Corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Cherokee
In the late 1970's and early '80's - this was ground zero for the Hollywood punk music scene.
Nearby was the Masque, the Canterbury apartments and the the heart of 'old Hollywood'.
This was also ground zero for me- This is where I lived, shopped, worked, went to the movies and generally hung out. After all - at Selma and Las Palmas was my grade school - Blessed Sacrament School. My high school was at Highland and Sunset - Hollywood High.
So - rediscovering this neighborhood brought back lots of memories.
- Hollywood Center Building
- Cherokee Building
- Love's Pit Bar-b-Que
- M'Goo's Food and Fun
Hollywood Center Bldg
6650 Hollywood Blvd.
This building is located on the SW corner of Hollywood and Cherokee. It was designed by S. Tilden Norton and F.H. Wallis and built in 1930. The 4 story office Art Deco building was the first home of the Screen Writers Guild.
SW corner of Hollywood and Cherokee looking at the Hollywood Center Building (Cherokee). The New-View theater and Supply Sargent is just to the west.
Back in the day -
Hlywd Center Bldg - 1655 Cherokee
1972 photo
The south side corner of Hollywood Bl. and Cherokee - as it looks today.
2008 photo: tlc
2008 photo: tlc
Cherokee Building
6636-6 Hollywood Boulevard
Southeast corner Hollywood and Cherokee
Early on there was a Sontag drug store at this corner.
1939 was Thrift Cut Rate Drug Stores at 6350 Hollywood Blvd.(Ivar), and 6542 Hollywood Blvd.
Looking at the Cherokee Building (6636-46 HB) with the Sy Amber's Men store on the southeast corner. There were stores below and offices on the second level.
1972 photo
Hollywood Cherokee Building (6636-46 HB) today
The old Sy Amber store is now a Hurricane clothing store
Northwest corner Hollywood and Cherokee
| In 1930, at the northwest corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Cherokee was the United States Building and Loan. |
Date unk. c. 1930
photographer unk. source: lapl photo data base
This corner has had many tenants over the years.
In the late '30 this site housed a bar/restaurant called Bradley's Five and Ten Cent of Los Angeles Inc. Owned by John Phillips and Robert Brooks (lessee)
However, in the mid-'40's, Bradley's 5 & 10 c was accused of being a gathering place for degenerates. It was also accused of allowing unaccompanied women.
During WW2 the Bradley's was off limits to service men. It closed down in 1948.
For a short while it became an outlet for Kaiser Dishwashers.
Then in 1956 the site housed Chuck's Hofbrau.
M'Goo's (1959-1975)
6651 Hollywood Blvd
northwest corner at Cherokee
M'Goo's opened in 1959 at the northwest corner of Hollywood and Cherokee. M'Goo's Food 'n Fun - was a fun old time Irish themed restaurant. Owner Marty Bryman sold beer by the pound (6 lbs for $2.50) and champaign by the bubbles - in a glass slipper.
M'Goo's was very popular with teenagers and tourist. It was decorated like an old fashion pizza parlor. There was sawdust on the floor, little round tables and a high stage with a rinky-tink player piano. M'Goo's offered up a variety of fare including pizza, spaghetti ravioli and the World Famous M'Goo Stew. Needless to say, it was a lively place with sing a-longs to old time music. (There was also a M'Goo's in Pasadena and Van Nuys).
M'Goo's stood here until a fire damaged the building in 1975.
1972 photo
Photo source: L.A. Public Library photo collection
As the NW corner looks today -
another souvenir store
2008 photo: tlc
Looking west from Cherokee
2008 photo: tlc
Northeast corner of Cherokee
6633 Hollywood Blvd.
Looking at the NE corner of Hollywood and Cherokee
source: lapl photo data base
In the early 1930's, the primary intersections in Hollywood housed drug stores.
In 1938 Sontag Drugs moved from it's southeast corner at Cherokee to a new home across the street at 6637 Hollywod Blvd. This corner location even offered a fountain grill!
Sontag's former location at the Cherokee Building (6642 Hollywood Blvd.) was then taken over by Thrifty Drug Store.
In 1944 Owl Drugs (United Rexall Drugs Inc.) purchased Sontag Chain Drug Co. The store at 6637 was called Beacon Drugs. Throughout the 1950's and '60's it was called and Beacon Owl Rexall Drug Store
In 1969 the site became a Love's Pit Bar-b-cue restaurant.
The northeast corner later housed Love's Pit Barbecue
Looking northeast
Date c. 1970's (source: lapl photo data base)
Love's Pit Barbecue
When you're in Love's - the world's delicious
1972 photo (source: hollywoodphotographs)
Today this corner now houses the upscale Japanese restaurant - Geisha House
As the NE corner looks today
2008 photo: tlc
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7 comments:
70 years have flased by me in the last hour or so.... I was a 10 year old in 1939...Lived at 1206 N. Martel street.... Roamed the environs of Hollywood, and the canyons of Nichols and Laurel and did the Hollywood Blvd scene hundreds of times...Later in the 60's I worked at M'GOO'S on the corner of Cherokee and Hollywood, and Shelly Manne's "The Manne Hole" on Chuenga(spl).....
I would love sit over a cuppa with you and talk about the"Kindler & gentler Hollywood that I knew..
Most sincerely Robert..
robertward3@verizon.net
Thanks for the pictures as they took me down memory lane!!
The statement that "Chuck's Hofbrau morphed into McGoo's Food 'n Fun in the 1970's" is inaccurate. My father owned M'Goo's and before him, my Great-Uncle. It was around in the early 1960's. My father took over in 1968. Also, it's spelled "M'Goo's" not "McGoo's" as was written here. ;-)
Hey Robert you said you worked at M'Goo's. Did you work for Marty or Phil? Marty is my uncle and Phil is my dad. ;-)
This blog is about WAY more than the Go Go's. It's probably the best review of real life in Hollywood of the 70s and 80s that I have ever seen. If it were a book I would buy it! I've searched high and low to verify my youthful memories of M'Goos - one of my all time favorite places ever! So glad you have taken the effort to put all this together! Much appreciated!
I have an old M'Goos menu that I got from my grandpa who lived most of his life in Commerce. It holds no sentimental value for me, so if anyone is interested in it, leave a reply.
In 1970-71, I went to Hollywood College of Beauty (cosmetology school) next to Love's Pit barbeque and ate there for lunch a few times. I also remember House of pies one block east from there.
I have a M'Goo's Sing Along Sheet that was left in the bench of my aunt's old piano. I had no idea what this place was until I found this blog. Very cool.
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