Chuckaluck's post on the original Raymond Hotel a few pages back reminded me of this much less grand Raymond Hotel built in 1923 and located just a few miles away at 117 S. Raymond Ave. in Alhambra.
couldn't find this image currently online - from an old CD
In 1964 my dad boarded here while working at Clayton Industries in Temple City. I used to stay there with him in the summer when I was off school. It was a very noirish place. I remember the rooms were lit with a single unshaded lightbulb in the ceiling. The only TV in the place was in the lobby where I used to be allowed to stay up and watch the Tonight Show while waiting for my dad to come home from the swing shift. I remember some real colorful characters in that lobby.
A few years back I discovered the place was still standing and was making plans to stay there for a couple nights. Just about that time on September 16, 2009 this Raymond Hotel was also put out of business by a fire that did $700,000 damage. More recent Google map images show a chain link fence around the building. Do any of you Southern California-based noirers know what is to become of this building? As far as I can tell it hasn't been bulldozed yet. Is there hope for its rebuilding?