Alvaro Parra

For many youth east of the L.A. punk scene the suburban backyard became the ideal venue for a neighborhood gig.

In 1860, this boom town was thriving along the San Gabriel Rivers East Fork, boasting general stores, black smith shops, and more than a few saloons.

Crenshaw Boulevard, the 'Shaw', the Crenshow -- though it may lack the global appeal of its Hollywood cousins, the iconic thoroughfare is best known to many Angelenos as the cultural and commercial spine of black L.A.

We travel to a corner of Northeast L.A. in an effort to unearth the story behind Via Marisol, which is more complicated than its seemingly simple name may suggest.

You may have come across Bonnie Brae Street and wondered, who exactly was Bonnie? A silent film actress perhaps? The daughter of a city founder?

The first installment in a new series exploring the names of L.A. streets takes a look at the converted alley considered by some to be the heart of Mexican L.A.

Since the 1980s Leimert Plaza has been a go-to community space for the African American community.

More than a century after his death, his name still echoes throughout the Southland: Baldwin Park, Baldwin Lake, Baldwin Avenue, and Baldwin Hills.

More than likely, Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin's decision to hire such a multicultural labor force was merely a shrewd business decision, allowing him to pay low wages.

Tomás Avila Sanchez inherited Rancho La Cienega o Paso de La Tijera from his grandfather Vicente Sanchez, a powerful and cantankerous old Don from the Pueblo days