Beyoncé and the Growth Of Inglewood (And Other Headlines)

Tonight, I am doing something brand new. As a PROUD member of the BeyHive, I am dressing up in my finest chrome and black outfit to attend my first big concert: Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour in Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium. I cannot even express how excited I am to see Queen Bey for the first time ever. I’ve been doing all that I can to prepare for my big day meeting the queen. Now let me help you out.

Everything you need to know for the Renaissance concert

My new colleague Yusra Farzan has THE definitive guide to Beyoncé’s show at SoFi. From figuring out how to get there to what to bring, you can find it all here. By the way, if you plan on getting there earlier to grab a bite to eat, read and listen to Cheap Fast Eats: Inglewood for some ideas for savory bites before the show.

Yep, right after Taylor Swift hosted a groundbreaking six-night tour at SoFi a few weeks ago, Beyoncé is the latest major artist to grace the Inglewood stadium.

But let’s talk more about the ‘Wood before there was a SoFi Stadium for L.A.’s NFL teams and a soon-to-be Intuit Dome for the Clippers. The Forum was THE hot spot for sports and concerts in L.A. For those who’ve lived here for a long time, you know the Forum as the place that the Lakers, Kings and Sparks used to play until the teams all moved to the now-Crypto.com Arena. The Hollywood Park Racetrack was also a popular destination for fans starting in the ‘60s.

Now, with the addition of these updated (The “Fabulous” Forum got a remodel) and new buildings for games and concerts, Inglewood is becoming THE destination in L.A. Maybe even the entertainment capital of California?

But fitting that bill often comes at a price to the predominantly Black and Latino working class residents of Inglewood. The city has undergone a lot of changes, namely property value and rent increases. Not to mention there is a lot more traffic.

My colleague Brian De Los Santos hit the streets of Inglewood to talk with the city’s residents and its mayor about those changes in the latest How To LA podcast episode. Take a listen.

Speaking of changes, the now AWARD-WINNING How To LA podcast will be produced FIVE days a week! That means you’ll get MORE fun, informative episodes that will help you navigate confusing systems in L.A., discover new places, connect with other Angelenos and help make the change you want to see in the city.

My role is changing too. I will start reporting more in-depth, feature stories and building the How To LA podcast’s presence on LAist.com with more daily posts. With that said, my colleague Kristine Malicse will be serving up your newsletter every weekday morning moving forward.

But wait there’s more! I’ll soon be writing a weekly newsletter that will contain all of the stellar How To LA content — and other interesting stories — to enjoy with your Saturday morning coffee.

Keep reading, and listen to the How To LA podcast!

Stay safe and cool, L.A. There’s more news below — just keep reading.

More news

(After you stop hitting snooze)

*At LAist we will always bring you the news freely, but occasionally we do include links to other publications that may be behind a paywall. Thank you for understanding.

• For weeks, many unhoused residents were unable to access Skid Row cooling stations due to miscommunication from Los Angeles city officials. My colleague Nick Gerda has more on what caused the delays and what advocates have to say about the official response. 
• Some SAG-AFTRA members are receiving an extension of health insurance benefits until the end of year. My colleague Jackie Fortiér has more on who qualifies.
• Hungry? There’s barbeque to be found all over L.A. but everyone does it different, with their own twist and spices. The one thing that unites all of it is community.
• Santa Ana’s clean syringe program is now on hold after city officials spoke out against its plan to deliver and pick up syringes, even though the initiative got approval from the state. 
• The Biden administration is eyeing a Chumash-designated marine sanctuary near Santa Barbara. Here’s more details.
• Looking for some fun this weekend? Go back in time to 19th century Europe, with the fangs! immersive theater experience at Heritage Square Museum. Take pictures with some of the rarest, most iconic cars in the world at the Hoods Up! show at the Petersen Automotive Museum. View some community-based artwork at the DTSA First Saturday ArtWalk in various locations downtown Santa Ana on Saturday. Check out more Labor Day weekend events on this list.

Wait! One more thing…

Explore the L.A. River Through A Kayak Tour

How to LA’s Brian De Los Santos and Producer Evan Jacoby kayak the LA River

(Courtesy of Brian De Los Santos / Gary Golding

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LAist )

Probably one of the biggest issues facing the Los Angeles River is a PR problem. “Folks don’t know that it exists and folks don’t know why it’s important,” says Dennis Mabasa, COO of the nonprofit Friends of the LA River. But the river is really what made L.A.

For a recent episode of How to LA, host Brian De Los Santos and producer Evan Jacoby went to find out more by kayaking the river through the Sepulveda Basin.

Along the way they discovered the beauty of the waterway and learned a whole lot about L.A. history and ecology. Listen and read more about it here.