For generations, Catholic schools have represented a pathway to the middle class for immigrants. But thousands have closed, the latest in Boyle Heights. A feud between PIMCO founder Bill Gross and neighbors involving a large glass sculpture and the Gilligan’s Island theme song was finally settled. Maybe. This year’s list of 50 best bars in North America includes three from LA: Genever in Historic Filipinotown, Death & Co. in downtown LA, and Thunderbolt in Echo Park.