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πŸ€™ Spring is here Vibes

Wyatt Stephens
March 25, 2026
8 min read
IT'S ALWAYS SPRING BREAK
It's Always Spring Break in Los Angeles
IN LOS ANGELES
WEDNESDAY
πŸ‘‹ HEY CUTIE

Happy Wednesday, CurationsLA Fam! We made it halfway to the weekend, and it is such a beautiful week. I love this time of the year in Los Angeles. So I am hoping that you and yours can check out all of our events on CurationsLA and get outside this weekend. We pay a pretty penny for it.

I will see you all on Friday, though it will be a tight squeeze with CURATIONS projects going on. If I miss you all on Friday, expect a new Tuesday / Thursday publication moving forward. Thankful for you all. - Wyatt

πŸ’¬ QUOTE OF THE DAY

"There are times when Los Angeles is the most magical city on Earth. When the Santa Ana winds sweep through and the air is warm and so, so clear. When the jacaranda trees bloom in the most brilliant lilac violet."

β€” Steven Rowley

πŸ“…  1954

RCA manufactures the first mass-produced color TV set β€” the CT-100, nicknamed "The Merrill" β€” rolling off the assembly line in Bloomington, Indiana on this day. Featuring a 15-inch picture tube and priced at $1,000 (roughly half the cost of a new car), just ~5,000 units were ever built. Color TV had arrived.

🧠 TRIVIA

On this day in 1954, the first mass-produced color television rolled off an assembly line in Bloomington, Indiana. The RCA CT-100 β€” nicknamed "The Merrill" β€” cost $1,000 at a time when a new car ran about $2,000. How many CT-100s were ever built?

A) 500
B) 5,000
C) 50,000
D) 500,000

ANSWER ↓

LOS ANGELES
🌑️ WEATHER FORECAST
DAY HIGH LOW CONDITIONS
Wed 3/25 79Β°F 61Β°F β˜€οΈ Sunny
Thu 3/26 81°F 62°F 🌀️ Mostly Sunny
Fri 3/27 82Β°F 62Β°F β˜€οΈ Warm • Above Normal
Sat 3/28 84Β°F 63Β°F β˜€οΈ Sunny • Earth Hour
Sun 3/29 85Β°F 63Β°F β˜€οΈ Sunny • Warm

A warm, above-normal week is settling in across the LA Basin. Temperatures are running 10–15 degrees above seasonal norms through the weekend, with valley and inland areas feeling it most. The coast stays cooler thanks to a persistent marine layer. Expect another warm-up by Friday pushing into the mid-80s before a slight cool-down arrives early next week β€” with rain possible by midweek. Enjoy the sun while it lasts. VIA NWS LOS ANGELES β†’

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ NATIONAL

πŸ“ž Amazon is launching a phone again

🍎 Apple sets June date for WWDC 2026, teasing AI advancements

πŸ‘Ύ OpenAI shutters short-form video app Sora as company reels in costs

✏️ Stephen Colbert to write next Lord of the Rings movie after leaving late night

🧒 2026 MLB predictions: Playoffs, World Series, MVP and more

πŸ”— Last publication's most viewed content: Amiguita brings afro-latin flavors to Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake
πŸš— LOCAL

πŸ… LA28 debuts LA in Full Bloom, the official look of the games

πŸ¦… Bald Eagles Jackie + Shadow to welcome new hatchlings at any moment in Big Bear

⭐ Brandy to receive star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

β›½ How to save at the pump and manage your tank with this cheap gas guide from LAist

🎑 Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel, other landmarks to go dark for Earth Hour

πŸŽ‰ FUN

πŸ“š Lionel Richie, Larry David, Sarah Jessica Parker & Alexandra Oliva to headline the LA Times Festival of Books

🧒 Yoshinobu Yamamoto named Opening Day starter for tomorrow's Dodgers vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks

⭐ Los Angeles' six new California Michelin Guide additions

🎨 Twelve art exhibitions to check out this spring in Los Angeles

πŸ“… Things to do this week in Los Angeles

🍟  EATS
VENICE
CHAMBERLAIN COFFEE'S FIRST REAL CAFÉ IS COMING TO ABBOT KINNEY
@chamberlaincoffee

Emma Chamberlain announced her first full-scale standalone cafΓ© is coming to 1142 Abbot Kinney Blvd this spring β€” and it's a significant step up from her grab-and-go kiosk at Century City. Designed with Proem Studio, the space pairs marble counters, warm woods, retro details, and the brand's signature blue into something that actually feels like a place to stay awhile. Expect cozy seating, ceramic mugs, seasonal pastries from local makers, and creative coffee drinks inspired by Emma's personal favorites. The brand that started as an online-only operation in 2019 is officially planting roots on one of the Westside's most beloved streets.

READ MORE β†’    MENU β†’    INSTAGRAM β†’

CULVER CITY
MOM'S LIST IS THE HONEST BURGER SPOT CULVER CITY HAS BEEN WAITING FOR
Mom's List

Opening April 2 at 4114 Sepulveda Blvd, Mom's List is a fast-casual burger concept built around a simple idea: you should know exactly what's in your food. Founded by Ziad "Zee" Batal and inspired by his mother's meticulous approach to ingredients, every item on the menu is fully transparent about sourcing. The 100% organic burger uses grass-fed, grass-finished beef from Eel River Ranch, Rumiano cheese, and a signature bun baked locally by Hasi Bakery. The 2,000-square-foot space seats about 40 indoors, with a larger shared outdoor area. Daily 11am–11pm. And yes β€” there's a weekly Thursday farmers market on-site. Bring a photo of you and your mom and they'll comp you a milkshake.

WEBSITE β†’    MENU β†’    INSTAGRAM β†’

VIEW PARK
TASTE JAMAICA JUST LANDED ON SLAUSON β€” AND EARLY WORD IS FIRE
@ilovetastejamaica

A brand new Jamaican spot has quietly opened at 4716 W Slauson Avenue in the View Park–Windsor Hills corridor, and the early buzz is real. Taste Jamaica's soft opening drew immediate praise for its jerk chicken β€” described by early guests as smoky, deeply seasoned, and arriving alongside perfectly complemented rice and beans. The concept is straightforward: skip the $800 flight to Kingston and get the rich, herb-and-spice-forward flavors of Jamaica right here on the South Side of LA. Details are still emerging as the restaurant finds its footing, but the aroma alone through the front door is apparently enough to seal the deal. Follow them on Instagram for hours and updates.

INSTAGRAM β†’

🍟 MORE EATS

πŸ‡«πŸ‡· THOUSAND OAKS: Paris Baguette planning first Conejo Valley location at 650 N. Moorpark Road, via What Now Los Angeles

🌴  COMMUNITY
🌴 DOWNTOWN LA
TACO MADNESS 2026 IS HERE β€” AND VOTING STARTS THIS SATURDAY
lataco.com

LA TACO's annual bracket tournament for the city's best taquerΓ­a is back β€” and this Saturday, March 28, the madness officially begins. Sixty-four taquerΓ­as. One champion. The online voting runs through a full bracket β€” Round 2, Round 3, the Sabroso round, the Final Four β€” all building toward the Taco Madness Live festival on Saturday, May 2 at Gloria Molina Grand Park in Downtown LA. From 3pm to 9pm, the city's top taco spots converge in one place alongside DJs, a full bar, craft beer, and live art. LA TACO members vote free and get into the live event free. This is as LA as it gets.

VOTE + GET TICKETS β†’

🌴 MORE COMMUNITY

πŸ‘› SANTA MONICA: Barbie House Santa Monica, the iconic beachfront rental, now back on the market for $38k a month, via Santa Monica Mirror

🏑  DEVELOPMENT
🏑 EL SEGUNDO
CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY ON THE LA SPARKS' $150M TRAINING FACILITY
Gensler

Shovels are in the ground. The LA Sparks' $150 million, 55,000-square-foot headquarters and training center is officially under construction along Rosecrans Avenue in El Segundo's Beach Cities Media Campus β€” and it's already being called the largest single investment in women's sports history for a single team. Designed by Gensler with interiors by women-run Studio Blitz, the complex will feature two regulation WNBA courts, a circular locker room, hydrotherapy suites, a rooftop spa pool, nap rooms, and sweeping views of the surrounding mountains. Completion is expected in 2027, when El Segundo will become the only city in the country to host five professional sports franchises β€” joining the Lakers, Kings, Chargers, and Rugby LA.

READ MORE β†’

🚧 MORE DEVELOPMENT

🚧 SAN PEDRO: Caltrans begins Vincent Thomas Bridge deck replacement, with overnight westbound closures now underway ahead of a full bridge closure set for November, via Random Lengths News

🏑 LONG BEACH: Senior housing moves forward on East 7th Street with armory conversion in Long Beach, via LA YIMBY

πŸ’Ž BEVERLY HILLS: One Beverly Hills finalizes $4.3bn financing to complete development, via Business Wire

πŸ’Ό  BUSINESS
πŸ’Ό LOS ANGELES
ONO HAWAIIAN BBQ TEAMS UP WITH LAFC β€” AND YOUR CHICKEN PLATE GETS CHEAPER WHEN THEY SCORE FIRST

Ono Hawaiian BBQ just announced its first-ever MLS partnership β€” and it comes with a deal worth knowing about. When LAFC scores first in the first half of a home match, fans can grab a Chicken Plate Lunch for $5.99 the next business day using code LAFCSCORES at participating Greater LA locations. The "LAFC Scores First" trigger promotion is available online only for registered users β€” eligible plates include the Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, Chicken Katsu, and Teriyaki Chicken. The family-owned, Hawaiian-inspired fast-casual brand has been serving SoCal for over two decades, and this partnership is a natural fit for a city that runs on plate lunches and football.

PROMOTION DETAILS β†’

🎬  ENTERTAINMENT
🎬 ENTERTAINMENT
COLBERT IS LEAVING LATE NIGHT TO CO-WRITE THE NEXT LORD OF THE RINGS FILM

Stephen Colbert ends his 11-year run on The Late Show in May β€” and he already has his next act locked. The lifelong Tolkien superfan announced alongside director Peter Jackson that he will co-write and develop a new Lord of the Rings film, tentatively titled "Shadow of the Past." The story draws from six early chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring that never made it into the original trilogy. Colbert co-developed the concept with his son Peter McGee and screenwriter Philippa Boyens. "It turns out I'm going to be free starting this summer," Colbert told Jackson. The first new LOTR film, The Hunt for Gollum β€” directed by and starring Andy Serkis β€” arrives in 2027. Colbert's installment follows.

READ MORE β†’

🎬 BOX OFFICE
PROJECT HAIL MARY POSTS AN $80M DEBUT β€” THE BIGGEST OPENING OF 2026

Ryan Gosling's sci-fi adaptation of Andy Weir's bestseller blasted off to $80.6M domestically and $141M worldwide β€” making it Amazon MGM's biggest opening ever and the second-largest debut for a non-franchise film in the last decade, trailing only Oppenheimer. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film follows a science teacher who wakes alone on a spaceship light-years from Earth. Certified Fresh at 95% on the Tomatometer with an A CinemaScore, it dominated premium large formats β€” IMAX and PLF screens alone accounted for 55% of ticket sales. Hollywood's having a moment with originals right now, and Project Hail Mary is leading the charge.

FULL BOX OFFICE REPORT β†’

🏈  SPORTS
MARCH MADNESS
WOMEN'S NCAA TOURNAMENT: SOCAL UPDATE
UCLA 1st seed  Β·  🟒 SWEET 16
vs. (4) Minnesota
Fri, Mar 27  Β·  4:30 PM PT  Β·  ESPN  Β·  Sacramento, CA
R1: def. (16) Cal Baptist 96–43  Β·  R2: def. (8) Oklahoma State 87–68. Lauren Betts dropped a career-high 35 pts in her final game at Pauley.
USC 9th seed  Β·  πŸ”΄ ELIMINATED
Lost to (1) South Carolina, 101–61
R1: def. (8) Clemson 71–67 (OT) β€” freshman Jazzy Davidson dropped 31 pts in a historic debut. R2: overwhelmed by South Carolina, who built a 30-pt halftime lead. Londynn Jones led USC with 20 pts in her final game.
UC SAN DIEGO 14th seed  Β·  πŸ”΄ ELIMINATED
Lost to (3) TCU, 86–40
TCU's Olivia Miles recorded a triple-double β€” 12 pts, 15 reb, 14 ast β€” in what her coach called her best game ever in a Horned Frogs uniform.
CAL BAPTIST 16th seed  Β·  πŸ”΄ ELIMINATED
Lost to (1) UCLA, 96–43
The Lancers made history just by dancing. An all-SoCal first-round matchup at Pauley Pavilion β€” and an experience Riverside's program won't forget.

Three SoCal teams are out, but UCLA is still dancing. The 1-seed Bruins head to Sacramento for the Sweet 16 on Friday to take on Minnesota β€” Lauren Betts, fresh off a career-high 35-point performance, leading the way. Fight on, LA.

FULL WOMEN'S BRACKET β†’

🧠 TRIVIA ANSWER
B) 5,000

RCA produced roughly 5,000 CT-100s β€” and today marks the exact anniversary of the first one rolling off the line. At $1,000 a set (half the price of a new car), they didn't exactly fly off shelves. Color TV wouldn't become a truly profitable business until 1960. Of the few thousand ever made, fewer than 30 working examples survive today β€” making each one rarer than most classic cars. The CT-100 used a 15-inch picture tube, 36 vacuum tubes, and weighed in at a couch-crushing 160 pounds.

BACK TO QUESTION ↑

CRUSH THE REST
Crush the Rest of This Week, Los Angeles
OF THIS WEEK, LOS ANGELES πŸ€™

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