#VintageLA
News | In The News
The historically iconic Westwood Fox Village Theatre is listed for sale
This post was updated July at 9:27 p.m. Newmark Capital Markets published an updated sale listing for the Fox Village Theatre in Westwood on June 20.
Miscellaneous | Interesting Links
Cruise California During The Golden Age In Beautifully Restored Videos
A YouTube channel called NASS features restored and colorized videos of city streets in the 1950s and 1960s, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Miscellaneous | Things To Do: Los Angeles
Best Old-School Dining Spots In LA
Los Angeles is a world-class city for dining, but among all its new joints remain the stalwarts of the LA food scene. Explore LA's top old-school restaurants.
News | News
Why A Small-Scale Artist Is Rebuilding Tiny Versions Of Iconic LA Buildings, Including This Eastside Burrito Joint
Al & Bea’s Mexican Food, known for its warm and messy burritos, is artist Kieran Wright’s latest project to explore Los Angeles.
History | Los Angeles History
Take a trip through the magnificent department stores of old L.A.
Long before so many people did their shopping online, Los Angeles' department stores -- Bullock's, Robinson's, May Company, Hamburger's and more -- were the place to be.
Miscellaneous | Resources
The Raymond Chandler map of Los Angeles
The writer saw LA through a dark glass, but he was undoubtedly seduced and enthralled with the City of Angels.
Architecture & Interior Design | Threatened History & Preservation
The custom auto shop behind Hollywood’s most iconic cars may be closing
They made the Batmobile and Tom Wolfe's Kandy-Kolored Streamline Baby. But with its North Hollywood studio on the block, Barris Kustom Industries, soul of Southern California car culture, may be headed for the junkyard.
History | Historic Los Angeles
The History Los Angeles Has Lost to the Pandemic
The city is opening up, but here are some landmarks and treasures that we miss already.
Architecture & Interior Design | Threatened History & Preservation
LA’s Historic Firestone Tire Building Is Reborn
After four long years, the fully restored Mid-Wilshire streamline moderne building reopens today with craft beer and tacos
Miscellaneous | Los Angeles Stuff
Vienna Pastry Makes Good On Its Threat, Is Now Permanently Closed | What Now Los Angeles
Vienna Pastry last week warned it would have to close its Santa Monica doors of 65 years for good if it did not quickly receive a cash infusion to pay down...
Miscellaneous | The Hometown
Show Your Love for Miceli’s, a Legendary Hollywood Eatery – NBC Los Angeles
The famous Italian restaurant, which also has a location in Universal City, just launched a fundraiser. Also? You can buy meals for local ICU workers.
Miscellaneous | The Hometown
Miceli’s Italian Restaurant, Hollywood’s Oldest, Issues Funds Plea – Deadline
Miceli's Italian Restaurant, Hollywood's Oldest Pizzeria, Issues Fundraising Plea For Help
History | Historic Los Angeles
So Long, Sears. What Comes Next For These Empty Architectural Behemoths?: LAist
In Boyle Heights, the nine-story, Art Deco store that started it all is a strange mix of bustling commerce and yawning, empty space.
Food & Drink | LA Spots
Inside El Cholo: How the old-school Mexican restaurant thrived in LA for almost a century
Eighty-seven-year-old Ron Salisbury is the keeper of tortilla culture in Southern California by both pedigree and life experience.
Miscellaneous | Things To Do: Los Angeles
Pink’s Hot Dogs reopens nearly 5 months after closing due to COVID-19 | KTLA
After its first closure in 80 years, Pink’s Hot Dogs reopened late Wednesday morning. The iconic Hollywood hot dog stand nestled along La Brea Avenue has been closed since March 15 because of the novel coronavirus. It will begin operating with modified ho
Miscellaneous | The Hometown
Get Involved, Internet: Help save the Troubadour, which is struggling to stay afloat in lockdown
The last band to grace the stage of West Hollywood’s iconic Troubadour was Glass Animals, who headlined a packed gig on March 11. Since then, the venue that helped propel Elton John to stardom has been shuttered, and the reopening plan laid out by Gover
Miscellaneous | Places You Can Still Go
As Insurance Claims Are Denied, Classic L.A. Restaurants Are Struggling to Weather the Pandemic
Beloved local haunts report they won't see a dime from their insurers, but Musso & Frank Grill is fighting back
Miscellaneous | The Hometown
Musso & Frank's Kept 84 Employees on Payroll as the Restaurant Took 'Six-Figure' Losses
In March, Musso and Frank;s was forced to temporarily close its doors for the first time ever. Now it's being closely watched by the Los Angeles small-business community as a harbinger of what could happen to their own insurance claims. The restaurant fil
Miscellaneous | Interesting Links
8 Places From Southern California's Past That We Will Never Stop Missing
These destinations may no longer exist in Southern California, but that sure doesn't stop us from all the fond memories.
Miscellaneous | The Hometown
How coronavirus issued a stunning last call (for a while) for beloved LA watering holes, from Formosa Cafe to Casa Vega
A reporter’s brief pub crawl Monday was more like a crawl through a ghost town of locked doors and empty rooms.
History | Historic Los Angeles
How Tarantino's Team Turned LA Back 50 Years For 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood'
A tour around the city with location manager Rich Schuler and production designer Barbara Ling
Architecture & Interior Design | Preservation Fails
10 L.A. Landmarks We Lost During the 2010s
Let’s take a moment to say goodbye to some historic places that we lost in the last decade
Miscellaneous | Places You Can Still Go
Crossroads of the World — Finding Lost Angeles
October 29, 1936 – “Tonight! Hollywood hails a new wonder.” Crossroads of
the World’s opening gala presented itself as a glamorous spectacle replete
with shopping, music and performances, and the attendance of international
film stars including several
History | Historic Los Angeles
“Picture Book: A Musso & Frank Tribute” on Vimeo
The Musso and Frank Grill has always been a beacon of light for literary Los Angeles. From Hemingway and Fitzgerald to Chandler and Bukowski, think of what’s…
History | Hollywood
On Its 100th Anniversary, Musso & Frank’s Grill Gets the Star Treatment
The venerable restaurant, an outpost of both Hollywood glamour and comforting camaraderie for a century, is honored on the Walk of Fame
Entertainment | Movies
Behind the Scenes of Quentin Tarantino’s New Homage to Hollywood
AD gets a first look at the sets of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and more
Food & Drink | Bars & Restaurants
First Look: L.A.'s Famed Formosa Cafe Debuts $2.4 Million Refresh | Hollywood Reporter
On June 28, L.A.'s storied Formosa Cafe returns after a two-year redo "to make it look almost exactly the same."
Food & Drink | Bars & Restaurants
Josiah Citrin and Hans Rockenwagner to Open a Throwback Steakhouse in Culver City - Eater LA
The former Frank Sinatra haunt gets new life
Miscellaneous | The Hometown
Rebellion and rock ‘n’ roll: The Sunset Strip in the ’60s
How go-go dancing teens—and the underage clubs that embraced them—turned the Strip technicolor.
Miscellaneous | The Hometown
The Brady Bunch house is for sale. Its broker expects an 'avalanche' — of lookers, at least
The Brady Bunch house in Colfax Meadows is on the market after 45 years.
History | Hollywood
Earl Carroll Theater — Finding Lost Angeles
Those famous words, "through these portals pass the most beautiful girls in the world," emblazoned in bright neon above Sunset Boulevard, once beckoned people from across Los Angeles to come to see one of the most glamorous shows the world had ever known.
Architecture & Interior Design | Threatened History & Preservation
The Academy Museum Is Restoring This 1939 Mid-Wilshire Landmark - Los Angeles Magazine
Here's what's happening at Wilshire and Fairfax
Food & Drink | Food
Stepping Back in Time at Rae’s – Palisades News
By Bob Vickrey Special to the Palisades News You’ve driven by it numerous times on Pico Boulevard, but like most Westsiders, you’ve probably never considered stopping for a meal at this old-fashion…
Architecture & Interior Design | Threatened History & Preservation
UPDATE: Iconic Irish Pub Tom Bergin’s Reduces Hours, Future Uncertain - Los Angeles Magazine
After slashing staff, hours, and its food menu, it appears one of L.A.’s oldest bars is in jeopardy
Miscellaneous | The Hometown
Remembering Tower Records
The Legendary Past and Celluloid Future of Tower Records on the Sunset Strip By Alison Martino Photo: Robert Landau It’s impo...
History | Los Angeles History
Remembering Hamburger Hamlet, the fast-food chain that popularized the gourmet burger
The fast food chain helped create the gourmet burger — and the Oprah media empire.
Architecture & Interior Design | Threatened History & Preservation
CBS Television City draws speculation about potential sale
For decades, audiences got to see the recording of iconic shows such as "The Price is Right" at CBS Television City, but now there are reports the property may be up for bid.
Miscellaneous | Places You Can Still Go
LA's Oldest Restaurant Keeps a 130-Year Diner Tradition Alive
Saugus Cafe serves a side of history with every meal
Miscellaneous | The Hometown
Finding Los Angeles: The Brown Derby
If it's just anyone, any place will do. If it's someone important, say, "Meet me at the Derby."
History | Historic Los Angeles
Coffee shop is taking over 1940s gas station in Koreatown - Curbed LA
The company’s founder says "the iconic 1940s Texaco Station will be celebrated and preserved to its original aesthetic as much as possible."
Architecture & Interior Design | Threatened History & Preservation
Tail O' the Pup: New Home for Hot Dog Icon | NBC Southern California
The Milton Black-designed frankfurter stand will soon go on display at the Valley Relics Museum in Chatsworth.
Architecture & Interior Design | Threatened History & Preservation
Hollywood’s legendary Formosa Cafe will get a full restoration from 1933 Group
The Idle Hour and Highland Park Bowl owners just might do the place justice
History | Downtown
The Century-Long History of Philippe’s and Its Famous French Dip Sandwich | KCET
For over a century, diners have been flocking to Philippe the Original to get a taste of its French dip sandwich, an iconic dish that is very much woven into the fabric of Los Angeles.
History | LA History
A Victorian Tourist's Photo Album Of Los Angeles, Circa 1894
The fledgling city was sold into being through real estate and railroad ads, which promised a paradise of health, beauty, and endless potential.
History | LA History
Peek Inside L.A.’s Lost Iconic Buildings
Alas, you can no longer party at Pickfair or the Garden of Allah. But you can relive L.A.'s glorious, debaucherous past by delving into these photos. Read more about these historic wonders here.
History | Historic Los Angeles
Old footage shows Angels Flight railway in its prime - Curbed LA
See the famous funicular through the decades in film clips showing the railway in its original location—at the intersection of Third and Hill streets.
History | LA History
A classic 1940s cocktail and live music den is being resurrected in Downtown
The Rhythm Room returns soon after a 45-year absence
Entertainment | Television/Film/Books
The Monster Mad Men Filming Map of Los Angeles
In the end, Don Draper didn't find inner peace in Los Angeles. He found it in Big Sur, and then immediately sold it, which basically adds up to the same thing. Throughout Mad Men, which ended this...
Miscellaneous | Places You Can Still Go
100 Places Where You Can Experience Retro Los Angeles
The city’s vintage charm is alive and well—if you know where to look
History | LA History
Musso & Frank Grill: The Story of An L.A. Icon
Discover the history of one of L.A.'s most iconic restaurants, Musso & Frank Grill: "We treat locals like celebrities and celebrities like locals."
Food & Drink | Food & Drink
70 years of the Apple Pan on Pico
The day the Apple Pan opened, on April 11, 1947, a neighbor brought flowers to crown the U-shape counter of the Pico Boulevard burger joint. Martha Gamble, now 87, daughter of the restaurant’s founders, Ellen and Alan Baker, remembers the day vividly.
Food & Drink | Food & Drink
10 OG Servers You Need to Know in Los Angeles
In this day of celebrity chefdom, the geniuses behind the stoves seem to get all the glory, but it's the servers who are often the face of the dining room. LA, perhaps more than other cities, is known for having a rotating cast of budding actors, comedian
History | LA History
The Fascinating Story Behind L.A.’s Oldest (and Only) Floating Restaurant - Los Angeles Magazine
How a wooden barge from Mutiny on the Bounty was transformed into a chowder house
History | LA History
Santa Monica Sears could become big mixed use project
The landmarked 1947 building would be repurposed as creative offices and retail space.
Architecture & Interior Design | Threatened History & Preservation
Who’s responsible for protecting LA’s endangered restaurants?
Plus a sushi expansion and a decade-old Downtown pizza place shutters
History | Hollywood
Schwab's Pharmacy: The Hollywood Hopeful Hangout | KCET
"I drove down to headquarters. That's the way a lot of us think about Schwab's. Kind of a combination office, coffee klatch and waiting room. Waiting, waiting for the gravy train."
History | LA History
Neon Piece of Rock 'N' Roll History Going Up for Auction
A bright neon piece of rock 'n' roll history is going up for auction — a marquee from the legendary Los Angeles club, Whisky a Go Go. The 13-foot sign, with letters alight in bright pink, adorned the West...
History | LA History
New details emerge about plans to salvage the shuttered Formosa Cafe
What can and can’t be done and when this all might happen.
History | LA History
L.A. vs. the Saloons
To many in the late 19th century, saloons were an unwelcome reminder that the City of Angels did not always live up to its name.
History | LA History
Alison Martino's Neighborhood Guide to Sunset Plaza in West Hollywood
Insights into the historic, walkable stretch of the Sunset Strip.
History | Los Angeles History
Photos: Many L.A. Boulevards Began as Trolley Lines
Why are there two San Vicentes? Look to the boulevards' origins as electric railway lines.
History | LA History
This Vintage Bob’s Big Boy Training Film Is a 1940s-Era Treasure
Recently unearthed footage shows the day-to-day of a carhop when drive-ins were at their peak
History | LA History
Uncovering a Secret Gem From the Aquarius Theatre
Alison Martino unearthed a relic outside the club where Jim Morrison recorded “Absolutely Live”
Food & Drink | Food & Drink
25 Great LA Restaurants With 50+ Years Under Their Belts
Nothing but the classics with vintage photos
History | Beverly Hills & Midtown
The Fish Shanty and old Kooky World of La Cienega | Alison Martino's "Vintage Los Angeles"
La Cienega and Beverly Boulevard used to be a playful pocket of themed eateries, amusement parks, and nightclubs
Miscellaneous | The Hometown
Tour Los Angeles during its ‘Golden Age of neon’
A new book features hundreds of vintage photos of LA’s best neon signs
History | Historic Los Angeles
The Tropicana Motel’s Totally Rocking Heyday - Los Angeles Magazine
Joan Jett and the Ramones checked in and out of the West Hollywood hangout. Tom Waits called it home
History | Historic Los Angeles
5 Eateries Where Hollywood Legends Were Made
While you can’t catch a glimpse of Old Hollywood icons like Mae West or Cary Grant strolling down Rodeo Drive, their legacy lives on at these beloved restaurants, where Tinseltown’s brightest stars have been dining for decades. Here, five L.A. spots to dine like royalty from Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Architecture & Interior Design | Threatened History & Preservation
The Home Where Walt Disney Founded His First Studio Is Set to be Demolished - Los Angeles Magazine
New Owners Seek to Replace the Classic Craftsman Bungalow Where the 22-Year-Old Animator Started His Career
History | Downtown
A Split-Screen Tour of Los Angeles, Seventy Years Ago and Today - The New Yorker
A short film by Keven McAlester examines the streets of downtown Los Angeles’s Bunker Hill, past and present.
History | Historic Los Angeles
The Southern Californian: Six Southern California Things We Will Never See Again
LOS ANGELES - As we get older many of us find ourselves looking back more often and wonder, "Remember when 'that' used to be there?" For plenty of us who grew up in Southern California there is surely becoming more of "that," which is no longer here anymore.
History | Hollywood
The Secret of Hollywood's Oldest Restaurant? Don't Change Anything - Los Angeles Magazine
Musso & Frank’s career arc has spanned almost a century
History | Los Angeles History
Vintage Pioneer Chicken Sign Heading to Museum - Los Angeles Magazine
The big fried chicken relic is being replaced by a new Coffee Bean
History | Beverly Hills & Midtown
Time Frame: The Beverly Hilton 58 Years Ago and Now
The hotel’s famous catering manager, Fred Hayman, was unimpressed with Conrad Hilton’s modernist venture when he came to work at the Hilton in 1954
History | The Beach
Time Frame: Malibu’s Paradise Cove 54 Years Ago and Today - Los Angeles Magazine
Remember the Pendletones? Neither do most Beach Boys fans. That was the group’s name early on—a nod to the flannel shirts the heart-throbs were fond of wearing, as they did at this session with photographer Ken Veeder
Architecture & Interior Design | Googie
Remembering Ships, L.A.’s Out-of-This-World Coffee Shops
With their boomerang-shaped roofs and futuristic neon signs, Ships Coffee Shops were impossible to miss. Inside, the small chain dished out American favorites, but the diners’ exteriors were otherworldly; they looked like UFOs!
History | Downtown
Vintage Los Angeles Founder, Alison Martino remembers Clifton’s
Clifton's Cafeteria is reopening in downtown Los Angeles. Alison Martino shares her memories of going to Clifton's as a child.
Architecture & Interior Design | Threatened History & Preservation
18 of Your Favorite Classic L.A. Places That Are About to Disappear - Los Angeles Magazine
A wide range of historic places, from the interior of the Formosa Cafe to Frederick's of Hollywood are fading into history this summer
Architecture & Interior Design | Threatened History & Preservation
Endangered Spaces: 12 Historic Buildings in Los Angeles Under Threat - Los Angeles Magazine
Hundreds of historic buildings throughout this county are threatened by causes ranging from abandonment to mansionization. These 12 are the ones keeping me up at night. Some are amazing marvels hidden behind board-up, some are tiny treasures versus development pressures, and some are just coolness owned by people who don’t care about coolness. They all add to our city’s history.
History | Los Angeles History
11 Los Angeles secrets you didn't know existed
Including invisible oil derricks, underground prohibition tunnels, and
Food & Drink | Food
Hollywood's Longest-Standing Bartender Has 86'd More Celebrities Than You
We spoke to the longest-standing bartender in Hollywood about his ethos on slinging dry martinis, 86ing movie stars, And DD’ing For Charles Bukowski.
History | The Sunset Strip
When Rock 'n' Roll Loomed Large Over the Sunset Strip - Neatorama
Rock ’n’ roll billboards flourished on the Sunset Strip from the late 1960s to the early ‘80s. Music videos weren’t yet a thing, and a hand-painted billboard, paid for by the record company, was a sign that a band h
News | Interesting Stories
Exclusive: The New Owner of Norms Reveals His Plans For the Legendary Site - Los Angeles Magazine
Jason Illoulian is open to the chain restaurant staying put. His architect would rather say goodbye
History | Beverly Hills & Midtown
The Story Behind L.A.’s Coolest Looking Gas Station - Los Angeles Magazine
Jack Colker’s 76 Station has been nominated for landmark status. Here its designer, Gin Wong, weighs in
History | The Beach
Alison Martino's "Vintage Los Angeles": What Third Street Promenade used to look like
This modernist outdoor space was once home to Sears and Woolworth’s ($11.98 for a pair of Wallaby’s!) plus dozens of mom-and-pop shops, which made it unique. The list of smaller businesses included Kress’, Lerners, Hartman’s, Bartons Candy Store, Leeds", The Smuggler, The Silver Cup Diner, Nana’s, Texas Records...
History | Downtown
The Quest to Save LA's Century-Old Batchelder Tile Masterpiece
On the ground floor of a run-down, four-story building at 217 West Sixth Street in downtown Los Angeles, on the block between South Broadway and South Spring, is one...
Miscellaneous | Resources
Los Angeles Conservancy | Preserving & Revitalizing Greater Los Angeles' Architectural Heritage
The Los Angeles Conservancy is a nonprofit membership organization that works through education and advocacy to recognize, preserve, and revitalize the historic architectural and cultural resources of Los Angeles County.
Architecture & Interior Design | Googie
L.A. to consider preservation of Googie-style Norms on La Cienega - LA Times
Fans of modern architecture are pushing to make the retro, angular building that has long housed Norms on La Cienega Boulevard a historic and cultural monument, worried that the beloved '50s building could be at risk.
Miscellaneous | Interesting Links
NoHo's Barrel-Shaped Cafe Returns From the Dead in February - PreservationWatch - Curbed LA
Roll out the barrel! After a 44-year hiatus and a painstaking restoration, North Hollywood's distinctive Idle Hour Cafe, built in 1941, is once again ready for action. The New...
Food & Drink | LA Spots
Behind the Bartender: Michael Gotovac of Dan Tana’s - Los Angeles Magazine
Vintage Los Angeles’s Alison Martino sits down with the beloved barman to reflect on the landmark restaurant’s 50th Anniversary
Miscellaneous | Miscellaneous
This is What Third Street Promenade Looked Like Before the Gap Even Existed
What’s changed—and what hasn’t—about Santa Monica’s outdoor mall
History | Historic Los Angeles
Slide Show: Wild and Wonderful Concept Art from Long Lost L.A. Theme Park
Theme park designer Christopher Merritt and historian Domenic Priore dove deep to find never-before seen photos and incredible 1950s concept art for their new book Pacific Ocean Park: The Rise and Fall of Los Angeles’s Space Age Nautical Pleasure Pier.
History | Historic Los Angeles
Laurel Canyon music, vibe moves to Grammy Museum
While the media were documenting the folk music renaissance Bob Dylan helped launch in New York's Greenwich Village in the early 1960s and the psychedelic scene that sprung from San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury District a few years later, Santelli said, mus
News | Interesting Stories
CityDig: When Santa Monica Airport Was Clover Field
Before “Cloverfield” was a monster, it was an airfield. As early as 1917, aviators were landing on a grassy runway perched atop a mesa just
