The Inglewood revolution: What it’s like living in the shadow of SoFi Stadium

When my great-aunt Alena Cindy Giardina bought her house in Inglewood’s Morningside Park more than five decades ago, the neighborhood was already booming. Hollywood Park had a lively racetrack, the Forum hosted great shows and the Lakers played nearby.

But in the last decade, my aunt has watched the city rise to a new level around her: The Metro line expanded, Hollywood Park transformed into a multiuse shopping center and the new SoFi Stadium brought big games to the neighborhood. There are plans to build a luxury hotel in Hollywood Park and more apartment complexes in Inglewood too.

Giardina, who has served as a parks and recreation commissioner for Inglewood and on the City Council, told me during an evening chat that, when she moved in, the city was “on the verge of exploding [and] becoming a really fabulous community.”

Any one weekend can show how much the city has changed. Including the last one.

Hollywood Park was transformed once again into the festival grounds for the 19th annual Hard Summer music festival, which tens of thousands attended. Meanwhile, the Kia Forum hosted two concerts, including one that coincided with the festival. SoFi was preparing for two concerts of its own, and of course the stadium’s summer has been partly defined by the eight FIFA World Cup games it hosted.

Residents of Inglewood share their neighborhood with thousands of visitors every event.

Adjusting to life surrounded by huge events

Road closures, heavy congestion, competition for parking and big noises can stalk any humble Inglewood resident these days. They and their city have had to adjust.

Indeed, the first day of the Hard festival followed the expected pattern. Saturday saw hordes of people being directed across closed-down streets in Hollywood Park. Cars, lined up bumper to bumper, stretched for about a mile past SoFi Stadium. Street closures extended past the city too.

Chandra Richardson, who has lived in Inglewood for five years, has developed a routine of checking events in the area each day before making any major plans.

“The only time I really get stuck is if I have something to do on Century Boulevard, which I try to avoid,” Richardson said. Century Boulevard adjoins Hollywood Park, SoFi Stadium, Intuit Dome and more. “But one day, I went to Target and got stuck because I forgot there was a game.”

Parking lots close to events can sometimes charge more than $100 per car. In the first few blocks of neighborhoods directly surrounding SoFi, new signs warning of two-hour parking only or tow-away zones keep the parking clear for residents.

And, last year, a curfew was established to limit late-night noise from the venues.

“There are times when the stadium or the concerts that are outside of the stadium are so loud that we can hear them here,” said Christyn Carter, who lives two miles away in Morningside Park. “And those concerts that go late into the evening during the week, that could affect my sleep, my babies’ sleep.”

Richardson has found a few ways to cope. For one thing, triple-paned windows help. But sometimes the noise is welcome: “If we’re watching a game, I like to hear the roar of the crowd from SoFi.”

When events are quiet, the new developments do have upsides

On a recent weekday evening in Hollywood Park, the Iconix was filled with residents and locals getting in a workout; teens were hanging out at the new Raising Cane’s; two women bonded over drinks and appetizers at the Meeting Spot; and a father played with his children through the walkways.

“I’ve seen how [Hollywood Park’s growth] has benefited residents,” said Claudine Cooper, a fitness instructor at the Hollywood Park Iconix and a 26-year resident of Inglewood.

For my aunt Cindy, the growth, and the crowds, are a reminder of how far the city has come.

“I am so proud to be part of this new experiment,” she told me, “which is this incredible melting pot where people come from all walks of life and we all fuse together and enjoy each other.”

Rising prices beneath the surface

Not everybody loves it, though. The Lennox-Inglewood Tenants Union organized protests before and during the construction of SoFi. One of its organizers called the new stadium “a crisis for renters” in a 2022 L.A. Times article.

Times reporting showed that Inglewood was one of the most affordable places to buy a home in Los Angeles County as of 2016. By 2021, the median home price had increased a whopping 84%.

Today’s top stories

(Etienne Laurent / For the Times)

Midterms

• Can Bass change her narrative? She’s had a summer of bad news.
• New reports do show she’s outpacing Nithya Raman in fundraising.
• The billionaire tax was endorsed by California Democrats, deepening party divisions
• California voters left without a candidate from their own party after the top-two primary could still hold strategic sway in key congressional contests.

Dangerous tides

• High surf and severe erosion triggered the closure of Point Dume surge warnings in Long Beach.
• He calls it his duty. America calls this 16-year-old California lifeguard a hero.

Contraband fuel

• To avoid taxes and high import fees, gasoline and diesel fuel legally purchased in the United States is being smuggled into Mexico.
• The scheme, known as huachicol fiscal, is the second-largest source of revenue for cartels, after drug trafficking.
• An astounding one-third to one-quarter of all fuel sold in Mexico may be illicit.

What else is going on

• Struggling to survive, South L.A.’s MLK hospital seeks greater share of county funds.
• L.A. fire survivors say Newsom is trying to help utilities reduce their wildfire costs again
• This mogul built a huge Chinese media empire in L.A. Now, the FBI has searched his home in an investigation.
• “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” scored the second-largest global box office opening ever.
• Another broken pipe unleashed flooding, this time in Beverly Grove.
• Cuts to UCLA research have led scientists to OnlyFans — ’cause marmots got money troubles.

Commentary and opinions

• Proposition 39 would turn a Trump conspiracy into California law. It has a chance of passing, warns California columnist Anita Chabria.
• Two contributors argue that HOAs can actually be a force for good.
• Democrats are at one another’s throats, says Mark Z. Barabak. This time, it’s over the 2028 calendar.

This morning’s must-read

Olympics

How the World Cup became ‘a great dry run’ for the 2028 L.A. Olympics

The success of the FIFA World Cup in Southern California provided valuable lessons for LA28 as it continues its preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Aug. 3, 2026

Other must reads

• “Wonder Man” may be canceled, but Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s big year isn’t over.
• They turned their wedding gifts into a lush native yard with drought-tolerant grass.

For your downtime

Charlton Heston in the 1956 movie “The Ten Commandments,” directed by Cecil B. DeMille.

(Paramount Pictures)

Going out

• Movies: Here are the 10 movies you need to see in L.A. this month.
• Cake: What better way to celebrate a birthday than with a delicious cake. We have the best in L.A.
• Eating out: People are lining up at this Pasadena street cart for giant stuffed rice balls

Staying in

• Books: Chris Young’s new memoir details how he went from a life sentence to freedom. A presidential pardon and Kim Kardashian played a part.
• 🥗 Here’s a recipe for Peruvian fish ceviche.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.

And finally ... the photo of the day

A full orchestra and jazz band perform the soundtrack of “La La Land” at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday.

(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)

Today’s great photo is from photographer Ariana Drehsler of the 10-year anniversary live concert of “La La Land.”

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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