First, thanks all, to several very nice additions to some of my earlier posts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyingwedge
Hey, great post MP. I never knew that building had been a bowling alley.
In the mid-80s I worked in the Petersen Building up on La Cienega and Sunset, and I remember the Esprit store down on La Cienega and Santa Monica. In the b/w photo you can see a tiny bit of the Petersen Bldg above and to the right of the DON'T WALK sign.
I've been by the Petersen Building within the last year, and it looks vacant -- there's plywood in one column of windows in the photo below -- except that the parking structure is being used:

GSV Feb 2011
Petersen Publishing also owned that fire-damaged building next door on Sunset. I think Petersen moved to Westwood a few years after I left. I wonder if those buildings have been vacant all this time?
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I believe I can answer your queries, Flyingwedge, and it's not pretty:
From L.A. Curbed, from Sept., link:
http://la.curbed.com/tags/sunset-millennium
WeHo's Giant Sunset|La Cienega Hotel/Residential/Retail Project Finally Beginning
West Hollywood's decades-in-the-making, four-tower Sunset|La Cienega project (formerly known as Sunset Millennium) is finally starting work, the city has announced. Demolition begins next Monday on several blocks on the south side of Sunset Boulevard, around La Cienega. Mid-century buildings like the Petersen office tower and the Tiffany Theater will bite the dust. They'll make way for two 10-story hotel towers with up to 296 rooms (east side of La Cienega) and two eight-story residential towers with 190 units (west side); all four buildings will feature ground-floor retail totaling a maximum of 70,000 square feet. Developer CIM hired Skidmore, Owings & Merrill to design the hotels, with SOM and Lorcan O'Herlihy teaming up for the apartment buildings. "Large public viewing terraces are integrated into both parcels with plaza amenities designed by the landscape architecture firm of Mia Lehrer + Associates," the city declares.
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The reason that this has been delayed is that sensible people were fighting it. (The developers in West Hollywood always seem to
get their way, even if it's delayed. The city council bows to all developers.) Residents are concerned about the already bad traffic
from this montrosity. People who own houses in the hills opposite this don't want their views obstructed (and property value to
fall?) and preservationists didn't want the Tiffany Theatre or the Petersen Bldg. or the two locations on the corner used in the filming
of the TV series 77 SUNSET STRIP (the detective agency and what's left of "Dino's" next door where Ed Byrnes [Kookie] parked cars), to
be obliterated. There's a huge plaque, if that's the right word, in the sidewalk proclaiming the site of this filming location...but TOO LATE.
I walked by there last Friday and it's all gone. Except the sidewalk plaque, but...move along...nothing to see here...
Dino's (Dean Martin) on the left of the Tiffany Theatre.
Cinema Treasures
I understand a group from the valley rescued the Tiffany sign for preservation at least.
77 Sunset Strip
Edsel
A screen grab of Ed Byrnes (Kookie) parking cars at Dino's, next door to the title location. The last year or two I've walked by this spot (there's a great view across L.A. here) once or twice a month and every time I stepped on this sidewalk plaque...
SeeingStars
...I snapped my fingers twice...if you get the drift daddy-o.
You can see the plaque on the sidewalk in this image. The rounded entrance is where the detectives offices were located, there was an awning over it, I believe, and "Dino's" was next door to the right.
Although...this image makes it look rather modern, maybe it was extensively remodeled, I'm not finding an image of it back then right now. The actual location according to the poster is 8524 Sunset Blvd.
? @ Flickr
I've actually always wanted to see this series, but never an opportunity to do so. I believe the credit sequence is on youtube and you can see one of the leads driving down Sunset to La Cienega to the office here.