Quote:
Originally Posted by ethereal_reality
#1
![](https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1024x768q90/921/gMyjwR.jpg)
getty_images
The ground fire was, literally, steps from my bungalow on Hancock. I can't believe I didn't recognized the area... I walked there daily.
google earth
I tried to make little red 'steps'. It didn't turn out so well.
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Since we are in this area, last week I discovered the following three aerials taken in February of 1955. (The fire photos are November, 1955.)
They are all focused a little to the east of the above locations. I believe the Tropicana Motel
opened in 1955. (A Los Angeles magazine article
I just looked up said it was built in the 1940's!) The captions refer to the curved street as "Ramada Drive". I have never heard that street
called that before and cannot find any period map listing with that street name.
Caption: Aerial view of Tropicana Motor Hotel, located at 8585 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood; view is looking northwest.
The U-shaped hotel sits on the intersection of Santa Monica Blvd (running horizontally) and Ramada Drive (curved street running
behind the hotel). The smaller street in the forefront (left corner to mid-photo) is West Knoll Drive. Photograph dated February 12, 1955.
Caption: Close-up view of Tropicana Motor Hotel, located at 8585 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood; view is looking north.
Caption: Aerial view of Tropicana Motor Hotel, located at 8585 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood; view is looking northeast.
The U-shaped hotel sits on the intersection of Santa Monica Blvd (running horizontally) and Ramada Drive (curved street running
behind the hotel). The street running vertically on the extreme right is N. La Cienega Boulevard. Photograph dated February 12, 1955.
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To the left of the motel, in the bottom photo for example, I am curious about that grouping of seemingly multi-level little buildings, or apartments?,
on the corner. It just looks like an interesting design. Were the P.E. cars still running in 1955? Because I'm familiar with the street I'm also curious
as to what some of the businesses are.
The photos are from the Kelly-Holiday Mid-Century Aerial Photo Collection on LAPL.