noirish Los Angeles

[sadykadie2]

Originally Posted by RudyJK

Mules were more common on farms than horses because they were stronger and had more endurance. Generally easier to train too. Both my parents were raised on farms (mom in Georgia and dad in Nebraska) and both said they always had mules around and rarely horses.

I'd never heard of Lamanda Park . Here is where it is

"Quick facts
Lamanda Park is a neighborhood in Pasadena, California. It is bordered roughly by Foothill Boulevard to the north, Del Mar Boulevard to the south, the Eaton Wash to the east, and Allen Avenue to the west, with a panhandle extending south along the western bank of the Eaton Wash" Wikipedia

[Lwize]

The U2 video was shot at Main & 7Th.
The sign for 7th is in the video.

"Where The Streets Have No Name" is clearly false.

[ethereal_reality]

..
Thanks for all the follow-ups on the U2 video!..I really appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Lwize

The U2 video was shot at Main & 7Th.
The sign for 7th is in the video.

"Where The Streets Have No Name" is clearly false.

.. I see what you did there.

Originally Posted by JScott

The sign on the Rosslyn roof refers to its 1100 ROOMS, not its address, which is actually 112 W 5th.

You're right! ..I hadn't thought of that possibility.


I'm curious about the old hotel on Main St. Does anyone know what name it went by back in the day?..(there appears to be two of them together / the other one is smaller)




Here it is again... a little bit closer. (but blurrier)




Both buildings are still standing.




Here's the same view (as in the U2 video)




I believe both have been dolled up with some ill advised Po-Mo.





Look! There's an old ghost sign that appears to have retained it's colors.



.

[HossC]

Regarding the hotels, the address of the first seems to change through the years. The Dewey Hotel is currently at 721 S Main Street - this site describes it as "Permanent supportive housing for people who have experienced homelessness, prolonged extreme poverty, poor health, disabilities, mental illness and/or addiction." It also indicates an opening date of 1911. I can trace the Dewey Hotel through the CDs back to 1941, although the address was 725 S Main. Before that it was the Grand Pacific Hotel, originally at 723 S Main.

The Hotel Senator Apartments at 729 S Main were built in 1994, although the façade on the opposite side of the plot at 726 S Spring was retained from an earlier building, possibly the original Senator Hotel which was at that address. This is confirmed here. It also appears to be part of the Skid Row homelessness provisions.

[HossC]

A site timeout originally caused this to be a duplicate post of the one above, but I thought I'd edit it to add some info.

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

...



Look! There's an old ghost sign that appears to have retained its colors.

There's a 1939 photo of Main Street in the USCDL, and I think that the Grand Pacific Hotel is just visible in the background (on the far right). It's hard to make out, but I think the sign on the side might say "SENATOR", which may have been a advert for the hotel on Spring that I mentioned above. The ghost sign in e_r's photo appears to end "AR", but it definitely ends "OR" in the vintage photo, so it must've been changed at some point.

[ProphetM]

Originally Posted by HossC

A site timeout originally caused this to be a duplicate post of the one above, but I thought I'd edit it to add some info.



There's a 1939 photo of Main Street in the USCDL, and I think that the Grand Pacific Hotel is just visible in the background (on the far right). It's hard to make out, but I think the sign on the side might say "SENATOR", which may have been a advert for the hotel on Spring that I mentioned above. The ghost sign in e_r's photo appears to end "AR", but it definitely ends "OR" in the vintage photo, so it must've been changed at some point.

Yes, that's an entirely different sign in the USC photo. It seems just a coincidence, both of them end in the letter 'R' but they are otherwise dissimilar.

Zooming in on Google Street View shows the potential sign painter's name - best I can make out is "Thos. H B Varac__ " Maybe Varach_ or Varack_.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by HossC

...

The Hotel Senator Apartments at 729 S Main were built in 1994, although the façade on the opposite side of the plot at 726 S Spring was retained from an earlier building, possibly the original Senator Hotel which was at that address. This is confirmed here.

Belatedly joining the dots, the preserved façade at 726 S Spring once belonged to the Hotel Jovita before it became the Senator Hotel.

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

After five years on the thread we finally get to see inside the Hotel Jovita at 726 S. Main St.


detail/ USC and LAPL

This wider view also shows the Hotel Jovita Annex which would've been next to the Grand Pacific Hotel on Main. Maybe this is what we're looking at in the later USC photo, which would better explain the "SENATOR" advert on the side. BTW. The older Streetview images show the whole of the 1994 Hotel Senator Apartments between Main and Spring before the new apartments were built on the parking lot next door.

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

"1927 AP Paramount News Photo, Miss Bobby Mack Woman Flagpole Sitter, Los Angeles."

I'll never understand how flagpole sitting became a fad.


eBay

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

..




Look! There's an old ghost sign that appears to have retained it's colors.

.

Just below center I think is the rest of the ghost sign (OWL CIGAR 5¢) before it got covered up:

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

Looking north at Main and 7th (where the streetcar is), c. 1915, when the Dewey was the Grand Pacific:

USC Digital Library -- https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/asset-management/2A3BF1XAPHW

[ProphetM]

Very nice throwback to our own post from almost 12 years ago!

[ethereal_reality]

Isn't it great. We're never going to run out of subjects. /s

;-)
.

[ethereal_reality]

.
Before its time.

Does anyone know if Long Beach used Eectrobuses manufactured at the Tork-Link Corp. (located in Studio City) back in 1973?


eBay




eBay

And in living color.



Mustard and Brown , it was the 1970s alright. ..In fact, that brown is the same color as my leisure suit) Check it out HERE . .if you dare.


_________________________________________

This next part should have been a separate post.

The Los Angeles area had electric modes of transportation from waaaaay back. I believe this particular photograph is from the 1890s. (it was in the old file along with the L.B. Electrobuses from Tork-Link)


I'm pretty sure I've posted this once before on NLA (I thought you wouldn't mind seeing it again) I didn't.


But I believe this next photo is new to NLA.

A rare glimpse inside the electric railcar. DAY TRIPPERS all dressed to the nines.



That's quite a photograph! I wonder where they were going.

.

[ethereal_reality]

.
This was also in my old E file.


Los Angeles - Beverly Boulevard - Castellammare - Electric Coach.



Can anyone guess where this was taken? (don't SCROLL down until you've guessed)








Yep, you're right.

It was taken at Thelma Todd's infamous cafe on PFH.



As most of you know the building is still there. (if it makes it through the night)


.

[sadykadie2]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Here I am at Universal Studios in June 1974 wearing a brown leisure suit.











It appears to have set back my parents back $17.00


jimberkin (100% Polyester)

Did any of you NLAers wear leisure suits or were they more of a Midwest thing?





_

Whoa! That collar's gonna take off!

[Martin Pal]

Anyone who visits NLA been affected by the fires? I was a block away from an evacuation zone last night when the Sunset Fire happened. Of the 5+ fires going on around the county this one seemed to get more contained after some hours than any of the others did. I read why; there's a reason: Thank you Hollywood Reservoir! It was nearby and they could get to the water source quickly back and forth. Plus the winds were miniscule compared to the previous days.

Landmarks of all kinds were IN the evacuation zone at the start...the entire north side of Hollywood Blvd. from Laurel Canyon Blvd. (The Comedy Store) to the Hollywood Freeway which includes The Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Bowl, Capitol Records... The zone got moved all the way to Sunset Blvd. later on. Scary.

[sopas ej]

I'm saddened by the loss of some Altadena landmarks (among other places/landmarks lost in the Palisades Fire), and being that my partner and I live in South Pasadena, we're about 2.5 miles from the nearest "Evacuation Warning" zone. At least as of now. Our apartment has smelled like burning wood/smoke for the past few days, but it seems to have subsided somewhat today. I'm hoping the fires will be contained soon.

_______________________________________________________________

Here's an aerial photo from the Los Angeles Times, dated October 30, 1930. A fire in Malibu:


If we didn't build homes in fire prone areas, and did regular controlled burns like the indigenous people did, then these mountain and canyon fires wouldn't be an issue, I suppose.

[ScottyB]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

I'm saddened by the loss of some Altadena landmarks (among other places/landmarks lost in the Palisades Fire), and being that my partner and I live in South Pasadena, we're about 2.5 miles from the nearest "Evacuation Warning" zone. At least as of now. Our apartment has smelled like burning wood/smoke for the past few days, but it seems to have subsided somewhat today. I'm hoping the fires will be contained soon.

_______________________________________________________________

Here's an aerial photo from the Los Angeles Times, dated October 30, 1930. A fire in Malibu:


If we didn't build homes in fire prone areas, and did regular controlled burns like the indigenous people did, then these mountain and canyon fires wouldn't be an issue, I suppose.

If only this week's fires looked more like that photo, Sopas. Altadena is part of my community, many friends and family have lost homes. We're all feeling the loss. So very sad.

[Martin Pal]

.

((( ScottyB & EJ )))

--

Unfortunately I've been reading so much babble about the fires here from people outside CA that don't know what they're talking about, trying to make it political, pointing blame all over the place. It's pretty disgusting. When hurricanes were ravaging the east coast last year I didn't see that about the hurricanes (though bad actors were doing it toward FEMA and relief efforts by the Government).

I happened to see this video segment on youtube that might be useful in understanding this recent event here in a historical context:

What's happening in Los Angeles is a hurricane without rain. It is a hurricane with fire.
• Video Link

[ScottyB]

Yes, it's very sad that a natural disaster becomes an opportunity for fellow humans to spew hatred. I used to check Twitter/X for actual information, and would expect to have to sift through the occasional bot and troll posts, but now it seems that's the majority of posts there. Social media without any controls is a recipe for social disaster.

I'll get off my soapbox, but I learned a very interesting term yesterday.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandolini%27s_law

I'll post on topic next time!

[ethereal_reality]

.
I've been speechless for the last several days & unsure how to proceed.


I've decided to go ahead and mention a few of the losses.


Lost in the Eaton/Altadena Fire.

The Andrew McNally Estate

Andrew McNally House

Pasadena Now, recent photographs including the interior.




Lost in the Palisades Fire.

Will Rogers' Ranch House.






. .and stables.

instagram






And this beautiful building in Palisades Village.



. . .which was kept in pristine condition.


Only a few walls remain.


My heart goes out to all Los Angelenos.

.

[Martin Pal]

! ! ! ! !

Originally Posted by ScottyB

I learned a very interesting term yesterday.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandolini%27s_law
I'll post on topic next time!

You've been on topic...L.A.'s been looking very noirish this week.

Thanks for the info on that term. I'll be passing it around.

Originally Posted by ScottyB

Altadena is part of my community, many friends and family have lost homes. We're all feeling the loss. So very sad.

I'm so sorry to hear that ScottyB. Stay safe out there.

I saw a resident of Altadena say her father's lived in Altadena for 80 years and never seen a fire there. I mention that because of ignorant commenters I was reading saying this happens all the time out here. What's happening here this week is anything but normal.

I've never heard of winds up to 100mph, or even 50mph, in L.A. I was trying to search information about winds in SoCal, but I am not having much luck so far.

Bad news: Another major wind event is expected between Monday night and Wednesday, which may lead to rapid fire spread yet again. LA fires could be fanned by strong 70 mph, meteorologists warn.