Quote:
Originally Posted by ethereal_reality
Here's a shot of the whole street, 400 block of Los Angeles St.
calisphere
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Hi, my first post in your great Site/Forum. Each of you (members) do such a great job here!!
This is a really great photo; this area of Old Chinatown has special interest to me, as does much of the L.A. area. And yes, it is amazing how this specific area has been transformed, starting with the building of Union Station and then the Santa Ana freeway access ramps...so much history here!
A little more background on this photo:
Jerry's Joint was a late night restaurant and dance hall, owned by G.H. Surpenant, who passed away in 1956. The
Soochow Restaurant (current Pinyin transliteration is Suzhou) was owned by Architect Gilbert Leong. Leong, and his brother in law, Eddy See, who owned the nearby Dragon's Den (shown in other photos in this forum) tried to save the businesses, with a detailed plan for a Multicultural Retail Center; however, the L.A. City Council decided to go ahead with the plans for the Hollywood Freeway access ramps. (Multiple research souces including the book Chinatown in Los Angeles by Jenny Cho)
The American Women's Voluntary Services Organization (Chinese American Unit), relocated a servicemen's canteen in September 1944, to the Leong family's Soochow Restaurant. Serving
1,500 military personnel each month, 105 (Primarily Chinese American) women kept the canteen open, making it known as the "best place next to home."
From what I have researched, this street and these buildings were fully demolished around late 1950, with this adjacent downtown section of the Hollywood Fwy., opening in late 1951. I imagine that the public outcry for better and faster access to the (at the time) very busy Union Station, and its train service, was more important to the L.A. City Council (in that era) than any plan to rejuvenate the old China Town; when the new China Town had already been established since 1938/39.
Last , I have an old post card from Jerry's Joint, showing the large jade carving which was on display there for years...I wonder where it is today?