Friday, February 22, 2008

Hollywood and Cherokee

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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Better Burgers

  • Hamburger Hamlet
  • Fatburger

Hamburger Hamlet
9201 Sunset Boulevard
West Hollywood
Site today

2008 photo: tlc

site today

2008 photo: tlc

The original Hamburger Hamlet opened on the Sunset Strip in 1950 by Marilyn and Harry Lewis. It was located at 8931 Sunset Boulevard (NE corner of Sunset and Hilldale Avenue). 

Left to right in photo below -Hamburger Hamlet (with stripe awning)the London Fog, the Galaxy, Sneeky Petes and on the far right is the Whisky.

c. mid 1960's

Hamburger Hamlet  was a combination of Harry's love of Shakespeare and Marilyn's love of entertaining. Hamburger Hamlet quickly gained a following among the local contract players and studio workers in West Hollywood. In the early days regulars included Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh and Debbie Reynolds. 

Hamburger Hamlet on Sunset moved west to 8931 Sunset Blvd. The original site is now occupied by an auto store.

Only the Whisky survives the '60's at this location on Sunset Blvd. between Hilldale Ave and Clarke.

2008 photo: tlc

Today the Hamlet chain retains that old Hollywood touch with cozy red leather booth, a menu reminiscent of the original, full of gourmet hamburgers and elaborate desserts.




Fatburger

La Cienega and San Vicente
West Hollywood

The best Fatburger fast food joint was located in a tiny shack on a small island where La Cienega Boulevard crosses San Vicente in West Hollywood. It was a great location with easy parking, outdoor patio seating, and they served a great burger 24/7.

Back in the Day location of the phattest Fatburger


Site today

2008 photo:tlc



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Fast and cheap street fare


Pioneer Chicken - Pioneer Pete!
SE corner Hollywood Boulevard and McCadden.

This was a fried chicken fast-food joint that started out in Echo Park (L.A.) - named after the now defunct LA Pioneer Market.
Back in the Day - Pioneer Chicken

1973 photo: SE Corner of Hollywood Blvd. and McCadden
photo source: Hollywood Photographs

Same view today

2008 photo:
tlc



 
Always a favorite... and still is -  Los Burritos
6515 Hollywood Boulevard

Los Burritos - north side of Hollywood between Hudson and Wilcox



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Thursday, February 21, 2008

Hollywood and Las Palmas

Hollywood and Las Palmas
in the 70's & '80's 

At Las Palmas things quickly got a lot more loose. The anchor building here was the Egyptian Theater.  
However, when I think of Las Palmas and I think Miceli's, Stefano's, Jack in the Box,  News Stands, Peaches Records and the notorius Gold Cup coffee shop. 
  • Jack in the Box
  • Peaches Records
  • Gold Cup coffee shop
  • Egyptian Theater
  • Las Palmas theater
  • News stand on Las Palmas
  • 1st Baptist Church  (6682 Selma Ave)
  • Miceli's
  • Stefano's
South side of Hollywood Boulevard at Las Palmas

SE corner
Jack  in the Box

photo 1979

Same view today

2008 photo: tlc


Peaches Records!

Peaches Records 

1976 photo

Same view today

2008 photo: tlc


Southwest and  just to the west of Las Palmas


Looking west down Hollywood Blvd. from Las Palmas toward McCadden

Gold Cup coffee shop - sw corner of Hollywood and Las Palmas

1972 photo


1972: William Reagh
source: LAPL photo Database

Same corner today
Tattoo Ink.

2008 photo: tlc

Egyptian Theater


Las Palmas between Selma and Hollywood Boulevard

Looking north on Las Palmas 

photo: 1972

Same view today

2008 photo: tlc

That theater on Las Palmas

Located at 1642 N. Las Palmas Ave. was built in the 1930's. For awhile it was a strip club and then in the 1960's it was screening gay porn movies.  It held 600 on one floor.

In the mid-1970's it began screening more mainstream movies and the L.A. premier of John Walters 'Female Trouble' was held here. Divine made a personal appearance. By the mid-1980's it had become a popular legitimate 'fringe' theater and a big hit was Richard Dreyfuss and Bruce Davison in a production of Larry Kramer's 'The Normal Heart". It closed as a theater in 1999 and had several operators use the space as a night club.  In 2002 it  was called 'Blue'. 

As it looks today (element club)

2008 photo: tlc

That sews stand on Las Palmas - looking south toward Selma from Hollywood Boulevard

Photo source: lapl photodata base

Same view today

2008 photo:tlc




2008 photo: tlc

North  side of Hollywood Boulevard at Las Palmas

NE Corner Hollywood and La Palmas
The Davis building 6679-89 Hollywood Blvd.

photo  source: lapl photo data base

NE corner today - the Davis Building

2008 photo: tlc

The Davis Building at 6679-89 Hollywood Boulevard is one of the oldest buildings in this part of Hollywood Boulevard. It was built in 1914 and designed by F.L. Paulson.

Bella restaurant

2008 photo: tlc

Northwest and just west of Las Palmas
NW corner 

1972 photo

Same view today

2008 photo: tlc

The Outpost Building and Stefano's Italian restaurant
2008 photo: tlc

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