us ca
International Savings & Exchange Bank Building: Los Angeles' 1907 Financial Icon
In 1907, architect H. Alban Reaves completed a ten-story monument to prosperity in Los Angeles' Spring Street Financial District—a Renaissance Revival and Italianate structure that still commands attention today.
Fiesta Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles: Cinco de Mayo Celebration
Every Cinco de Mayo, downtown Los Angeles transforms when Fiesta Broadway takes over Broadway Street—a celebration rooted in early 20th-century tradition and modeled after Miami's Calle Ocho Festival. At its height, the festival stretched 36 blocks and drew hundreds of thousands of visitors to one of the city's most vibrant neighborhoods.
Grand Opera House: Downtown Los Angeles' Lost Theater Pioneer
On a street corner in downtown Los Angeles, a grand theater once stood as a gateway to modern entertainment. The Grand Opera House—also known as Child's Opera House, the Orpheum Theatre, and Teatro Mexico—was more than a performance venue; it was the birthplace of two revolutions in Los Angeles culture.
LA's Promise: School Reform and Community Change in Los Angeles
In the heart of South Los Angeles, three public schools operate under an unusual partnership: a performance contract between LA's Promise, a local nonprofit, and the Los Angeles Unified School District. This model of school reform and neighborhood revitalization has shaped the educational landscape for thousands of students since its founding.