Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles

Love to see a Llewellyn Iron Works stamp in the wild. They helped grow young Los Angeles to the treetops

Some historic Los Angeles River bridge lamps still survive... but for how long?

Today--please share! Join the St. Vibiana Circle at 1pm on the Cathedral's plaza, to talk about how historic preservation protects Los Angeles cultural heritage while keeping vulnerable Angelenos housed. Bring questions, ideas, hope, fears and dreams.
https://stvibiana.org/meet

Jane Jacobs said new ideas

Presenting... A Dumpster Diving Surprise!

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Hoffman Candy Company (Charles F. Plummer, 1929), recently landmarked by the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles and more stunning in person than in photographs. Get down to 6600 Avalon and feast on this sweet daylight factory! https://artdecola.org/hoffmancandycompany

When in Watts, you want to check out Simon Rodia's tower, but don't miss the deliriously great Lee's Market chicken in a bucket sign, and some soul food if they feel like cooking when you're there.

LADWP Receiving Station B on Central Avenue, original terminus for the energy generated by the Boulder Dam. Love the scroll and urn pediment and gothic lamps.

Downtown is on our minds in August as we lead three very different excursions into the secret heart of the city we love: Know Your DTLA with the Dutch Chocolate Shop, a deep dive along Broadway and the Noir world of Raymond Chandler. Next up: neighborhoods! https://esotouric.com/

Cheers to Lynell George and Westways for this plea to preserve the memory maps of Los Angeles, so natives aren't violently yanked out of their profound connection with place. Ground up development is more profitable, but it's not always best. https://www.ace.aaa.com/publications/travel/my-socal-life/ghost-maps.html

Before the Jolly Motel at 8811 S. Central advertised a thrilling time with that alluring arrow, this was Central Pottery, offering Bauer and other lush glazed essentials for those setting up house.

Efforts to save Hollywood's big hat Arby's sign involved a flurry of grassroots activism--and the usually hands-off Cultural Heritage Commission even got involved. In a week, you can stop in and have a slice of Prince Street Pizza in its historic glow. https://laist.com/news/food/hollywood-arbys-sign-pizza-drive-thru

Oh Manna Fish Market at 803 E. Manchester, recently operating in this repurposed Der Wienerschnitzel despite looking abandoned for years. Seems to be dark now, but that could change. You Buy We Fry? https://www.yelp.com/biz/oh-manna-fish-market-los-angeles?sort_by=date_desc

Happy Sunday! Thanks to vintage periodicals scanmeister Darwination, here's an entire 1968 zine about the immortal Tiny Tim, his loves, his famous fans (Joni! Faye! Nancy!), his straight edge philosophy and quest for true love. What an original. https://archive.org/details/the-true-fantastic-story-of-tiny-tim-1968.-corncob-d-m/page/n5/mode/thumb

Fascinating teenage hobo's memoir of riding the rails to California in the dark spring of 1930, finding no work at the port, so kicking off for a hardscrabble ramble around Depression era America. https://blog.kittycooper.com/2024/08/riding-the-rails/

Trump misremembering Nate Holden as Willie Brown is wild. DT's Ambassador Hotel scheme led to demolition pushed by the Kennedy family, a deep wound for the LA Conservancy. Redeveloped as a school named for candidate RFK Jr's dad; LAUSD was led by confessed racketeer Jose Huizar!

Here's one for Empty Los Angeles: Mariscolandia at 226 W. Manchester, long home to Smith's Wood Barbecue and still sporting Fred Smith's swell mid-century sign. Vacant since around 2008(!) but only recently tagged up.

New tours posted through Christmas: the 1910 L.A. Times Bombing with Detective Mike Digby, Main Street sleaze, Charles Bukowski's Westlake, Angelino Heights, Raymond Chandler, Miracle Mile, Downtown L.A. true crime & corrupt housing disruption. Join us! https://esotouric.com/

8626 South Broadway then and now.

Est. 1928, Leo and Sadye Galenson's National Radio Shop served the Southwest's appliance needs. In 1942, Leo was arrested for repossessing a fridge and washer bought on time by a fellow who had joined the Navy. Federal law paused that debt. Bet the signs are still under there!

By getting then-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to halt landmark efforts for the iconic neon sign, then replacing tubes with LED, Felix Chevrolet could redevelop with no preservation restrictions. Lost is the great 110 Freeway vista. Here kitty kitty... https://esotouric.com/fixfelix/

This sweet cherub is watching over the fire damaged Pacific Dining Car. Westlake has such beauty and needs so much help.

Tuesday 8/13, 1pm at the Cathedral, join us for the next meeting of St. Vibiana Circle, a consortium of Angelenos who want to talk about how preserving historic housing is good for tenants and the environment, culture and creativity. There will be treats! https://stvibiana.org/meet

Another wild ride in the old Los Angeles bookstore trenches from Paul Hunt: Kelly Goodside’s Tumultuous Adventures in Bookselling, including cameos from Scotty's Castle, crooked redevelopment agencies and Night Stalker Richard Ramirez. http://bookstorememories.com/blog/?p=1754

Rev. Dylan Littlefield reflects on last week's march to City Hall by residents of the derelict Hotel Cecil. Good things are happening, but perhaps most importantly, these people who have been ignored for far too long felt heard! https://achaplainslife.substack.com/p/flipping-tables-third-millenium-style

Dr. Simon Jesberg's Eye and Ear Hospital (Edward Cray Taylor and Ellis Wing Taylor, 1928) at 500 W. Lucas is a vacant husk since Para Los Ninos sold to Hong Kong based biotech company HMG/Coree for $5.4 M in 2016. Westlake is full of useful empty buildings. In this one, Dr. Jesberg collected 1400 items people had swallowed or inhaled--donated after his death to be a teaching tool at County General Hospital.

If you happen to pass Arby's Hollywood today and see some official looking folks inspecting the magnificent big hat sign, don't be nervous: it's just the Cultural Heritage Commission following up on the landmark designation that the CHC initiated!
https://esotouric.substack.com/arbys