Neon

Adeal's a deal. That's worth remembering this week as the city attorney's office fences with AEG, the developer of the L.A. Live project, over the imminent opening of a new movie theater at the downtown entertainment complex. At issue are six large illuminated signs that are part of the project and that the city attorney's office is denying permits for fear that they might run afoul of the city's billboard moratorium. That may seem like a tediously small issue, but the debate over those signs quickly becomes one over whether Los Angeles keeps its word and is safe for responsible investment.

Rinconia Drive is one of those narrow, tree-shaded roads that snakes up the Hollywood Hills, lined with a mix of older bungalows and towering modern mansions. But when you get to Chris Brown's concrete-and-steel-and-glass Jay Vanos-designed home, the mood changes dramatically. A flashy Lamborghini is parked in front, blocking the sidewalk and part of the street. A creature in a silver spacesuit is perched on a ledge. And on the walls are massive paintings of monsters, standing 8 feet tall in bright neon colors.

Nike revealed its new NFL uniforms Tuesday. And unlike the somewhat unconventional looks of the company's college apparel, the pro football garments are sticking with a mostly traditional look ... with one exception. The Seattle Seahawks were the only team that requested a new look from Nike, which took over the NFL clothing license from Reebok on April 1. And, boy, did they ever get a new look. Anyone who thinks neon went out in the '80s with lip gloss and plastic bracelets may need to think again.

Vanessa Hudgens, Julianne Hough, Emma Roberts and Clint Eastwood were just a few of the celebrities who took a break from the Coachella Music and Arts Festival to visit the Armani Exchange Neon Carnival on Saturday night. For the last four years, the brand has hosted a giant carnival in the middle of the desert at the Tradition Aviation Airport Hangar just 15 minutes from the Empire Polo Club. It's arguably one of the biggest events surrounding the festival and this year was no different.

Mary Weatherford is known for beautiful abstract paintings derived from natural forms, but her latest exhibition at LAXART is a big risk. As in previous series, these large paintings (nearly too large actually, for LAXART's main gallery) are inspired by a specific place, Bakersfield, where Weatherford recently completed a residency. They are not landscapes per se, but more like mood poems: rough-edged, vertical rectangles composed of thin, delicate washes of color. Luminous on their own, the colors are literally lighted by startling lines, rendered in actual tubes of neon affixed to the canvases.

Re Laguna Beach's consideration of a further ban on neon ("A Switch in Store for Neon?," Dec. 27): Just who has decided that neon lighting is a blight? Neon signage is original, beautiful and creative. The first casualty some 30 years ago of Laguna's anti-neon rampage was the removal of Hotel Laguna's landmark rooftop sign, long a beacon to ships at sea and motorists on Pacific Coast Highway. While those ubiquitous "open" signs are hardly creative, one only needs to go to Old Pasadena, Pine Avenue in Long Beach or old strips such as historic Route 66 along Foothill Boulevard to see creative and artistic use of neon.

I don't know if I'm more excited about watching Deion Sanders try to play football as a nickel back after being retired for three seasons or knowing that I won't have to see him on the CBS pregame show in a neon purple zoot suit anymore. Michael Beever Long Beach

A new restaurant was welcomed to the city this week--but without the neon signs sought by the owners. City Council members approved an application to build the Outback Steakhouse, a Kentucky-based chain of eateries, at 25322 Cabot Road. The council held firm on a city law banning neon business signs. "This council has been very tough" with businesses that asked for neon signs in the past, Councilwoman Melody Carruth said.

It's raining on Jupiter. And probably on Saturn too. But it isn't raining rain, you know. It's raining . . . helium. Yes, droplets of that inert gas that keeps the Goodyear blimp aloft and that powers the runaway house in the movie "Up" are falling like a soft rain from the upper atmosphere of the planet into the gas giant's high-pressure interior. In the process, they're washing away the neon that should also be in the upper atmosphere, researchers from UC Berkeley reported Monday in the online version of the journal Physical Review Letters.

Neon and incandescent signs have dotted the urban landscape along Wilshire Boulevard since this city's raw, sultry days were made famous in the novels of Raymond Chandler: flickering--red, blue, yellow and white--from the rooftops of lavish apartment buildings and hotels. Turned off during World War II in case of air raids, most of the signs had remained unlit until this summer after years of restoration by the city's Cultural Affairs Department.

While the main body of the Coachella Music and Arts Festival lies on the Empire Polo Field, a connected, but far-flung grouping of parties act as a titillating extension of the main event. In order to get your party on in the most organized and extensive way possible this weekend, here's a rundown of some of the best shindigs in the desert. If all goes well your dance card will be packed four days straight. Note: Locations are often kept secret until you RSVP, and getting an invite often depends on who you know - just like back home.

Sensible shoes Flat smoking slippers in velvet or satin and wedge sneakers with studs and straps overtook sky-high platforms in the fashionable footwear race. Artful nails Whether it was tiny Union Jacks, tuxedos, stripes, crystal flowers or caviar pearls, nail art went from the subculture sidelines to becoming an everyday indulgence, and not just for flamboyant pop stars like Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga. The boom was due in part to nail technology advances, including new, easy-to-apply nail decals and gel-color manicures, which allow for long-lasting decoration, including gradated glitter and stripes, as well as crystal and charm appliques.

LAS VEGAS - The afternoon light is fading as Danielle Kelly walks the place known as the Neon Boneyard. Night will soon overtake this gambling town, a time when that original bling - the fanciful curves of electric neon - for decades beckoned and bewitched. Kelly reviews the metal remnants of cartoonish come-ons that once towered over the Moulin Rouge, Desert Inn, Golden Nugget and Stardust casinos, as well as wedding chapels, dry cleaners and motels. But time moves on, especially here.

Mary Weatherford is known for beautiful abstract paintings derived from natural forms, but her latest exhibition at LAXART is a big risk. As in previous series, these large paintings (nearly too large actually, for LAXART's main gallery) are inspired by a specific place, Bakersfield, where Weatherford recently completed a residency. They are not landscapes per se, but more like mood poems: rough-edged, vertical rectangles composed of thin, delicate washes of color. Luminous on their own, the colors are literally lighted by startling lines, rendered in actual tubes of neon affixed to the canvases.

Hundreds of masked dancers haunt Hyde on Oct. 28 with the return of the XIV Vegas Sessions - this time themed for Halloween. Presented by nightlife giant SBE (the brains behind a dozen L.A. hot spots), this monthly dusk-to-dawn dance party morphs into an after-hours fantasyland with glow-in-the-dark go-go dancers, champagne showers and neon cocktails. Past themes have included “Candy Carnival” where servers wore only sweets - so expect plenty of adults-only tricks and treats. - Jamie Wetherbe, Custom Publishing Writer   Hyde at Bellagio 3600 Las Vegas Blvd.

MOAB, Utah - The doorknob had smashed a sizable hole in the wall of our room at the Apache Motel. The rusty bathroom ceiling fan made a harsh scraping sound, and the industrial carpet sported several suspicious stains. We loved the place. The neon sign at the motel, built in the early 1950s on what was then the town's main street, is classic: A giant white arrow spears the motel's name alongside the archaic image of an Apache. It glows with pure midcentury sentimentality.

While most people may think of neon as the stuff of shopping center signs and street-side advertising, an exhibit of neon art at the Brea Gallery is receiving rave reviews, officials said. "It's a medium many people have overlooked because of preconceived ideas of what neon is. People tend to think of motel signs and advertisements," guest curator Jan Sanchez said. "But we think of it as a paintbrush when in the hands of an artist."

For decades, dazzling neon lights have lured visitors to restaurants, barber shops, theaters, nightclubs and bowling alleys. These glowing tubes of fiery reds, often bordered by cool blues and bright whites, could be seen for miles. They were the bright lights of the city. All curves and no angles, neon was never subtle. It screamed to be noticed. Neon was sometimes dismissed as garish and gaudy.

They're not kidding when they say they'll leave the light on for you. A long-forgotten neon lamp that was switched on during the Great Depression and left burning for about 77 years has been discovered hidden behind a dusty partition at Clifton's Cafeteria. The find was made amid an extensive renovation of the downtown eatery, according to the building's owner, Andrew Meieran. The neon fixture is believed to have been installed in 1935 when Clifford Clinton purchased the lease to Boos Bros.

At dress shops across Los Angeles, mother-and-daughter pairs dressed in jeans and high school sweat shirts that read "Seniors 2012" are on a mission. It's officially springtime, and for many a young woman in high school, that can mean only one thing: prom season has arrived. The hunt for just the right dress can be a challenge. The little black dress may be the suitable go-to for almost every other occasion, but for prom, a simple black dress won't do. The perfect prom dress has to dazzle in pictures, make the wearer feel like a princess and hold up to a full night on the dance floor.