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Don’t you ever wish you could explore one of L.A.’s most vibrant boulevards without a car? When the first phase of Metro’s extension to its D Line opens May 8, L.A.’s transit system will add what has long been a missing puzzle piece. A busy, traffic-snarled section of Wilshire Boulevard, home to world-class museums, restaurants and galleries, will at long last be significantly more accessible.

Ride and walk, for instance, to the newly reimagined Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and then stroll to the Original Farmers Market or the acclaimed République. Or take transit to a concert at the El Rey Theatre, then grab a pint at Tom Bergin’s. And do it all without stressing about valet or parking in a part of town where the latter is at a premium.

Though this initial phase of the D Line extension is only three stops, for residents and business owners in the community, it feels monumental.

“I’m so excited for Metro to open and for lots of people to hopefully come and peruse these streets,” says Christina Mullin, owner of Miracle Mile Toys & Gifts. Mullin, who also lives in the neighborhood, has seen the area disrupted by construction for the better part of a decade, and is hopeful the subway stops will bring in an influx of shoppers.

“It’s such a nice, walkable area,” Mullin says. “You can walk all of La Brea and all the way to the Sycamore Kitchen. This will be very good for the city.”

And it seems to be generating much excitement, at least if Metro’s own marketing is any indication. A line of innuendo-filled “Ride the D” shirts went viral and then almost instantaneously sold out. (Those looking for the shirts are likely out of luck, as a Metro spokesperson says the item was intended only as a limited-edition run.)

Here are some highlights of destinations along the new stations, which are located at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, Wilshire/La Cienega and will collectively serve Koreatown, Miracle Mile, Hancock Park, Carthay Circle, the Fairfax District and Beverly Hills. All should be within about a 20- or 25 minute walk.

The second section of the D Line will continue west through Beverly Hills and Century City, and the third will extend to Westwood and UCLA. The full rail line, according to Metro, is expected to be open by the end of 2027.

Nike has been refused a trademark for Bronny James‘ “b9” logo that appears on shoes have been worn in games by the second-year Lakers player and are being sold by the sports apparel giant.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office notified Nike of its decision with a letter of refusal earlier this week, citing “likelihood of confusion” with an already-registered mark by the Back9 Golf Apparel company.

“Applicant’s mark, B9, is confusingly similar to the registered mark, B9,” the refusal letter states. “The marks are similar in appearance, sound, and commercial impression. In addition, the marks are essentially phonetic equivalents and, thus, sound similar. Similarity in sound alone may be sufficient to support a finding that the compared marks are confusingly similar.”

Nike did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Times.

The James logo features a lowercase “b” with a “9” embedded in the center (where a hole normally would be). The Back9 logo has a capital “B” and a “9” of the same size next to each other. The logos are in different fonts.

In its trademark application, filed on Feb. 27, Nike had indicated the intention of using the logo on seemingly all types of athletic apparel, including footwear, headwear, shirts, pants, shorts and jackets. Polo shirts and golf caps were listed among the many specific examples of possible uses.

The refusal letter notes the use of similar or identical language in the description of goods in Back9’s trademark application, which was filed in May 2021 and approved a year later.

“The overriding concern is not only to prevent buyer confusion as to the source of the goods, but to protect the registrant from adverse commercial impact due to use of a similar mark by a newcomer,” the letter states. “Therefore, any doubt regarding a likelihood of confusion determination is resolved in favor of the registrant.

“Here, because the marks are similar and the goods are related and/or legally identical, there is a likelihood of confusion as to the source of applicant’s goods, and registration is refused pursuant to Section 2(d) of the Trademark Act.”

Nike has until July 13 to appeal the decision.

The Lakers, seeded No. 4 in the Western Conference, start their opening-round playoff series against the No. 5 Houston Rockets on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena.

Kaylyn “KK” Alves had been talking all day about her favorite moment in any Dodgers game: when Teoscar Hernández greets his teammates at the entrance to the dugout with a shower of sunflower seeds after a home run.

KK, 14, could name Hernández’s favorite flavor of seeds — ranch — and had thought through the potential downsides of throwing flavored seeds instead of original — the seasoning posed a risk for the eyes.

So, when Hernández met KK on the field Tuesday before the Dodgers’ game against the Mets, he had a suggestion for a pregame activity.

“Do you want to be part of the celebration?” he asked, gesturing toward the dugout. “Come on, let’s go.”

KK, her parents and her sister visited Dodger Stadium this week for an experience coordinated by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. KK, who was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of two, is an avid Dodgers fan from Northern California.

Those at the game Tuesday saw her throw out the first pitch to Freddie Freeman, her favorite player. In addition to the sunflower seed celebration with Hernández, KK’s wish — the 1,000th granted since Make-A-Wish and Fanatics partnered in 2023 — included a tour, field passes for batting practice, and extra time with Freeman before the game.

Kaylyn “KK” Alves throws out the first pitch before Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium.

(Gary A. Vasquez / Los Angeles Dodgers)

“To see my kid meet her hero, basically — it’s indescribable,” said KK’s father, David.

KK inherited her Dodgers fandom from her dad, who was originally an A’s fan but made the switch when infielder Max Muncy did. It became a family passion.

David watched KK light up when they walked out to the field Tuesday and spotted Freeman going through his ground ball routine. And the day kept getting better. Freeman walked over and gifted KK a jersey with his number and her name on the back.

“It was amazing,” KK said. “He’s the sweetest.”

Freeman then led the family to the media room and took a seat next to KK at the podium. She asked him about his growing family — Freeman and his wife Chelsea have three sons and announced in March that they are expecting a baby girl.

Kaylyn “KK” Alves prepares to throw sunflower seeds with Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernández to mimic the team’s home run celebration before Tuesday’s game at Dodger Stadium.

(Gary A. Vasquez / Los Angeles Dodgers)

Freeman asked KK about her interests. She grew steadily more talkative, nerves subsiding, as they talked about puzzles and video games. She even ran her thoughts on the seed celebration by Freeman.

“I’ve had sunflower seeds go all the way down my back, and into my shirt, and it’s quite uncomfortable,” Freeman said. “But if you’ve got sunflower seeds down your shirt, it means you’ve hit a home run, so you can take it.”

An hour and a half later, KK experienced just that, walking through a shower of sunflower seeds thrown by Hernández. Then they traded places and she returned the favor, both smiling ear to ear.