Los Angeles Then and Now

I am on a book buying spree, I don't know what's come over me.
I walked back over to Virgin Megastore on Hollywood Blvd. last night as I went to enjoy the new PinkBerry opening on Hollywood Blvd. near my house with my friend Matt. (It was nice of him to think of me to go do that. YEA! for Matt and the new PinkBerry opening near me.)

Images of "THEN AND NOW" have traditionally fascinated me. I purchased a book last night called "Los Angeles Then and Now."

Here are a few of the images that I thought were interesting. (There are many more too, but that wouldn't be too nice to post them all now would it?)

The 'Ambassador Hotel' Los Angeles (www.theambassadorhotel.com) is gone pecan now, but here are some photos before it was demolished. The new plans for the ground include a school. This was one of the most intriguing to me because of it's one time splendor and of course, abandoned hotels really get me going.
I have an idea that looks like THIS site, which is so funny to come across at this point in time. Cool.
I would have liked to see this palce before it was torn down.

CLICK HERE for an amazing blog as it was torn down and is being rebuilt.

This is the Cahuenga Pass near my apartment in Hollywood. Wow, now that's amazing. ...and that's LA for you huh?


This is a corner that I pass often. I have been past it many times this week and can't believe that it used to be a hotel too. HOT! Wow, what a difference.

This is crazy. This is my street corner. Well, I mean, not really mine, but it's close to where I live. The yellow building is now grey and the building on the corner here that says ROMA is now a discoutn men's suit store. It looks very similar to the second photo, but even "NOW" from "now" it's got some differences. Certainly from the first photo huh? Whoa.


There are some more amazing photos in this book that I plan on leaving out on coffe table at home in Los Angeles.

The Lobby

First it was the outside of the building, now it's the inside...

The lobby of the apartment building I live in is all new and is REALLY hot.
...for a moment, the other day, I thought it was a bar. Angel jokes that it'

There are TV's,trendy art, upbeat dance music, music videos, logo lights, comfortable couches, new floors, etched glass, velvet curtains, new office space and a hot little revamped mail space.

Frankly, it's amazing. The change from what it used to look like to what it is now is FABULOUS! They got the chic thing down pat. I am very impressed. I gotta hand it to the new building owners, they are putting the rent increase to good use.

My rent did go up, it went from $1191.00 a month to $1420.00 a month now.
I like the location, but for 483 square feet that's a hefty amount. (...that means, per month, I spend $294.00 a square foot to live here. Wait a minute, I can't even dance in a square foot.)
I don't pay that for my New Orleans and Las Vegas apartment space combined each month.

I really like living in Hollywood. The new changes are really trendy and make me feel much more comfortable, but I don't think it's very feasible to stay in 483 square feet with Rusty.
We have some decisions to make and I think my lease is up at the end of this month, so I might have to do it quick.
He wants to move closer to West Hollywood and I want to stay here, so we may end up somewhere in between.

Crobar Hollywood

I love controversy. I kinda like nightlife too. *wink* Now I can see both right in my own neighborhood. (The Holly-hood.)

Crobar is this hot bar franchise that is currently in New York, Chicago, Miami, Buenos Aires and soon to be - Hollywood.
I remember partying at the Crobar Chicago into the wee hours of the night when I first discovered my gay sexuality and the things that went with it. I had one of the best club times I had ever had at that bar on it's "gay night."
I know the New York venue has played host to a couple of RentBoy.com events and some of the original HustlaBall events.
I am so glad, I think, that's it's coming to Hollywood.

In fact, the new Crobar Hollywood is slated to be at the old Fox theater (Doesn't every city seem to have an old Fox theater?) at the end of my block. (My neighborhood is going though a major and fairly quick renovation, that's hot.) I seem to live in the straight bar epi-center. (...and trust me, at 2:00am when they all stop serving drinks I have my window open, I hear the boys and girls heading home.)

I got the note that the address 6506-08 Hollywood Blvd. is applying for a liquor license as a general eating place. (I love how venues that are nightclubs and bars get in on licensing that are not always the most ethical. The politics of that are so interesting to me.) Hollywood Associates Limited Partnership is planning on opening the 'Crobar Hollywood' and it's right around the corner. No really, it's right around the corner.

Here's a couple of news stories I found about it online.

Hollywood Theater Welcoming (or Fearing) Next Crobar

We know people have just been dying for an enormous, loud, chain nightclub in Hollywood to attract even more patrons from the Valley and the I.E. Their wish is our command. The old Fox Theater, located at 6506 Hollywood Blvd., has not shown a movie since the 1970s, so the owners decided that maybe selling was a good idea. They held on just long enough for gentrification to drive the value up, and soon Hollywood will be adding its own branch of Crobar, a chain of nightclubs in Chicago, Miami Beach, and Buenos Aires. The new owner plans to dump $5 million into the dump to make Crobar-Hollywood come to life by October.
· Theater Gets New Life after 30 Dark Years [Globe St.]

Chamber Endorses Proposal for Old Fox

Theatre

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has endorsed plans to convert a boarded-up theatre at 6505 Hollywood Blvd. into a restaurant/nightclub to be known as Crobar Hollywood. The Chamber’s support was conditional, contingent on the developers meeting the following criteria: (1) no use of outside promoters in connection with operation of the entertainment component, (2) that the restaurant be a bonafide restaurant open to the street so that there is activity during the daytime, (3) that parking or parking credits must be brand new and not take parking away from existing establishments, and (4) that they would support the Holly Trolley. The developers have assured the Chamber that they will meet those criteria. The Chamber believes that the project could help to revitalize this stretch of Hollywood Blvd.

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The Chamber has some good points.

1. Number one means no RentBoy.com parties? ARGH!
2. Number two takes care of my earlier point of getting in under the guise of another license - it has to be open to the street -that's hot!
3. Number three - parking is a friggin' nightmare already, so that's good. I don't know which is worse, New Orleans or Holloywood. It's BAD, folks. I hate parking near my house. I have one spot in an underground garage with my apartment, but you know how many people end up at the "Porno Palace" on any given night - that's a mess!

Good going, Chamber!