I took these while running around the heat of a very hot LA day. It was worth it as I finally was able to shoot these fabulous signs. What I would love even more is to know the year these hotels were built. My personal favorite is “Hotel Mark Twain”.
Wilcox is had a handful of these old hotels.
Hotel Mark Twain.
Hotel Mark Twain.
No name, just “Hotel”.
This hotel is not on Wilcox but it’s one of the more famous old hotels in LA.
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Allee Willis
The Hotel Roosevelt is only a short distance from Wilcox, right on Hollywood Boulevard just west of Highland. There are still some incredible old hotels around there, most of them run down but still with incredible signage and often times with great architecture.
I love the combination of the pink and light blue on the Mark Twain Hotel. My high school in Detroit, Mumford, was the same color scheme. I actually wrote about it in a piece I had in the Detroit blog in Time magazine this week: http://detroit.blogs.time.com/2010/08/17/unfiltered-allee-willis-on-the-spirit-of-detroit/
k2dtw
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roosevelt_Hotel_(Hollywood)
Great Post… History found on Wikipedia…
The Roosevelt Hotel is loaded with Hollywood History…and it might be a little haunted???
Doesn’t TCM use the Roosevelt Hotel???..
Allee Willis
Roosevelt Hotel is really popular. All kinds of shows and films shoot there. It’s right across the street from Grauman’s Chinese theater.
denny
Thanks for the link K2. I love that sort of Hollywood History!
Lisa Rios
Wonderful record collector shows used to go on at the Roosevelt Hotel. Because all the record companies are all around, you could find all the best vinyl in that area.
Off topic…. the Capital building parking lot used to house the best record swap meets of all time. You used to be able to find the rarest old records or brand new cut outs, all at great prices. When that show started out it was at 9am on Sunday mornings. The popularity grew so much, so quickly, that before long people began mulling around at midnight the night before, dealers and buyers both. Those were the days.
Enjoyed seeing all the old hotel signs. That’s truly what Hollywood looks like.
Allee Willis
Agree that the Capitol parking lot record swap meet was the best!
Mark Milligan
Denny the Hotel with no name I think might be, or have been, the Gilbert, which according to this pic, was opened in 1925.
http://www.you-are-here.com/sunset/gilbert.html
Somewhere I’ve seen that the Mark Twain opened in 1923.
denny
Lisa – I used to go to record shows but the ones I went to were in a hotel on Sunset. I missed out on the ones you mention here.
Lisa Rios
I think that might have been the infamous Hyatt House on Sunset. I went to record shows for 2 decades in and around L.A. Actually, as far south as San Diego and north to Berkley.
One of my favorites was in Pasadena, PCH swap meet. They had an alley (or is it Allee?) of records and the rest of the campus was a regular flea market. 1st or 2nd Sunday of the month.
The thing I miss the most living here in OR is the killer swap meets of all kinds around L.A.
Allee Willis
Pasadena City College swap meet is the first Sunday of every month. They have the great record alley/allee. Check out my flea market film filmed at a smaller flea market on Sunset in Silverlake the last Sat. And Sun. of every month which is great Will get the YouTube address and post in a minute.
Allee Willis
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?client=mv-google&xl=xl_tsp&xl=xl_tsp&v=eP3yc19JerY. If that link is wanky search for Allee Willis flea market on YouTube.
denny
Thanks Mark. I did a separate post for The Gilbert. Wait til you see that one. Stay tuned…
Mark Milligan
Cool. I’m going to drive by them next week to take a look myself.
I drive through Koreatown a lot when I stay at the Bonaventure. You’ve captured that area well!
denny
Lisa, you are right! It was the Hyatt. I couldn’t remember….
Mark – Go to WIlcox Avenue near Amoeba. Lots of great signage.
Doug – I LOVE The Roosevelt Hotel. Such an incredible building.
Douglas Wood
FYI, the Roosevelt Hotel was where the very first Academy Awards were held.