Photo: StockXchng
From the Temple Theater, to the Brown Derby, to the Garden of Allah, Southern California seems to boast more bulldozed landmarks than living historical structures. (Joni Mitchell’s 1970 pop lyrics, “They paved paradise to put up a parking lot” make a really apropos Angeleno theme song.)
Starting today, I’d like to introduce a new Friday Forum feature — and what better way to kick it off than a discussion of much-missed victims of our region’s evil developers?
So, if you’re a Southern California native, what favorite childhood landmark do you miss most? It doesn’t have to be famous to qualify — an obscure mom-and-pop soda fountain or pizza parlor now gone forever can evoke just as much nostalgic yearning as, say, Marine Land or the Pan Pacific Park.
And if you’re from another region, don’t feel left out. Perhaps you’ve come to L.A. expecting to see a famous house, hotel or Hollywood icon that’s no longer here. Or better yet, are there any landmarks from your own hometown whose passing you mourn?
Use the Comments feature to add your two cents and keep the discussion rolling…
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I miss two ice cream places that I remember. 1. Farrells on Rosemead blvd with the “zoo” and “mt. Whitney” ice cream that were for parties and were carried on stretchers through the store! Or the “trough” of ice cream challenged persons to be a “pig” and win a ribbon and be cheered by your peers! It was a fun place.
2. Opis in Monrovia was a great mayberry type ice cream place that was a joy to take my family to after going to the family festival on Fridays on Myrtle ave.
If I’m not mistaken, the Rialto in Pasadena is no more. But I could be wrong about that. A while back I wanted to write a post on the Rialto, and I found something about it closing.
But the Rialto was COOL.
@ Doug
The Rialto Theater in South Pasadena still stands…it Closed in 2007…however as it is a National Historic Landmark, it has been saved from the wrecking ball. Surprising that in the resourceful community of South Pasadena, that they have been unable as of yet to come up with some sort of Private/Public partnership to reuse the building… it is a beautiful theater
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ca-rialtotheatre.html