Lifestyle

27 Indispensable Twitter Accounts You Need to Follow If You Live in Los Angeles

August 28, 2014 by Brian Champlin

Twitter is how news happens nowadays, and as more people join on to the social network, more voices are created, and there’s even more noise that you have to filter through in the search for relevant information.

On top of that, sometimes you just want to follow accounts that are downright entertaining.

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I think my primary purpose in compiling this list was just as a way to help folks identify what the cream of the crop is, who are some of the most engaging and informative voices that operate in the L.A. twittersphere.

Of course the list isn’t comprehensive because you could literally compile hundreds and hundreds of worthwhile sources, but hey, it’s an excellent start. And I’d bet dollars to donuts you’ll find at least one gem of an account on this list that you end up following and enjoying the hell out of.

In any case, enjoy the rundown, and feel free to comment at the end of the article with accounts you feel deserve mention. And if you’d just like to access the list via Twitter so you can add it to your timeline, you can go here.

Cheers.

News, Politics, Crime & Transit

1. @LANow

I would argue because of their news resource advantage the L.A. Times tends to break stories quicker than most other outlets, and usually with a great deal of accuracy. The L.A. Now account is their stream of breaking news throughout SoCal. It’s a must-follow.


2. @KCRW

KCRW is arguably (or at least in my opinion) the best radio station in the city of Los Angeles. Provides an alternative to the straight news stream of the Times, plus they’ll keep you informed about a variety of free events they host which are always fun to attend.


3. @KPCC

Twitter account for the public radio station based out of Pasadena. Combined with the Times and KCRW, this pretty much keeps you in the general local news loop.


4. @TheCityMaven

Alice reports on the political beat for KPCC. Great local insights here straight from the heart of city hall.


5. @JoelRubin

L.A. Times crime reporter who mixes in breaking news stories with good measures of opinion and sardonic wit.


6. @LACrimes

Richard Winton is an L.A. Times crime writer who was part of the team that won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. This twitter account posts more about Los Angeles area crime news than virtually any other out there.


7. @StreetsBlogLA

For news and opinion on the local transit scene, this account is where it’s at.


8. @LAFDTalk

The front facing conversational account for the LAFD. While the @LAFD account is generally a feed of breaking alerts, the @LAFDTalk account is an ongoing dialogue with citizens of the city. A great example of how government agencies can do social media right.


9. @TotalTrafficLA

A feed of traffic updates for Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire. For the commuters of L.A., this account is a must follow.


10. @MetroLosAngeles

Official account for L.A. Metro. Super informative updates about services disruptions and outages, plus they’re actually interactive (i.e. you can tell it’s a person and not a bot handling the account).


11. @LAScanner

When LA Scanner turns on the police scanner and starts live tweeting what’s hitting the airwaves you will be mortified, intrigued, and always entertained.


 

 

Culture, Arts, Food & Entertainment

12. @thejgold

There isn’t a food critic in the city whose name carries more weight than Jonathan Gold.


13. @KPCCofframp

Peppering your feed with news and opinion from SoCal’s news and arts scene. As tweeted by KPCC’s John Rabe.


14. @elinashatkin

Elina is the senior editor of Los Angeles Magazine and formerly written for both the L.A. Weekly and the L.A. Times. She provides an informed opinion on the local arts scene, things to, and stories to read about the city of Los Angeles.


15. @MyLastBite

Think of Jo’s feed as a muse that will inspire you to go out and eat some of the best dishes in all of Los Angeles. Especially love the photos she posts.


16. @Carolineoncrack

Arguably L.A.’s premier cocktail blogger, Caroline mixes in a blend of food related stories, luscious pictures of great drinks, and her own brand of cheerful humor.


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17. @LilEdit

Randall Roberts is a pop music critic for the L.A. Times who delivers information on the local scene with interviews, reports, live-tweets of concerts, and of course some of his own humorous takes thrown in along the way.


18. LAWeeklyMusic

The Twitter account for the Music section of the L.A. Weekly as tweeted by Ben Westhoff. Good resource to keep you in the loop about musical ongoings throughout the city.


19. @LATimesCityBeat

L.A. Times metro writer Nita Lelyveld retweets some incredible user-generated photos from around the city from Tweeters who use the #mydayinla hashtag. The result is a marvelous mishmash of what’s in happening in the city from day to day.


20. @KajonCermak

Kajon is hailed as KCRW’s traffic queen but her twitter account is where traffic meets culture, providing a mix of transit news bites, cool L.A. stories, and liberal usages of exclamation points.


21. @LAHistory

A retrospective account with awesome tidbits of information on the history of Los Angeles and fun facts that’ll inform you about how L.A. has evolved over the years.


22. @KCETDepartures

Tweets from an online documentary series mapping LA neighborhoods through interactive portraits. Great insight into the history and culture of Los Angeles like you’ll find nowhere else.


Sports

23. @LakersReporter

Mike Trudell is Lakers beat reporter for ESPN Radio, TWC Sports, and Lakers.com. Highly relevant and timely Lakers tweets, and great access to the players.


24. @LakersNation

The ultimate fan experience for Lakers lovers on twitter. Besides tweet-casting all of the games live, they also break news, rumors, trade info, and are extremely interactive with their followers.

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25. @DodgersNation

In the same vein as Lakers Nation, a fan driven account that’s perfect for the Dodgers junkie who needs to live and die with every breath of the franchise.


26. @ArashMarkazi

An ESPN Los Angeles Reporter who you’ll find tweeting a lot about many different sports, but seems to focus on Clippers, Kings, and USC (at least when the Trojans are relevant). Arash has a good mix of straight news and insightful takes.

Plus, he always seems to find a way to sneak some good eye candy on to his feed (must be the old Playboy connections).


27. @LAKings

The L.A. Kings official account not only keeps you up to date with all the ongoings the Stanley Cup winning franchise, but does so with a pizzaz an flair that’ll keep you thoroughly entertained. Great example of social media done right by a professional sports organization.


Now, obviously this isn’t every account you can follow if you live in L.A., but I think it’s a great mix.

If there are other accounts you think need mention, let us know in the comments below!

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