• Mike Szymanski, Patch Staff Verified Patch Staff Badge

  • Studio City, CA

PLEASE ADD MikeSzy@aol.com as your new contact email for me!

Mike Szymanski is the Studio City Editor and he's had his roots in the local area since he first came to work at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1985 and rented a place on Arch Drive.

Now, this is the area where he runs his Dachshunds, practices martial arts, sings in the choir at a Methodist church and drives his Prius around with Bruce Springsteen blaring. He lives with his family in the hills, his two nephews go to local schools and he's involved in the PTA. He continues to teach a UCLA Extension class in journalism, which he has done since he arrived in Los Angeles after being recruited away from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

A graduate of the University of Florida, he earned two prestigious Hearst Awards in investigative reporting and feature writing, and went on to write for the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, US Magazine, The Advocate, Los Angeles Magazine and many web sites such as E! Online, SciFi.com, Zap2it.com, Hollywood.com and more. He won a Lambda Literary Award and earned journalism awards for coverage of  "Breakdown-Homelessness in the Valley" and other local issues.

A libertarian-turned-liberal, Mike worked in the past on Free Speech causes and helped raise more than half a million dollars for AIDS-related charities. Mike has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis for more than 10 years and hopes you'll never notice.

 

Call Mike at (818) 233-1164, or write MikeS@Patch.com.

See Mike's Welcome to Patch video here.

Posting Activity

Studio City|News|

Henry's Tacos Testimonials: Why People Like Them

Celebs, a woman who has come for 51 years, students and more have said why they don't want Henry's to close. Add your video testimonial, too.

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Henry's Tacos Testimonials: Why People Like Them
Studio City|News|

Wendy Greuel: 'My Heart is Broken'

The Studio City resident running for mayor of Los Angeles expresses her thoughts about the Connecticut school shootings. She also issues a call to action.

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Wendy Greuel: 'My Heart is Broken'
Studio City|News|

Studio City Reacts to Shootings

The Walter Reed principal sent a letter home, the Rio Vista PTA is sharing messages. If you have something to say, leave it below.

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Studio City Reacts to Shootings
Studio City|News|

Exclusive: Henry’s Tacos Owner on Calling It Quits

People are asking what can be done. Janis Hood is mad, but she’s also ready to pack it in, no matter how much love is out there for the business to stay open.

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Exclusive: Henry’s Tacos Owner on Calling It Quits
Studio City|News|

Celebrities Join Campaign to Save Henry's Tacos

Sarah Hyland, Elijah Wood, Chris Pine, Tony Danza and others get the word out on social media. Aaron Paul from 'Breaking Bad' calls for an eat-in.

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Celebrities Join Campaign to Save Henry's Tacos
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