16 moments that bring back 2016 L.A.

Though we’re solidly into 2026, a inclination has emerged connected societal media: Reminiscing connected the twelvemonth 2016.

Through throwback posts, radical person been traveling backmost to the twelvemonth erstwhile canine and angiosperm crown Snapchat filters, Instagram eyebrows, the mannequin situation and the Chainsmokers were everywhere.

But why, you whitethorn ask? On societal media, 2016 is remembered arsenic the past carefree era, a clip erstwhile radical posted immoderate they wanted without overthinking it, erstwhile folks actually danced astatine parties alternatively of pointing their phones astatine the DJ booth to “capture content.”

2016 besides brought galore taste milestones to L.A., from Kobe’s last crippled to the emergence of selfie civilization to each things Issa Rae. In the tone of nostalgia, we’ve rounded up 16 moments that bring america backmost to that time. So let’s crank up Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” medium and instrumentality a thrust down representation lane, shall we?

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

If you were connected Instagram successful 2016, the likelihood of you spotting this bubble gum pinkish partition connected your timeline was highly high. Around this time, the agleam wall, a mural connected the Paul Smith flagship store connected Melrose Avenue, became a apical tourer attraction for visitors and it topped respective lists arsenic 1 of L.A.’s astir Instagram-worthy walls.

Visiting the partition contiguous feels similar stepping into a clip capsule erstwhile posting connected societal media felt amusive and low-stakes. Another fashionable Instagram photograph spot from that clip is Colette Miller’s angel wings mural successful the Arts District.

(Shake Shack)

After proceeding our New York friends rave astir Shake Shack for years, sometimes arguing that it was amended than Baldwin Park-founded In-N-Out Burger, we could yet bash our ain sensation test. Shake Shack opened its archetypal California determination successful West Hollywood successful March 2016, making a sizzling debut with respective exclusive L.A. paper items specified arsenic the Roadside Double and Brownie Points. Patrons could besides bid vino and brew from an array of California-based companies (Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Angel City Brewing, etc.) astatine the eatery — 1 chiseled quality from In-N-Out, nutrient columnist and professional Jenn Harris wrote astatine the time. Fast guardant a decennary later, the statement of which spot is amended inactive continues, but astatine slightest we tin present bask both.

(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

On April, 13, 2016, Kobe Bryant played his last NBA crippled astatine Staples Center (renamed Crypto.com Arena successful 2021), ending his 20-year career. In the epic showdown against the Utah Jazz, the erstwhile Lakers prima scored 60 points, helping his squad instrumentality location the W successful existent Mamba fashion.

Looking backmost connected the historical night, it’s beauteous to spot Bryant, who died successful a tragic chopper clang successful 2020, smiling from receptor to receptor arsenic helium dominates the tribunal and receiving his flowers successful beforehand of an admiring crowd. Now, Angelenos tin meditate connected his value to the athletics done the galore murals of him and his precocious daughter, Gianna, astir the city.

(David Butow / For The Times)

2016 was the twelvemonth that non-Westsiders declared they would commencement going to the formation much often. (Whether that really happened is beside the point.) The $1.5-billion Metro Expo Line enlargement allowed for passengers to beryllium capable to to marque the 15-mile commute from downtown L.A. to Santa Monica wrong 50 minutes and debar the hassle of formation parking. Now called the E Line, the obstruction enactment continues to beryllium 1 of Metro’s astir popular.

(Silvia Razgova)

Not agelong aft Smoragasburg L.A. made its debut successful June 2016 astatine the Alameda Produce Market, it became the largest play outdoor nutrient marketplace successful the city. Founded successful Brooklyn, the L.A. mentation caught connected due to the fact that it was a spot wherever Angelenos could spell each week for the eventual Sunday amusive day, indulging successful delicious bites from dozens of vendors, store section brands and bask precocious vigor DJ sets.

(Photograph by Merie W. Wallace/HBO)

In October 2016, histrion and writer Issa Rae premiered her critically acclaimed dramedy “Insecure,” which follows the lives of Issa Dee and her champion person Molly Carter arsenic they navigate work, emotion and the ups and downs of life. With South L.A. arsenic the backdrop, “Insecure” showed viewers a antithetic broadside of an country that Hollywood had agelong depicted successful a antagonistic light. Through highlighting section businesses similar the Miracle Theater, Worldwide Tacos, Alta and Simply Wholesome, Rae was capable to assistance reframe the communicative and present radical to immoderate of her favourite spots.

Fans rallied astatine Hollywood Park to observe the NFL’s determination to let the Rams to relocate to Inglewood from St. Louis.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

After a 22-year stint successful St. Louis, the Rams returned to Los Angeles successful January 2016. Upon arrival, the squad played astatine the L.A. Memorial Coliseum for 4 seasons earlier moving to their imperishable home, SoFi Stadium successful Inglewood, successful 2020. Then-Mayor Eric Garcetti said astatine the clip that the team’s relocation cemented Los Angeles arsenic “the epicenter of the sports world.”

(Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)

For years, Harry Potter stans had to question to Orlando successful bid to acquisition the Wizarding World of Harry Potter astatine Universal Studios Florida. That was until April 2016, erstwhile Universal Studios Hollywood unveiled its ain 200-foot-tall Hogwarts castle inspired by the beloved wizard. To this day, it is considered a must-visit attraction astatine the taxable park.

A renaissance successful the Arts District acceptable the signifier for aboriginal events specified arsenic Maum Market astatine ROW DTLA.

(Maum Market)

Once known arsenic the Warehouse District, the Arts District saw an influx successful businesses successful 2016. The trendy vicinity became location to places similar planetary creation assemblage Hauser & Wirth (along with its edifice Manuela), parts of the Row DTLA and Portland, Ore.-based crystal pick institution Salt & Straw. That year, developers besides began converting aged buildings into offices and high-rise towers successful anticipation of the revitalized vicinity becoming a hub for amusement and exertion companies.

(Jennifer McCord / For The Times)

Although dependable healing tin beryllium traced backmost thousands of years, 2016 was the twelvemonth that modern dependable baths began to find their bushed successful L.A. with pioneering practitioners similar Jamie Bechtold holding events astir the city. The dependable bath scene, which was erstwhile seen arsenic obscure, has since blossomed. Nowadays, you tin find each kinds of dependable bath experiences passim the city, including 1 successful the Santa Monica Mountains to different astatine the Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens successful Jefferson Park.

Type successful “2016 successful Los Angeles” connected TikTok and you’re bound to spot astatine slightest a twelve aesthetically pleasing videos of palm-tree-lined streets, particularly successful Beverly Hills, that person been edited with an over-saturated lukewarm filter oregon pinkish-purple tint. Bonus points if a opus from that twelvemonth — “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber, “This is What You For” by Calvin Harris and Rihanna oregon “Cranes successful the Sky” by Solange — is playing successful the background.

Why are thenar trees associated with this era? There’s nary singular explanation, but 1 could reason that similar the Paul Smith pinkish wall, photos and videos of palm-tree-lined streets telephone backmost to a clip erstwhile posting connected societal media felt lighthearted and breezy.

A cream-top java astatine Maru Coffee.

(Silvia Razgova)

For years, Portland and Seattle were known for having immoderate of the champion java shops successful the country. But successful 2016, each eyes were connected L.A., which was dilatory emerging arsenic a world-class java destination.

Among the fashionable openings astatine the clip was Maru, the stylish java store known for its meticulously crafted espresso drinks and signature Cream Top. The archetypal determination debuted successful Loz Feliz, and earlier agelong it became mean to spot a lengthy enactment of fashionable radical on Hillhurst Avenue, waiting to fulfill their caffeine fix.

A nighttime astatine the Low End Theory astatine the Airliner.

(Los Angeles Times)

With lively parties astatine places similar the Association successful downtown L.A. and Los Globos successful Echo Park, the nightlife country was live and good successful L.A. successful 2016. However, it was the functions that started astatine brunch clip and ended earlier 10 p.m. that were genuinely having a infinitesimal astatine this time. Among the go-to events were #IceCreamSundays astatine Lock & Key successful Koreatown, the Low End Theory astatine the Airliner successful Lincoln Heights and Everyday People astatine Le Jardin successful Hollywood. Also, rooftop parties astatine the present defunct Standard and Ace hotels successful downtown L.A. were fashionable stomping grounds for young Angelenos.

The Platform successful Culver City.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

For years, the Fox Hills Mall (now Westfield Culver City) was the anchor for buying successful Culver City. But erstwhile the Platform, an open-air plaza connected Washington Boulevard, opened during the outpouring of 2016, it offered residents and visitors an alternate buying acquisition with a hipster bent. The Platform is location to curated shops, bureau spaces and eateries specified arsenic Juliet, Blue Bottle, Reformation and Tia women’s wellness clinic. Meanwhile successful downtown L.A., the Bloc opened successful the erstwhile Macy’s Plaza, yet signing buzzworthy tenants similar Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.

Assistant manager Amanda Vandenberg, left, and manager Alexis Hyde with submissions to the Museum of Broken Relationships.

(Christina House / For The Times)

After experiencing the Museum of Broken Relationships — an creation installation that exhibits donated objects from failed narration on with the donor’s communicative — successful Croatia during a household vacation, creation collector John B. Quinn decided that it needed a location successful L.A. The crowd-sourced accumulation opened successful Hollywood successful May and hundreds of radical from astir the satellite submitted items, which included a wedding formal stuffed successful a pickle jar, an ex-boyfriend’s belly fastener lint and a toaster with a enactment that reddish “When you near I took the toaster. How are you going to toast thing now?”

The depository was unfastened for lone a fewer months, but its beingness helped visitors “find solace and quality successful the institution of stranger’s stories,” and retrieve that heartbreak is simply a cosmopolitan quality acquisition that they don’t person to spell done alone.

Vin Scully waved to fans successful the last days of his 67-year vocation with the Dodgers.

(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)

Known for his signature greeting, “Hi everybody, and a precise pleasant bully evening to you,” Vin Scully was the dependable of the Dodgers — and of baseball.

After six decades, the renowned broadcaster, who died successful 2022, called his last Dodger Stadium crippled successful September 2016, signing disconnected with a heartfelt tribute to the fans sitting successful the stands.