Lc 50th anniversary 1963 2013 10 13 100 by Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary Edition LARCHMONT CHRONICLE

1963-2013

October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Larchmont Chronicle

We reveal how to start a community newspaper

By Jane Gilman Fifty years ago, newspapers in Los Angeles were flourishing. Readers had their choice of the “Los Angeles Times,” “Daily News,” “Herald-Examiner,” “Hollywood Citizen News” and the “Wilshire Press.” But Larchmont and the surrounding neighborhoods didn’t have a journal to call its own. So, equipped with optimism and enthusiasm, I will reveal how we began publishing the Larchmont Chronicle. Here’s how it began I chose a partner and she decided on an area—Larchmont. Dawne Goodwin and I had met

at a previous job—she was a very attractive redhead with big blue eyes, clothes that showed off her cleavage and great legs. I went with her to call on potential advertising customers door to door. We enlisted Dawne’s boyfriend who was in the printing business, my husband who is a CPA, and added my editorial expertise, threw them in the mix, and we had the ingredients for the Great Experiment. Next, Dawne and I called on 20 to 30 Larchmont Blvd. business owners to interest them in buying ads. We found one advertiser who committed to two full pages, and 20 others who said they would “try”

OUR FIRST office at 410 N. Larchmont.

it. That support gave us the green light to go ahead. Then we found Big News: the threat of the proposed Beverly Hills Freeway running through Hancock Park. This became the headline of the first 12-page issue in 1963— the issue that needed to get the attention of 10,000 families. We asked our advertisers for payment in advance because the printer wanted his money up front. We created a budget, determined overhead and were able to make money—$125 each on the first issue. Our first issue was mailed to Hancock Park and Windsor Square, Brookside, Windsor Village, Wilshire Park and Larchmont Village. The reaction: positive, and we received favorable comments from people who helped us get the news. We got new advertisers to sign up for a year. Running a newspaper The attributes needed to run a newspaper are: luck, timing, ambition, diplomacy, gregariousness, more luck, curiosity and fearlessness. Our partnership flourished on mutual trust and admiration. We divided the duties

NEWCOMERS Jane and Dawne with Councilman Harold Henry.

easily: Dawne handled advertising sales and I handled writing: she couldn’t spell and I couldn’t sell. We found office space and a year later moved to Larchmont Blvd. (upper Larchmont) and hired our first employee, a secretary/bookkeeper. In two years we tripled our pages, from 12 to 36. Larchmont and its surrounding neighborhoods were the core communities we served, but we also covered

Wilshire Center, which began its building boom in the 1970s with new high rise buildings sprouting up like mushrooms. And our involvement with the Wilshire Chamber of Commerce grew right along with the burgeoning business community. In 10 years we had grown, moved to larger offices and had a staff of seven. We had the amazing Lucy Toberman as our society columnist, later (Please turn to next page)

“Congratulations to Jane Gilman and the entire hard-working staff of the Larchmont Chronicle for 50 years of incredible service to an incredible community. You are all angels in the City of Angels. Here’s to 50 more years of serving the City of Los Angeles with informative and exciting journalism!” Sincerely,

PHOTO BY BETSY ANNAS

Tom LaBonge Councilmember, 4th District City of Los Angeles

Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

How to start a community newspaper

October 2013

Thank you, readers, advertisers

She is an advertising represen(Continued from previous page) Mr. Blackwell as our lifestyle columnist. We expanded our readership to include an ad- tative extraordi- We are indebted to our advertisers and readers for ditional 4,200 families at Park La Brea and households in Miracle Mile. Now the paper naire; the support we have received during the past 50 years. Suzan Fili- During this time we have documented many changis delivered monthly to 22,000 families. In 1973, we took a deep breath and switched from mailing the paper to deliver- pek, associate es such as landmarks giving way to the wrecking ball, ing it in a clear plastic bag to be left on the door- editor, who is businesses opening and closing, home restorations, step. By the 1980s we were serving on dozens of skilled at cover- beautification projects and resurrection of neighborcivic boards, had co-founded the local Historical ing the news; hoods associations. Society and chaired the Wilshire Boulevard Cen- Laura Eversz, assistant edi- The Larchmont Chronicle has been able to unite a tennial celebration. In the 1990s good luck continued to be on our tor, who capably group of neighborhoods and provide them with a voice side. Computers came into existence, making it wears a variety with which to wage campaigns necessary to benefit far easier to put the paper together. Instead of cut- of hats and also and enhance this very special community. ting and pasting and dealing with pink message is our resident Your support has made it happen. Thank you. slips, we had voice mail, then e-mail and many techie; more conveniences. It also was when my partner Yvonne Auerbach, our dedicated accounting manager who keeps us solvent; Rachel Olivier, a talented Jill of all trades and our newest proofreader; decided to retire, and I went solo. Dina Nicholaou, our creative production manager and graphics designer. How do you stay around? It’s no secret on how we have continued to Our columnists: Tom LaBonge, Danielle Avasian, Bill Bentley, Jack Humphrekeep the Larchmont Chronicle in business for ville, Patty Hill, Helene Siefert, Patricia Rye and Tony Medley. the past 50 years. We have a loyal readership who You see—that’s how simple it is to start (and continue) a newspaper. THE DEBUT ISSUE set the look forward to getting the paper on their doorstep every month and pace with Big News. who patronize our advertisers. We’ve kept them interested with these stories: the proposed multi-highrise (Park La Brea-like) complex for Fremont Place, move of the Art Museum to Miracle Mile, new museums Page and Peterson, closing of Bullock’s Wilshire, I. Magnin, the May Company, the Scottish Rite Temple; razing of Black Foxe Academy, the 1992 riots, the 1994 earthquake, fires at Wilshire Presbyterian Church and Los Angeles High School, historic preservation zoning, restaurant and take-out implosion on the boulevard, schools, elections, etc. And because we focus on local news, we have the support of our loyal advertisers who participate with us year after year, and the new ones who sign on. Our fantastic staff It’s also the dedication of our loyal staff: Pam Rudy, who grew up in the neighborhood and is very active in community activities. LARCHMONT BOULEVARD circa 1963, when the Chronicle was born.

KELLER WILLIAMS LARCHMONT PROUDLY CONGRATULATES

THE LARCHMONT CHRONICLE on their 50th ANNIVERSARY

We’re thrilled to be in business with you! Keller Williams Larchmont 118 N Larchmont Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323)762-2600 www.kwlarchmont.com

October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Larchmont Chronicle

Variety of services, only one coffee shop 50 years ago TIME Magazine referred to Hancock Park as “a rundown section of Los Angeles” in an article about Muirfield Road resident Dan Blocker. The article appeared just a few years after we started the Chronicle. It was hardly a rundown neighborhood, but it certainly was unassuming. The social gathering place was either Safeway or Jurgensen’s. Perino’s was the headquarters of many charity events, Landis Department Store was the to-go place for

50th Anniversary edition of the Larchmont Chronicle 542 1/2 N. Larchmont Blvd. L.A. 90004 323-462-2241 Larchmont Chronicle is published monthly and read by 76,239 residents in Hancock Park, Windsor Square, Fremont Place, Park LaBrea, Miracle Mile and Larchmont Village.

summer jobs for teens. Many of the houses had been built only 30 or 40 years earlier, but owners where covering the wood floors with wall-to-wall shag rugs and removing original fixtures with Sears Roebuck replacements. Children were enrolled at the local public schools, and PTAs were flourishing. Larchmont had only ONE coffee shop—Helen’s—until the Coffee Cup came along. Besides Safeway and Jurgensen’s, shoppers could find food at Lindy’s, Larchmart, Tom’s, Van de Kamps, Phil’s Phish Market and Pat Salter’s ice cream store. Theo Aerts Beauty Salon was a favorite with the ladies; others were Larchmont Beauty and the Golden Comb. There were three banks, five dry cleaners, six real estate firms and a host of other services. Larchmont Blvd. also boasted a hobby shop, record store, millinery shop, rug emporium and a host of other services. Religious leaders were the stalwarts of the communitysuch as Archbishop Roger Mahony, Rabbi Edgar Magnin and Rev. James Fifield. Attendance was at an all-time high, and

shoppers were hard-pressed to find stores open on Sundays. Three gas stations on Larchmont Blvd. provided drivers with their 29 cent-a-gallon gas, but Al O’Neal's station gave way to an off-street parking lot, and Bank of America is where Richfield Station used to be. A commercial strip dividing Hancock Park from Windsor Square, the Village in the 1960s met everyone’s needs. Its variety of stores and services drew nearby residents. Even the rise in the cost of parking, from a nickel to 10 cents an hour, didn’t deter the local populace.

DELIVERY SERVICE was one of the bonuses for shoppers at Balzer's, which was later purchased by Jurgensen's Grocery. Photo courtesy of Erik Crespo

Immaculate Heart Congratulates the Larchmont Chronicle on 50 Years of Service to the Community.

UL A T E H E

AR 1906

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M A RIA

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Immaculate Heart High School & Middle School AC

U L ATA Ê S

IN THE OLD DAYS Larchmont had one coffee shop.

A private, Catholic, College Preparatory School Educating the Hearts & Minds of Young Women Since 1906

5515 Franklin Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90028-5999 w (323) 461-3651 w www.immaculateheart.org

Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Larchmont Chronicle

Block parties, fairs among neighborhood traditions By Sondi Sepenuk The longer a neighborhood exists, the more likely it is to form traditions that last for years, even decades. Some traditions fizzle out, but others are so popular that not only do they stick around; they thrive and continue to grow. In the Larchmont community, we have an abundance of neighborhood traditions that are alive and well. Here is a sampling: Block Parties Nothing says Americana quite like a summer block party. Games, barbecue, dessert contests, music, the communal potluck table, neighbors lounging on a speed hump— it’s a tradition that keeps our communities enviously closeknit. One of the oldest continuous block parties in Los Angeles happens in Brookside. Back in 1979, a few neighbors decided to hold a party in the middle of Longwood Ave. Over the years, the party expanded to include the entire 400 houses in the Brookside community, rotating to a different street every year. Originally, two Brookside residents, Tee and Collette Bradley, roped their friends and family into

BROOKSIDE boasts one of the oldest continuing block parties.

AT THE FIRST Taste of Larchmont fundraiser were, left to right, Huell Howser, Dawne Goodwin, Larry Hixon, Thomas Houndalas and Jane Gilman.

barbecuing an annual average of 97 lbs. tri-tip, 80 lbs. chicken, 50 lbs. salmon, 40 lbs. beef burgers, 20 lbs. hot dogs and cooking 32 quarts of chili for the throngs of residents. Finally, after 28 years, Tee and Colette hung up their aprons and tongs, and the job passed

on to a local catering company, Earlez, who shows up every year to the relief and joy of the residents. Though some block party traditions, like the children’s flag parade, have fallen by the wayside, other traditions sprung up that are stron-

ger than ever. Face-painting, bounce houses, water slides, pie-eating and dessert contests and a petting zoo are only a few of the delights residents in Brookside have come to enjoy. The importance of neighborhood block parties gained added significance when newly-elected Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa made the Brookside block party one of his first stops upon winning election in 2005. Not far down the street another long-standing block par-

ty has been held every fall for the last 37 years on Lucerne Blvd. The residents close off the street and invite the entire community to attend. Annual traditions such as the egg toss are still going strong, and the kids enjoy bounce houses, a petting zoo, magic show and a henna tattoo artist. The catering changes yearly. Everything from In n’ Out Burgers to Sky Taco’s to potluck has been served up in a never-ending quest to deliver the perfect block party (Please turn to next page)

Stephen Kramer, Esq. Of

Kramer Law Group

MIRACLE MILE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Sends Hearty Best Wishes to the Larchmont Chronicle on its Golden Anniversary!

Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce President

(323) 964-7100 swk@kramerlaw.biz

©LC01013

Special Thanks to Publisher Jane Gilman, A Founding Member of our Chamber

Proud Member

Legal Services Network

5858 Wilshire Blvd. in the Miracle Mile

©LC01013

Congratulations to Jane Gilman, Dear Friend and Publisher, on the Fabulous Service Your Newspaper has given Our Community!

Sends Congratulations to the Larchmont Chronicle on its 50th Anniversary of Serving as the Voice of Our Community.

323.964.5454 • www.miraclemilechamber.org

Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

Neighborhood Traditions (Continued from Page 6) meal. This year, the inaugural “Best in Show” pet competition will kick off before the egg toss, adding yet another dimension to this long-standing community tradition. Fourth of July Going hand-in-hand with the block party theme is the annual Fourth of July celebration held by the residents of Lillian Way, Cahuenga Blvd. and Wilcox Ave. Established in 1998, this neighborhood holiday bash has turned into the granddaddy of neighborhood Fourth of July festivals. The residents, who close off Lillian Way for the streetfriendly gala, party until the sun goes down. The event features a red, white and blue decorated bike and wagon contest, a talent show, musical chairs, a three-legged race, water balloon toss and jump houses. Local resident Garrett Nash serves as DJ while everyone enjoys the shared barbecue and music. After the sun dips behind the Wilshire Country Club, the residents settle into their beach chairs to watch the

THREE STREETS combine forces to stage the annual Fourth of July block party.

COSTUME CONTESTS are a popular Family Fair activity.

club’s annual fireworks show. Taste of Larchmont You can’t have a street full of restaurants without having an annual tasting event, right? Twenty-one years ago, neighbors decided to hold “Taste of Larchmont,” an annual event that raises money for HopeNet, which supplies food pantries at local houses of worship. Not only have the local pantries benefitted, but local residents have benefitted as well. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to stroll the Boulevard and meet up with friends, with the bonus of knowing that you are

taurants are often featured. Larchmont Family Fair If you have a child in your family, you probably already know that one of the most-anticipated community events of the year is the Larchmont Family Fair, held every October. The late date on the calendar provides children with the perfect opportunity to dress in their Halloween best. But the original family fair started out quite differently. Debuting in the 1960s, the original family fair took place in the evening in September. The nighttime-only event raised money for local

helping to fund HopeNet’s 13 pantries,” said Gillian Wagner, HopeNet board president. The benefit allows patrons to sample Italian, Thai, Greek, French, Mexican and other cuisine. It also provides the community with an opportunity to sample drinks from Larchmont Wine & Spirits, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Go Get ‘em Tiger. For dessert, Babycakes, Baciami Café, Crumbs, Café Gratitude and others join in the fun. Live music and entertainment, a silent auction and a raffle with prizes to local res-

charities (netting $800 its first year), and featured booths, games, folk dancers and carnival rides down the middle of the closed boulevard. Today, the fair has grown into a day-long event, with water slides, a haunted house, talent show, a costume contest, pie-eating contest, a kiddie train, pony rides, a petting zoo, carnival rides and bubble rollers. Local schools, service clubs, scout troops and religious and charitable groups host the food and crafts booths, which raise funds for each of their programs.

©LC1013

Thank you Jane We appreciate all you do to keep our neighborhood informed Hancock Park Homeowners Association est 1948

October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Larchmont Chronicle

Larchmont Chronicle diary: early years: 1963 to 1966 Sept. ‘63: Community is alerted to threat of proposed Blue Route for Beverly Hills Freeway. Route, which would travel between Oakwood and Rosewood Avenues south of Melrose, is one of two choices by California Highway Commission. Homeowner groups, businesses and other organizations are holding meetings to plan strategy to combat choice of Blue Route. Oct. ‘63: Attempt to build an 11-story apartment dwelling on Wilshire Blvd. near Fremont Place was turned down by City Council. March ‘64: A nucleus of 45 men and women with businesses on Larchmont Boulevard initiated the first steps toward organizing a merchant’s

association. April ‘64: Bill Schulhof, Beverly Larchmont Pharmacy, is elected president of the Larchmont Boulevard Association. Other officers are Jack Killingsworth, CrockerCitizens National Bank, vice president; Dawne Goodwin, Larchmont Chronicle, secretary and Fred Ephin, Security First National Bank, treasurer. April ‘64: $202 million residential high-rise complex to replace the 73 homes in Fremont Place is proposed. Wilshire-Fremont Corp. filed a variance to have Fremont Place rezoned. Construction date is estimated for 1974. May ‘64: Marlborough School, a Rossmore Ave. landmark for close to 50 years, re-

LARCHMONT Medical Building opened. Early rendering above.

vealed plans for a new building on the same site. The school celebrates its 75th birthday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. June ‘64: Wilshire YMCA, headquartered at 269 S. Larchmont for some 35 years, announced purchase of a new building at 225 S. Oxford Ave., which more than triples the size of its present facility. Bob Landis, Y board chairman, said the new building will eventually house a kitchen, banquet area and swimming pool. Aug. ‘64: Three new homes, valued at $225,000 each, will be built on part of the former Adamson estate at 4th St. and Rimpau Blvd. Nov. ‘64: Ebell of Los Angeles celebrated 70th anniversary of founding. Nov. ‘64: Larchmont Boulevard Association publishes business directory for 13,000 Larchmont area residents. Dec. ‘64: The Music Center opens its first building—The Pavilion. Civic ceremonies honor Mrs. Norman Chandler, prime fundraiser for the $30 million complex. Jan. ‘65: City Council Planning Committee vetoes request for zone change in Fremont Place. Opposition by local homeowners and

HAROLD HENRY PARK was named in honor of the Fourth District councilman, shown with shovel at groundbreaking.

civic leaders is voiced at public hearing. Request for zoning change sparks formation of Master Plan committee to study zoning in entire Larchmont area. Jan. ‘65: 10-story Larchmont Medical Building formally opens. The 40-suite building brings medical and dental specialists together in a modern facility for convenience of local residents. Feb. ‘65: Marlborough School launches building

fund campaign for $4 million to finance construction of new buildings and equipment. April ‘65: Windsor Park at 890 S. Lucerne Blvd. was renamed Harold A. Henry Park, Windsor Park honoring the 4th district councilman who was instrumental in securing a change of zoning so that the land could be condemned for a park. May ‘65: St. John Vianny High School, renamed Daniel (Please turn to next page)

Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

Early Years

(Continued from page 8) Murphy High School, announced plans for completion of a three-story addition to the school’s present building at Detroit Ave. and 3rd St. June ‘65: Black-Foxe School officially becomes a non-profit corporation. The move is said to ensure permanent continuation of the N. Wilcox Ave. school. Several Larchmont men head the board of trustees. Aug. ‘65: American Cancer Society says the HollywoodWilshire district is first in the county to reach its goal following the April fund drive. Sept. ‘65: California Highway Commission recommended choice for the Beverly Hills Freeway’s eastern link between Hollywood Freeway and Beverly Hills. Hancock Park Home Owners Association and other groups have campaigned for the Red Route during the past two years, so freeway routing would not interfere with character of Larchmont community. Sept. ‘65: Bill Schulhof was re-elected president of Larchmont Blvd. Assoc. The group’s aims for the year include offstreet parking, traffic improvements, street decorations and a business directory.

NEW OFFICERS of Larchmont Blvd. Assoc. from left, Dawne Goodwin, secretary; Bill Schulhof, president, meet with Councilman Harold Henry and Jack Killingsworth, vice president.

WILSHIRE YMCA moved from Larchmont office to new building at 225 S. Oxford Ave.

Sept. ‘65: A new chapter of Optimist Clubs is in the formation stages in Larchmont. The chapter is to be named Larchmont Hollywood Optimist Club. Oct. ‘65: Philip Perkins is named the first male head of Marlborough School. Dec. ‘65: Tishman Realty Co. opens the SheratonWilshire 12-story, 410-room hotel at the northwest corner

of Wilshire Blvd. and Normandie Ave. Dec. ‘65: Margo Leonetti, 23, has been named vice president of Caroline Leonetti Ltd., a pioneer charm and modeling school. Jan. ‘66: Richard Schuur and Sam Beekman have been named to lead the Wilshire YMCA fund campaign. March ‘66: Laughlin Waters has been hired by Larchmont

Blvd. Association to oppose plans to use Larchmont Blvd. as part of a north-south highway. April ‘66: H. R. “Bob” Haldeman has been named to the University of California board of regents. May ‘66: Plans were announced to create a memorial statue of the late councilman Harold Henry to be installed in the park bearing his name. June ‘66: Black-Foxe School on Wilcox Ave. will close its doors after 40 years. The final parade will be staged at graduation. July ‘66: Howard Ahmanson died of a heart attack two weeks before his 62nd birthday. His wife Caroline Leonetti Ahmanson and his son Howard Jr. were with him.

WHERE ART MEETS COMMERCE FOR JOGASAKI SUSHI BURRITOS.

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and it’s been beautiful since we’ve been a part of it, 1971 to be exact. We were more focused on bell-bottoms than the culinary arts back then, and the LEED Gold Certification didn’t come until our total renovation of the building was complete, but when you’re keeping up with the Miracle Mile, you need to give it your all. 5900 Wilshire. Where high rise meets high art. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LARCHMONT CHRONICLE ON 50 YEARS OF AWESOME.

Aug ‘66: Stuart Ketchum, president of the Hancock Park Homeowners Association, said mid-year membership in the association is lagging: 40 percent have sent in their dues. Aug. ‘66: The Ravenswood is offering one-bedroom furnished apartments for $250 a month. Sept. ‘66: Baskin-Robbins is debuting a new flavor: “Here Comes the Fudge.” Oct. ‘66: Cutler Dippell, president of Larchmont Boulevard Association, said more than 7,500 attended the Larchmont Family Fair on the evening of Sept. 13. Dec. ‘66: Dippell Realty Company is advertising a three-bedroom home at 645 N. Las Palmas for sale at $35,000.

October 2013

LARCHMONT WITHOUT THE CHRONICLE ?

....Unthinkable !!!

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Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

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From old-timers to newcomers, meet the staff of the Larchmont Chronicle The longevity of the staff at the Larchmont Chronicle range from Yvonne Auerbach who has worked here off and on for more than 20 years, to Pam Rudy and Suzan Filipek who have been here for 18 years, to our newest addition Dina Nicholaou. In her accounting department role, Auerbach keeps track of finances. She is a long-time member of the Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society. As art director, Nicholaou is responsible for creating ads for clients and assists in production. She joined the staff three months ago. Assistant editor Laura Eversz covers everything from crime to schools to gardening, and also helps with layout. An avid gardener, her co-workers are often at the receiving end of vegetables harvested from her backyard. Classified and circulation manager Rachel Olivier has a short walk from her Larchmont Blvd. apartment to the Chronicle office. In her spare time, she writes fiction and poetry under the watchful eye of her orange tabby cat, Pye. In addition to covering community news, interviews and layout, associate editor and animal-lover Suzan Filipek writes about pets for the paper. Advertising director Pam Rudy grew up in the neighborhood. The

Laura Eversz

Rachel Olivier

Suzan Filipek

Pam Rudy

doting grandmother of two stays up-todate on community activities through memberships in the Wilshire Rotary Club and the Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce.

“The Original”

Jane Gilman & The Chronicle

since 1934

SALUTES 50 YEARS

C E L E B R AT E

50 YEARS

Larchmont Chronicle “The Original”

The Larchmont Boulevard Association proudly congratulates Jane Gilman and The Larchmont Chronicle on 50 outstanding years of dedication and service to our unique Village within Los Angeles – Larchmont Boulevard.

since 1963

“Honoring our partnership, successes and traditions and hoping they will continue for years to come!” –Phyllis Magee

©LC1013

www.Larchmont.com

Dina Nicholaou

Magee’s

LARCHMONT CHRONICLE 1/4 VERTICAL (5” x 8”)

Larchmont Boulevard Association, founded by Jane Gilman, is an non-profit volunteer cooperative organization of businesses and professional firms and property owners.

Yvonne Auerbach

Phyllis Magee

Jane Gilman

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Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

CONGRATULATIONS LARCHMONT CHRONICLE ON 50 YEARS OF GREAT PRESS.

When you began publishing in 1963, we were just 29 years old. 50 years later, we’re still just 29 (wink-wink), proving that some things never get old... Like reading a great newspaper, or lying about your age!

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October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Larchmont Chronicle

An oasis within Los Angeles, area has had its ups and downs Residents who lived in Hancock Park, Windsor Square and surrounding communities in the 1960s were known as the “old guard.” They were the Van De Kamps, Ralphs and Von der Ahe families. University educators like Edward Dickson and Norman Topping resided here and developers like Fritz Burns called Hancock Park home.

Norman and Dorothy Chandler moved here from Pasadena, and Charles Munger still calls Hancock Park home. Consulates and 'hot' places European and Asian flags waved from the poles on the homes of consul generals who liked the area for its proximity to downtown and the freeways. The “hot” places to live were Mount Olympus and Trousdale Estates.

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Albert Dippell and Ruth Tracey had the only real estate firms on Larchmont Blvd. at the time. Coldwell Banker was located on Wilshire Blvd. Other Realtors were McCandless and Co., Elsie Stern, Hollywoodland, and later, Hug– Plechner Real Estate. The threat of a freeway dissecting the area dissuaded prospective clients from seeking to buy a home in Hancock Park. But gradually the area took on renewed appeal. In the 1970s interior designers saw the possibilities for renovation and resale. Status symbols A dumpster outside someone’s home signaled a major renovation—they were the status symbol of the times. Wall to wall rugs were ripped out so solid wood floors could be refinished. Butler’s pantries were a thing of the past, so they were incorporated into kitchen expansions. The Batchelder tile and stained glass from Judson Studios was preserved. Decorators hunted through the stock at Liz’s Hardware and other antique stores to find replacement sconces and

AD FROM 1977 issue of Larchmont Chronicle.

(Please turn to page 13)

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Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

Area is showcase for 1920s architects

Celebrating

The 50th Anniversary of The Larchmont Chronicle

The Voice of Our Community for 50 Years

Oasis within Los Angeles (Continued from page 12) other lighting fixtures. Outdated wallpaper was removed so that trompe l’oeil artwork could be installed. The improvements created the beginning of higher prices—and a renewed demand for the houses. The gas shortages in the 1970s also

made a “close-to-downtown” address more attractive. The need to preserve the architectural elegance of the homes prompted a campaign to initiate the Historic Preservation Overlay Zoning. Today, the prices of houses continues to rise, with a few homes listed for as much as $10 million.

Zev Yaroslavsky Supervisor, Third District | County of Los Angeles Downtown Office

(213) 974-3333 e-mail: zev@bos.lacounty.gov Website: HTTP://zev.lacounty.gov

TOP PRIORITY: The Safety Zone Before the Storm

Saluting your 50th Thank you, Larchmont Chronicle for befriending Fire Service

MIRACLE MILE SAFETY SUMMIT 2013 "READY OR NOT! – RESILIENCE (On Emergency Preparedness & Homeland Security)

Pictured: (l. to r.) LAFD Fire Chief Brian Cummings, Brad Burlingame, Colonel Halliburton Sellers (Commanding Officer of Security and Emergency Service Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps), Camp Pendleton Fire Chief Tom Thompson, Lyn MacEwen Cohen (President, Miracle Mile Civic Coalition), Marc S. Cohen (Chairman of the Board, FIRST-IN FIRE FOUNDATION), Erroll G. Southers (Moderator & Adjunct Professor, USC Homeland Security Center for Excellence/CREATE), André Birotte, Jr. (U.S. Attorney, Central District of California, U.S. Department of Justice), Larry Bogatz (LAFD C.E.R.T. Coordinator, Battalion 18); Not pictured: James Featherstone, General Manager, Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department, and Councilman Tom LaBonge

United We Stand with First Responders, LAPD, LAFD, U.S. Marine Corps

FIRST-IN FIRE FOUNDATION

“Friends of the Fire Department & Fire Service”

Connecting local citizens to their local fire stations A Partner with Miracle Mile Civic Coalition Since 2008

The finest examples of revival architecture are reflected in many of the homes in the neighboring communities. It was here that architectural styles, such as Craftsman, Spanish Colonial and Tuscan revivals took shape. Paul Williams put his stamp on dozens of homes in the area. He opened his first office in 1922, and within a decade he was designing hundreds of residential AN EXAMPLE OF a Paul Williams house is at 340 N. and commercial buildings. Las Palmas Ave. home at 516 S. Rimpau Blvd. He is known for his Monterey Colonial architecture, but also in- Another architect who had area clicorporated other popular styles in his ents was Gerard Colcord. His style featured washed brick, honey-colored designs. Wallace Neff has his stamp on four fieldstone, half-timbered beams and homes in the area. The house he de- hand-painted tiles. signed at 450 S. June St. is an example Among other architects who deof the Tuscany Villa style. He incor- signed homes in the area were Elmer porated a neo-Federal design for the Grey, John Austin and Stiles Clements.

October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013



We would like to wish our neighbor and friend Congratulations on 50 years of serving this community

©LC01013



ProPerty ManageMent • real estate Brokerage 541 north larchMont Boulevard • los angeles, california 90004 Phone (323) 466-9761 • fax (323) 466-6024 www.beaumontco.com

Serving Southern California for 81 years

Larchmont Chronicle

Civic leaders, celebrities made The councilman, the financiers, the civic leaders, the trend-setters. These were the Who Who’s in our neighborhood in the 1960s. Councilmen, Harold Henry and his successor John Ferraro, represented the Fourth District. Harold Henry served on the City Council from 1945 until his death in 1966. The founder of the Wilshire Press newspaper, he also organized the Wilshire Chamber of Commerce and oversaw the widening of major streets. He installed crosswalks on Larchmont Blvd., obtained new parks and the Wilshire police station and branch library. He was elected president of the City Council five times. Another City Council president was John Ferraro, who was appointed to fill Henry’s place in COUNCILMAN John Ferraro 1966. He had been president of the Police Com- negotiated development of mission before the appointment. Ferraro served The Grove. for 35 years, 18 of them as Council president. He worked to revitalize Miracle Mile which limited Wilshire Blvd. development in the Park Mile west of Crenshaw Blvd. Another accomplishment was negotiating the development of The Grove at Farmers Market. Ferraro is credited with the addition of Staples Center to downtown, to bringing both the Democratic National Convention to the city in 2000 and the 1984 Olympics. Howard Ahmanson’s name began appearing on major cultural buildings in Los Angeles in the 1960s. The financier-philanthropist donated funds for buildings at The Music Center and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He also gave $1 million in 1962 to help fund the development of a biosciences research center at his alma mater, the University of Southern California. HOWARD AHMANSON in His home in Hancock Park doubled as an art gal- 1965 at his Hancock Park home. lery to house his collection of paintings.

The Larchmont Chronicle is the glue that helps the many neighborhoods within Greater Wilshire and Wilshire Center stick together. “Congratulations” from the Windsor Square Association to Jane Gilman and her Larchmont Chronicle team for 50 years of service to our community.

©LC1013

Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

local headlines in 1963

– 1932 –

Hollywoodland on Beachwood.

Hollywoodland on Larchmont.

Ed Carroll and daughter Patti.

Times change, but legends endure. From one legend to another.

©LC01013

The community called Bob Landis “Mr. Larchmont.” Wilshire Rotary Club called him “Mr. Rotary.” He had 54 years of perfect attendance at Wilshire Rotary Club. The Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society remembers him as “Volunteer Extraordinary.” The owner of a merchandise store founded by his father on Larchmont Blvd., Landis personified the small-town entrepreneur. Other groups who benefitted from Landis’s community service were the Sierra Club, Hollywood-Wilshire YMCA, Hollywood Wilshire Boy Scout Council and the Wilshire Community Police Council. Few celebrities settled in Larchmont and environs, but Mae West had both a beach house in Santa Monica and a pentMR. LARCHMONT, Bob Landis. house at the Ravenswood Apartments on Rossmore Ave. The Broadway star who came to Hollywood in 1932, was frequently sighted at the Jurgensen’s Grocery Store on Larchmont Blvd. She held séances in the lobby of her apartment building, and appeared in movies and television until her death in 1980. Lucy Toberman, MAE WEST was a frequent (Please turn MR. BLACKWELL was a visitor to Jurgensen’s. neighbor and columnist. to page 43)

Hollywoodland Realty salutes the Larchmont Chronicle’s Golden Anniversary. Hollywoodland Realty 323-469-3141

– 2013 –

Wilshire Rotary Club of Los Angeles Now in its 82nd year and BIGGER, BETTER, BOLDER than ever,

SALUTES Together, as Community Partners, we have used our Experience, Commitment & Service to enrich & enhance the lives of others.

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Larchmont Chronicle on its 50th Anniversary!

Fremont Place, a community landmark since 1910 salutes a youngster, the Larchmont Chronicle, 50 years young, for excellence and the paper of record for our community!

October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Headlines through the years FRONT PAGE-APRIL 1964 Fremont Place $202 Million project to add 21 buildings Fremont Place residents have almost unanimously approved plans for a 21-building residential high-rise community to house an eventual population of between 7,500 and 10,000 persons. J.J. Brandlin, president of the Wilshire-Fremont Corp. and Fremont Place resident for 12 years, told the Larchmont Chronicle the estimated $202 million complex would not be completed for another 10 years. The Wilshire-Fremont Corp., which feels the highrise development will meet the demand for increased housing under a controlled plan, is filing for a variance application this month. The 56-year-old Fremont Place, which contains 73 elegant homes, would be replaced by 21 six to 30-story buildings and nine apartments surrounded by gardens, swimming pools and broad plazas. Brandlin said he feels the high-rise development is likely to lessen the pressure to expand high-rise buildings on the north side of Wilshire Blvd. in the Muirfield Road to

Lucerne Blvd. area. He said none of the highrise buildings in the project will be directly on Wilshire Blvd. Some 170 feet of Wilshire Blvd. frontage, Brandlin said, would be landscaped areas for plazas and promenades. Master plan was developed by Welton Becket and Associates, designers of Century City. Becket said, “The design calls for a gracefully curving roadway system, including a series of cul de sacs. All parking will be underground.”

The Mayor’s new home will be named in honor of George F. Getty, the late son of J. Paul Getty, the oil company president. Getty Oil Co. offered the home to the city for the official mayor’s residence in November 1975. The 46-year-old, 6,338 square foot French colonial brick structure has been appraised for $240,000. Plans call for conversion of the present tennis courts to an outdoor reception area for official city use.

Farmers Market public hearing set on expansion

Council okays gift of home for mayor Remodeling plans are under way by the city of Los Angeles this month to renovate the Irving Blvd. mansion donated by Getty Oil Co. for use as the official Mayor’s residence. Approval to accept the Getty Oil donation was granted in an eight to four vote by City Council on Feb. 5. On Feb. 10 Councilman Arthur Snyder proposed a motion to review the data concerning donations of furnishings and landscaping for the home.

IDEA FOR EXPANSION was first broached in 1999.

™

Larchmont chronicLe… as VaLuabLe as GoLd to this community!

thanks for your fabuLous 50 years!

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Rudy & ERnEst GintEl BRothERs CollatERal loans

323.462.5599 5901 Melrose Ave (at Cahuenga)

CHRONICLE duo with Mayor Tom Bradley at Getty House.

FRONT PAGE-JULY 1999

FRONT PAGE-MARCH 1976

Larchmont Chronicle

By Suzan Filipek A $100 million expansion at Farmers Market is scheduled for a public hearing at the city Zoning Administration on Wed., July 21 at 9:30 a.m. at Figueroa Plaza, 201 N. Figueroa St. If approved, construction of the Grove at Farmers Market, expected to last about 18 months, is set to begin by fall. The Zoning Administration and the Deputy Advisory Agency will hear public testimony on the proposed development, set to be built north and east of the original 65-year-old

Market. Opened during the Depression, the landmark Market— which originally catered to farmers selling their goods— will stay intact, according to a Market spokesman. Rick Caruso, of Caruso Affiliated Holdings, is developing the project in cooperation with the owners of the Market, A.F. Gilmore Co. Caruso has called the project at Third St. and Fairfax Ave. an “urban village,” and the “least developed urban property in the U.S.,” according to one spokesman. The project also includes a cinema complex, restaurants and retail stores built around a town square and park. A red trolley, reminiscent of a 40's model, will transport passengers from the original Market.

Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

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Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

It seems like just yesterday...

We are “PumPed” that the Larchmont Chronicle is Celebrating 50 Years of Success.

A fun outdoor fitness program that gets results!

©LC01013

CongratS!

323.938.6179 • www.bootcampla.com

HO P E L U T H E R A N

Since 1915

Congratulates

Larchmont Chronicle.... since 1963

By Jane Gilman Fifty years goes by quickly when you are having fun. And it has been fun publishing the Larchmont Chronicle. I can remember those hot September days 50 years ago when Dawne and I went up and down the boulevard calling on prospective advertisers. We were two different personalities, but we were on a common mission: to start a publishing business. We both seemed to have “sixth senses” about getting potential advertisers and news stories. At first, we limited advertisers to only businesses on Larchmont Blvd. But that turned out not to be realistic, and soon firms on Wilshire Blvd. and restaurants in Hollywood were IT HAS BEEN quite an adventure, and we’ve met some newsmakers along the advertising. I can’t begin to mention all the way. Top, we attend a reception with thoughtful, helpful people who sup- Muhammad Ali and Mayor Bradley. Botported us in the early years—it’s an tom, we interview Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mount Everest. endless list. Gilman, who used optimism and hu Many of these people were at Dawne’s retirement party in 1997 to mor to cheer me on. wish her good luck. And she did have a And I want to thank Dawne Patrifulfilling retirement with her husband cia Goodwin whose “sales appeal” got Mickey McCullough. They traveled the us going and for the many memorable globe together, and made their home in times we shared. She died last year at her home in Fallbrook, six months afFallbrook “party central.” My non-retirement has been a won- ter her husband passed away. derful trip as well. I want to acknowl- I regret she isn’t here to share the edge my supportive husband, Irwin accolades we are receiving.

Congratulations to our Partner in the Community 6720 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90038 323.938.9135

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October 2013

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Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

From One Legend to Another – a legend in the city's apartment communities since 1941 – salutes the Larchmont Chronicle on its legendary 50 years Our Amenities J J J J J J J J

160 acres of fabulousness Amazing panoramic city views Sprawling green belts Pet friendly Wi-Fi café on site Multimedia theater On-site dry cleaners 24-hour patrol

Tower & Garden Apartments footsteps from The Grove, The Farmers Market and Museum Row The fountain at Burnside Circle is in the center of a park with a coffee/refreshment bar.

©LC01013

spacious tower apartments with commanding views.

Two sparkling saltwater pools.

Park La Brea Apartments •6200 West Third Street • Los Angeles, CA 90036 866-682-6371 • parklabrea.com Equal Housing opportunity

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October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Larchmont Chronicle

Memories tell of a time gone by

C O N G R AT U L AT E S THE L A RCHMONT CHRONICLE

ON 5 0 Y E A RS OF PUBL I SHING as we celebrate 150 years of service to the Los Angeles and Hancock Park communities

Forming Men for and with Others www.loyolahs.edu www.loyolahs.edu

213. 381.5121

The variety of grocery stores her mother shopped at on Larchmont Blvd. is one of the memories Debbie Hardin has from 50 years ago. She grew up in Hancock Park on Las Palmas Ave. from 1963 to 1973 and later moved to Citrus Ave. She remembers the special graduation cake her mother had Jurgensen’s bake for her sixth grade graduation from Third Street School. Debbie’s favorite cupcakes were from Van de Kamp’s Bakery which her mother put in her lunchbox. The medical building had a few of her doctors: Stephen Bolkin, Dan Scott, Sam Porter and Mitch Pokrassa. After visiting the medical offices, she and her mom would order strawberry pie from the Coffee Cup Restaurant. *** Judge Michael Sauer was one of four brothers who grew up on Irving Blvd. He recalls the streetcars he rode: the V Car went to Vermont and then he would walk a few blocks to Loyola High. Or he accompanied his mother downtown to Bullocks on the S car. The movie theater was a favorite where he saw first-run films and Saturday morning cartoons. He remembers Otis Chandler’s wedding in St. Brendan Church—"there must have been 15 bridesmaids.” Louella Parsons being carried down the aisle at St. Brendan’s during her husband’s funeral is also a vivid memory. “There must have been seven gro-

VAN DE KAMP’S was a favorite for cupcakes and thin-sliced bread.

cery stores on Larchmont when I was a boy. My mother sent me to Van De Kamps because they had the best thinsliced bread." *** Lucy Toberman McBain’s early remembrances of Larchmont Blvd. were at the movie theater (where Fly Wheel is now). “We went to the Saturday morning cartoons. They had yoyo contests where the children would go up on the stage to compete.” Landis was her favorite store. “If you needed something as hard-to-find as a red feather, Bob Landis could find it for you. I remember Marjorie (the sales clerk) telling a customer, ‘now Johnny, are you sure your mother would want you to spend your whole allowance on candy?’” Strat’s (Ross Stratton Radio Salon) was a favorite with teenagers. “It had special private listening booths where we would hang out, until Strat finally had to chase us away.”

Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

The El Cholo family congratulates

the Larchmont Chronicle

on 50 years

of keeping the neighborhood informed and entertained! “There would be no Hancock Park without El Cholo. It’s great. Its just that simple!”

— Gary Schiller (lifetime neighborhood resident)

“I started eating there before I was three. I graduated from the Spanish rice and hamburger patties to the Taste of History and, of course, the green corn tamales, when in season!”

— John Welborne (lifetime neighborhood resident)

“We had our first date and our wedding anniversary at El Cholo. We were married twelve years ago and go often. The Chili Colorado and the margaritas are always great.”

— Penny Peyrot and David Blaine (lifetime neighborhood residents)

“There was a period of time I commuted from New York to go to El Cholo (and see my husband)! El Cholo is where we celebrate everything special.”

— Geri Freer (neighborhood resident for over 30 years)

1121 South Western Avenue, between Olympic and Pico

(323) 734-2773

www.elcholo.com

October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Larchmont Chronicle

Drained oilfield was transformed into an exclusive country club The Wilshire Country Club, on Beverly Blvd., between Rossmore and June, was built in 1919 on the heels of a failing oil field and a desire for “private HANCOCK'S friends suggested a golf club on the site. and exclusive” recreation for geles doubling its population every 10 Los Angeles’ wealthy leaders. years. Fifty of the city’s more affluent The Hancock oil field had pumped citizens became charter members at a fortune into the pockets of its own$500 each. ers, but after 10 years The surrounding of steady drilling the area was an attractive tar content of the location for memunderground pools bers and employees, became so high that and resulted in many Capt. G. Allan Hangolfers establishcock realized his oil ing their residences enterprise was tapnearby. ping out. As production fell, he looked Travel by streetcar for new land use. ap Friends The businessman proached Hancock could reach the club Capt. G. Allan Hancock with a proposition: from his downtown set aside some of the office by automobile in land for a golf club. He liked the idea 10 to 15 minutes, and by streetcar in and selected 105 acres of the Rancho 25 minutes. La Brea as the site for a country club- The original clubhouse has been house and golf course. renovated and rebuilt numerous times Affluence abounded, with Los An- during its 90 years existence.

©LC0913

“From One Legend to Another ... Congratulations on Your 50th Anniversary”.

Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

Tennis Club drew top tournaments

LARCHMONTVILLAGE VILLAGE LARCHMONT

A Taste of Home

“Unforgettable Feasts” - L.A. Times

©LC1013

Host Brothers

“The Choices...Uncomplicated and the Portions ...The World’s Largest” - Zagat Guide 127 North Larchmont Boulevard Dimitris & Thomas Houndalas

We Toast Larchmont Chronicle’s 50 Years of Serving This Community! North Larchmont Blvd, • lepetitgreek.com

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The Los Angeles Tennis Club had been drawing both a sports and celebrity crowd in the 40 years before the Chronicle began. The club’s history begins on Oct. 27, 1920, after a consultation with G. Allan Hancock, to take out an option for $11,000 on a plot of ground 5 1/2 acres in size covering an entire block. Organized as a “non-profit organization,” there were approximately 50 charter members. Thomas Bundy was the first president. Founders also included Alphonzo E. Bell, May Sutton Bundy, William May Garland, William “Bill” Henry and Simpson Sinsabaugh. Two exhibition courts were built on Melrose Ave. In 1921, Hunt & Burns were engaged as architects to design a clubhouse to be built and completed by Schofield Engineering Co. in 1923. That same year, the club hosted the first-ever night Houndalas match played in Los Thomas & Dimitris Angeles, a center-court exhibition featuring the U.S. Davis Cup team, Reservations 323.464.5160 captained by tennis great Bill Tilden. CLUB HAS BEEN a landmark on Clinton The club rose to prominence just as St. since 1923. Los Angeles was coming into its own. Southern California’s climate proved a draw for winter-weary vacationers in their new automobiles and athletes eager to practice and compete outdoors year-round. When the Olympics came to Los Angeles in 1932, members of the U.S. diving team put on an exhibition at the club to inaugurate its brand-new swimming pool. The glamour of Hollywood convened around the court during the Pacific Southwest, the world’s first hard court major tennis championships, which attracted screen legends. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard had a box at center court. Charlie Chaplin and William Powell had boxes too. Mickey Rooney and Bing Crosby were club members. Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Chris Evert, Rod Laver and Arthur Ashe all 127 competed here.

October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Congratulations to

Jane Gilman &

The Larchmont Chronicle

Great Years!

www.olympiamc.com

Larchmont Chronicle

Major change in past 50 years preserves architectural integrity By Melanie Mulligan Planning on sprucing up your Carthay Circle 1921 Craftsman with a fresh coat of paint and a brand new trellis? Full speed ahead! Thinking of boosting the square footage of your West Adams Terrace 1927 abode by extending the master bedroom 15 feet into the backyard? Let ‘er rip! Hoping to replace the front of your 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival in HanHANCOCK PARK became involved when resicock Park with a medieval dents witnessed people bulldozing properties. castle facade, complete designates not just individual buildwith moat and flying banners? Your outraged neighbors did not ings, but entire neighborhoods or dishave the opportunity to storm your tricts as worthy of protection. Cindy Chvatal, president of the Hanbattlements. But now they do, thanks to the cock Park Homeowners Association, awesome power of four little letters: became involved in the HPOZ process when she saw people buying properHPOZ. Fifty years ago when the Larchmont ties and bulldozing. “One of the great Chronicle first went to press, Historic things about HPOZ is that each preserProtection Overlay Zones—or HPOZs vation plan is unique to each neighbor—did not exist. It wasn’t until 1979 hood,” she explains. Maintain original “splendor” that the City Council adopted the ordi Architect and longtime resident of nance enabling the creation of HPOZs, with Angelino Heights becoming L.A.’s Windsor Square Mary Pickhardt initifirst in 1983. Today, our city has 29 ated the HPOZ for that area in the late such “historic districts,” with many 1990s. It took six years. She was inspired to move to Windsor Square with more under consideration. Los Angeles has been hailed by pres- her family because as an architect, she ervationists for this program, which (Please turn to next page)

For 101 years, Kingsley Manor has served as a gem of authenticity in this community. We salute the Larchmont Chronicle’s 50 years of serving as a community partner that is another gem of authenticity.

Congratulations! 323-661-1128 kingsleymanor.org CA license #197608482

We’re an equal opportunity housing provider

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Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY (Continued from page 24)

was struck by how homes there looked “frozen in time,” and the homeowners she met shared a strong commitment to maintain residences in their original splendor. As Mary puts it, “One person’s property value depends on the whole street. Change is good, but you want to manage change on a neighborhood level.” Margy Hudson, who was very active in the HPOZ process, wholeheartedly agrees: “It is evident the HPOZ has contributed to the stabilization and improvement of our Windsor Square neighborhood. We have not suffered an onslaught of nonconforming or oversized developments. Many residents have invested in positive improvements.” The scope of review for each HPOZ board may vary widely, as defined by the individual neighborhood’s preservation plan. Some boards must approve painting, lighting and landscaping, while those areas are exempt in other districts. Interior modifications are exempt in all cases, while significant change to street-facing architecture is always subject to review. Each board is made up of five appointed members (at least three of whom must live in the neighborhood), and generally includes one licensed architect, one design professional, one contractor (or someone similarly wellversed in construction), and one real estate professional. One such professional is Sue Carr, veteran real estate agent and former member of the Windsor Square HPOZ board. She describes her eight-year

WILSHIRE PARK was the first HPOZ originating with a residents’-created survey.

WINDSOR VILLAGE also got historic zoning.

service in that capacity as a wonderful experience. “HPOZ is essential for the neighborhood because it preserves the integrity and history for future generations.” Not everyone agrees The program has not been without controversy: some resent the notion of a board telling them what they can and cannot do with their own homes; others fear that the emphasis on architectural purity might inhibit owners from installing energy-saving structural improvements such as solar paneling. But the long list of districts clamoring for entry into the program attests to its many advantages: control over inappropriate alteration, increase in property values, potential property tax reductions, free preservation advice from HPOZ experts, and an en-

ESTABLISHING historic protection took six years in Windsor Square, where most homeowners shared a commitment to maintain their residences' original splendor.

hanced sense of community. Residents and owners unite around a common source of pride: their neighborhood’s history and architectural character. Robby O’Donnell of Wilshire Park tells how “a bunch of neighbors got together want-

ing and needing an HPOZ, but realizing there’s a long learning-curve.” With architectural historian Ann Marie Brooks as mentor, Wilshire Park became the first HPOZ originating with a residents’-created survey. “We did it ourselves— without any city funds,” Robby

says proudly. The Los Angeles City Planning Dept. offers an informative 12-chapter guide to help property owners, contractors, and residents living in any of the City’s HPOZs. Their website can be found at www.preservation.lacity.org.

October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Larchmont Chronicle

Some area street names are a tribute to family members

THE HOLLYWOOD WILSHIRE YMCA CONGRATULATES LARCHMONT CHRONICLE’S FOR 50 YEARS OF STRONG LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY.

HOLLYWOOD WILSHIRE YMCA 1553 North Schrader Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90028 P 323 467 4161 F 323 467 3026 W www.ymcala.org/hollywood

Saluting our shared history and congratulating the Larchmont Chronicle on five decades of service to our community

When R. A. Rowan developed Windsor Square in the early 1910s, he named streets after an English castle, a forest and a village—Windsor, Arden and Plymouth. But he chose the name of his daughter Lorraine for the street where developer Edwin Janss lived. The following are other streets and their namesakes: Wilshire Blvd. was named after H. Gaylord Wilshire, an entrepreneur who in 1895 bought a triangle-shaped parcel of land just west of downtown. Shortly after, he filed a plan for a new subdivision on the site, with a road he called Wilshire Blvd. running east and west. Beachwood Dr. was named after Hollywood developer Albert H. Beach for whom Beachwood Canyon is also named. Harvey Henderson Wilcox was the first person to subdivide Hollywood. He purROSSMORE AVE. was named afchased 160 acres in 1886. Olympic Blvd. was named for the 10th ter Ida Hancock’s second husband, Olympiad in 1932. Portions of the street Judge Erskine Ross. were originally named 10th St. Highland Ave. was named for Mrs. Walter Price in 1932. Her maiden name was Highland. Longwood Ave. was named after a town in Florida in 1920. Rimpau Blvd. was named for Theodore Rimpau who had a real estate office on Olympic Blvd. When L.A. High School was built on Olympic Blvd., a connection street to Wilshire Blvd. was needed and, at the Board of Education’s suggestion, it was named Rimpau in 1906. Mullen Ave. was named for Marie Rose Mullen, president of Mullen & Bluett, a large department store, in 1917. Muirfield Road may be named after a town in Scotland, home of a famous golf course. The naming may be because of the road’s proximity to the Wilshire Country Club golf course.

Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

Residents form associations to curb zoning abuses, crime

THEN.....

1988

NOW!

2013

Bruce Walker, a Local Broker & Property Owner, began his career 25 years ago. He has seasoned not only in looks, but in his profession as well. As One Professional to Another, I Congratulate the Larchmont Chronicle on 50 Years of Success!

When this newspaper began publishing, only one neighborhood association was active—Hancock Park Homeowners Association. It had been formed in 1948 under the name Hancock Park Property Owners Association, and had offices on Wilshire Blvd. The group’s stated purpose was to enforce deed restrictions and protect single-family zoning. The list of sponsoring members in 1948 included Robert Breyer, Pierpont Davis, Colonel Andrew Copp Jr., Gabriel Duque, Henry Mudd, Mrs. Thomas Ridgeway and Roy Seeley. Presidents through the years were Robert Wood, Stuart Ketchum and Joseph Wolf. Recent residents taking the gavel have been James Wolf and current head of the Association is Cindy Chvatal. Gradually, other neighborhoods began forming groups to maintain and enhance their areas.

Homeowners activate neighborhood group

©LC1013

Zoning, taxation, crime prevention and beautification were some of the issues the newly reactivated Windsor Square Association tackled in 1978. The group, originally formed in the 1940s, had been dormant for many years. Marcus Crahan was elected president of the group by the organizing

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Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

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committee. The new group outlined tentative boundaries from Beverly Blvd. to Wilshire Blvd., Arden Blvd. to Van Ness Ave. Michael O’Neil was named vice president, Mrs. Beatrice Challis, secretary; Ben Root treasurer. Directors were Norman Phillipon, Norman Murdock, Mary M. Miller, Lucy Bell McBain, Dr. James Gibbons, Knox Farrand, Catherine Crahan. Directors-at-large, who represent each block in the Windsor Square area, were named to improve the representation and communication among residents. The Association, which previously focused on zoning issues, planned to expand its areas of concern. Crahan said the reactivated group would also pursue matters relating to residential care facilities, foot patrols to aid crime prevention, property tax and insurance rate limitation, block parties, recreational areas and beautification. Current president is Larry Guzin.

Group created when houses threatened In 1972, the city of Los Angeles threatened to condemn and raze four houses between First and Second streets on Wilton Place. The city ignored the protests of homeowners and proceeded with condemnation pro(Please turn to page 29)

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Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

RESIDENTS FORM ASSOCIATIONS (Continued from page 28))

ceedings. But residents would not accept the destruction of these unique homes, and established the Ridgewood-Wilton Neighborhood Association in 1978. The first action of the fledgling organization was to create the Wilton Historic District to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The state approved the nomination in the spring of 1979 and the Wilton Historic District was placed in the National Register on July 24 of that year. The neighborhood consists of 65 homes, and was

the second residential area in the city to be so honored. Councilman John Ferraro urged the City Council to abandon the street project. In 1983, the four city-owned houses, which were boarded up and becoming dilapidated, were auctioned on the site, and the Ridgewood-Wilton Neighborhood Association celebrated its first victory.

Brookside residents had zoning concerns The Brookside Neighborhood Association began when residents united in 1978 to

HOMES on Wilton Place curve were threatened until neighbors took action.

fight unrestricted commercial development along Wilshire Blvd. They later evolved to support the Park Mile Plan which limited the height of commercial buildings along Wilshire Blvd. The group meets regularly to address concerns such as traffic, parking, beautification, crime prevention and disaster preparedness. President is Owen Smith. The name Brookside was selected because of the natural stream, Rio del Jardin de las Flores, which flows yearround from the Hollywood Hills south between Highland and Longwood avenues.

Windsor Village met to curb development The community was organized in 1981 as the Windsor Village Community Association when residents became concerned about development in the area that is zoned both multi-family (up to Francis Ave.) and single family residential (south from Francis to Olympic). It was organized as open to both homeowners and renters. Bill O’Mara was the first president, and Kathy Cheeseman, Richard Goette and Alan Holmberg were initial organizers.

October 2013

WINDSOR SQUARE homeowners who helped Marcus Crahan to reactivate the association were, from left, Beatrice Challis, Michael Cornwell and Mary Nichols.

The board renamed the organization Windsor Village Association in 2006 when the residents began efforts to gain Historic Preservation Overlay Zoning status for the area.

Wilshire Park group dates back to 1970s Wilshire Park, a community of 500 homes, is bounded by Wilshire and Olympic boulevards, Wilton Pl. and Crenshaw Blvd. The Wilshire Park Association was formed in the 1970s by Percy and Mary Anne Aus-

tin who were concerned about quality of life issues. On Nov. 5, 2008, Los Angeles City Council approved the nomination of the area as an Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ). The effort to obtain the zoning was community funded and produced. Current president is Lorna Hennington. Other local communities who have formed residential associations include Larchmont Village, Fremont Place, St. Andrews Square, LaBreaHancock, Highland-LaBrea and Miracle Mile.

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“A DreAm Doesn’t become reAlity through mAgic; it tAkes sweAt, DeterminAtion AnD hArD work.”

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Your community partners at the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council

Thank you Larchmont for the 82 years of support for Larchmont Hardware and Koontz Hardware. Larchmont Hardware lives on in our hearts and memories. We salute 50 years of the Larchmont Chronicle’s service to the community! 310-652-0123 • 8914 Santa Monica Blvd.

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October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Larchmont Chronicle

Schools close, undergo renovations

Jane Gilman The philanthropist, community activist, leader and..... A Great Ebell Lady with gratitude

The ebell of los Angeles

It’s 1963, what are the nearby service was available and uniforms schools? were required. Their matriculation list For boys, you might have considered included the Air Force Academy, Cal Black-Foxe Academy, an elementary Poly, Cal Tech, Chapman, Cornell, the and college preparatory day school for Claremont Colleges, Georgetown, Harboys from kindergarten through grade vard, Michigan, Northwestern, Notre 12. The five-acre campus was located Dame, Pepperdine, Stanford, USC, at 637 Wilcox Ave. adjoining the golf Washington, Yale and others. The school graduated its last class in course of the Wilshire Country Club. Black-Foxe was founded in 1929 by 1968 citing declining enrollment and Major Earle A. Foxe and Major Harry financial problems. Military schools L. Black and a group of gentlemen in- across the nation were closing as parterested in establishing a school for ents selected other kinds of schools for boys in Southern California that would their children. combine the academic standards of a Another boys’ school was Daniel “good eastern preparatory school (Please turn to page 31) with the California outdoor tradition of mountain, sea and sun.” According to their literature, the school was dedicated to a balanced education in the liberal arts and sciences, with an equal regard for character development and academic excellence. The school called their approach the “Whole Boy Concept” combining college preparatory academics, physical and social development and leadership development through a comprehensive military program. There were approximately 300 students. Tuition rates varied by grade starting at $900 for kindergarten up to $1,400 for BLACK FOXE educated young men at Wilcox Ave. campus. middle and high school. Bus

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Larchmont Chronicle

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October 2013

Schools close, undergo renovations (Continued from page 30)

Murphy High School, a fixture for decades on Third St. near La Brea Ave. Founded by the Catholic Archdiocese in 1954 as St. John Vianney High School, the name was changed to Daniel Murphy upon completion of the Third St. structure in 1966. The school was known for its ethnic and cultural diversity with its mix of Hispanic, Asian, MARLBOROUGH moved to the neighborhood in 1916. African-American and white student body. forces of nature. Founded in the school, causing moderate Originally, the school en- 1873, the school called sev- damage. rolled more than 500 boys, eral locations home until it Efforts to repair and prebut by 2007 there were only finally landed at its current serve the iconic structure were 231 students on the roster. In site at 4650 Olympic Blvd. in opposed by commercial intera move that took parents and 1917. The original structure ests, who lobbied for its demothe community by surprise, was modeled after the Houses lition. A suspicious fire finally the Catholic Archdiocese of Parliament in London. But gutted much of the building closed the school at the end of in the early morning hours shortly thereafter, which put the 2008 academic year. The of Feb. 9, 1971, the Sylmar an end to any attempts to save Archdiocese blamed falling earthquake, registering 6.6 the structure. enrollment and increased op- on the Richter scale, shook The school was rebuilt with erating costs for the closure, but many in the community believed that the Archdiocese was selling the property to help satisfy terms of a $660 million settlement with victims abused by clergy members throughout the Catholic Church.

Marlborough, L.A. High were transformed The last 50 years have been kinder to some local schools than others. Earthquakes and fires have dramatically altered some while building expansions have changed others. Marlborough School, grades 7 to 12, is a local girls’ school founded in 1885 by Mary Caswell. When Mrs. Caswell moved her school from Pasadena to 23rd and Scarff streets in Los Angeles, it was, according to her, located in “the best residential district of that time.” By 1913, though, she realized that the best “residential district” had moved north and west to Windsor Square and Hancock Park, so she bought property at what would eventually be the corner of Third St. and Rossmore Ave. to erect a school. Marlborough School opened on its new site in January 1916. The school has been at the same location now for 100 years. It was transformed from a colonial-style building to a sleek modern one in the 1960s. William Pereira, who lived just down the block on Rossmore Ave., was the architect for the new school.

Earthquake damage, fire led to new look

Los Angeles High School, the oldest public high school in the Southern California region, underwent significant change due to unforeseen

TUDOR STYLE architecture at Los Angeles High School gave way to “fortress look” after a devastating fire.

federal damage replacement money, reopening in 1977. The new facility was designed by the architectural firms of Al Whittle Associates and Kennard, Delahousie, Galt. Straying far from the original Tudor architecture, the new design was billed as massive and mod-

ern with warm, bright colors, open spaces, and moveable interior partitions. The replacement structure has few fans, and has been panned by the neighboring community, current and former students and faculty for its “fortress” look.

October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Larchmont Chronicle

Capt. Hancock, Page, Petersen put Museum Row on the map In 1910 the city’s art museum was founded as part of the Museum of Science, History and Art in Exposition Park. Decades later, and collections of French, American and other art amassed through the years, the museum needed a home of its own. Acreage donated in Hancock Park In 1963 Los Angeles County had secured seven donated acres in Hancock Park for the new art museum. The Miracle Mile site was already home to the La Brea Tar Pits—a rich source of Ice Age fossils unearthed from the bubbly tar underground. The sticky substance which brought saber-tooth cats and mammoths to their untimely deaths eons ago made building a worldclass art museum a challenge. William Pereira design Archaeologists excavated the grounds and engineers built a raft of concrete for William Pereira Associates’ design. Pereira also built CBS’ Television City and the L.A. International Airport. The design of the new L.A. County Museum of Art—LACMA— merged mid-20th century modernism and neoclassical elements, much like the Lincoln Center in New York and Music Center downtown. It featured three pavilions set in a plaza elevated from the street. THREE PAVILIONS raised from the street were part of LACMA's state-of-the-art 1965 design. On the west end sits the four-level Ahmanson Building—named for Hancock Park’s Howard F. Ahmanson. The three-story central Since its official opening in 1965, LACMA has grown to be the largest art muatrium rises 85 feet to a roof skylight and houses much of the museum’s perma- seum in the western U.S. nent collection. The Egg and the Eye Across the street, The Egg and The Eye, a gallery and restaurant, also opened in 1965. It was a popular meeting spot and featured a vast array of omelet choices and a crafts gift shop. It would become the Craft and Folk Art Museum in 1975. The building was originally designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood in 1930 as a mixed-use commercial space. The original facade remains almost completely intact. The museum continues its original intent of offering artist-led workshops and exhibits local and global works of crafts and art. Museum founder Edith Wyle was honored posthumously in 2000 with a (Please turn to page 33)

Congratulations on 50 years!

Chronicle archives

County approves bond issue for auto museum

An auto history museum in Miracle Mile is one step closer to realization following approval by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors of a $20 million revenue bond issue. The funds will be repaid by proceeds from the museum and from parking fees. The financing also includes $2 million for a proposed Pan Pacific Museum in the park of the same name. The musuem will be called Robert E. Petersen Automotive History Museum in recognition of a $15 million contribution by Petersen, an automotive magazine publisher. It will occupy the vacant Ohrbach’s department store at the southeast corner of Wilshire Blvd. and Fairfax Ave. and will be operated by the County Museum of Natural History. The 200,000 square foot building will house 74 cars presently owned by the Museum.

Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

MUSEUM ROW ON MAP (Continued from page 32) square in her honor at Stanley Ave. and Wilshire Blvd.

MUSEUM'S namesake wanted a museum where fossils were found.

Petersen Automobile Museum The city of L.A. was built around the automobile, so it’s only fitting it has one of the largest museums honoring the car in the world: the Petersen Automotive Museum. Founded in 1994 by magazine publisher Robert E. Petersen and his wife Margie, the museum is housed in a former Ohrbach’s department store designed by Welton Becket. Some 150 vintage, rare and other vehicles are on the main galleries with more in the vault, PETERSEN exhibit shows evolution of 1950s subur- on the museum's basement level. ban garage, no longer separated from the home.

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Thanks to Mr. Page, Capt. Hancock George Allan Hancock died in 1965. But, years earlier, he had donated 23 acres of land—Rancho La Brea, which included the La Brea Tar Pits—to the county. He had dreamed of a museum on the site to display the fossils found there. Businessman-turned philanthropist George C. Page shared that dream. “People visiting Hancock Park to see the tar pits were obliged to travel seven miles to the County Museum of Natural History to see the assembled fossils,” he remarked. Construction began in 1975. Today visitors see fossils of dire wolves and other animals inside the museum and ongoing excavations on the grounds.

October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Larchmont Chronicle

Larchmont Blvd.: it remains a small town within a big city

Salutes The Larchmont Chronicle. Congratulations on 50 years of news, views and keeping a community informed. Join us on Saturday, October 12th for A Gatsby Affair Casino Night. Visit stannes.org for details.

By Co McGrath town as Keosauqua, Iowa.” We are printing an article by Co And a pioneer of the 1920s, rememMcGrath, a local resident at the time, bering the fields and weed patches; that ran in the 1960s in the Social the rutted roads and the telephone Service magazine. posts down the middle of the street, A school boy, defining the boundar- would probably say: ies of Larchmont Blvd. in Los Angeles, “Larchmont Blvd. was originally a would no doubt recite: short street from Third St. to Melrose “Larchmont Blvd. is a short street Ave. with street car tracks in the midhalfway between the downtown area and Beverly Hills, bounded on the north by Melrose Ave. and on the south by Third St.” But a present-day resident of the Larchmont district would DIPPELL REALTY was a father and sons business. have a definition of this part of Los Angeles that would be dle. At the end of the street on Melmore like this: rose were the mineral baths. Movie “Larchmont Blvd. is a short street moguls used the street for the filming in the middle of the city of Los An- of movies, and Keystone Cops chased geles. It is the shopping center and and were chased down the broad bougathering place for people who live in levard.” Windsor Square, Hancock Park and From pianos to books Fremont Place. It is as modern as any On Larchmont, one can buy any(Please turn to page 35) city district in the world, and as small

Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

Larchmont: it remains a small town (Continued from page 34)

VARIETY OF BUSINESSES included banks, a bookstore and Winchell’s Donuts. GROCERY STORES were meeting places for shoppers.

Many a matron has driven frantically to one of the three cleaning establishments on Larchmont early in the morning (in by 10 a.m., and out by 4 p.m.) in curlers and housedress to meet by accident the “most wanted to be missed” woman in the neighborhood, similarly attired. The answer is people What makes a district like Larchmont? The answer is people, people who like the luxury of large lots and spacious houses within easy distance of everything downtown and suburban. Attorneys and businessmen are 15 minutes from the civic center and

business district. Doctors can reach their offices and the city hospitals in a very short time. And, at night when the toil of the day is over, home is but a few short miles away. The friends of school days are here established, and one’s neighbors are one’s friends. This village feeling did not develop overnight. In fact, in the 40 years since the district was subdivided, Larchmont has prospered, regressed and prospered again. When the firm of Shoults & Woodruff subdivided the fields into lots in 1920, building flourished, business thrived, and the street grew into a solid little

shopping center. Beautiful homes were erected on spacious lots, and a new community was started. In the business district, a few people remain who were there at the beginning. Julius LaBonte, who built the building on the corner of Larchmont and First St. owns it to the present time. Mrs. H.M. Meyer and her husband, the late Dr. Meyer, were pioneer builders on Larchmont Blvd., and Mrs. Meyer still is the owner of this property. Faith in the neighborhood Early in the development of the Larchmont district, a young man of vision and a senior at the University of Southern California, Albert Dippell,

ventured into the real estate business on the boulevard. Such great faith did he have in this district he built his home and reared his two sons in the neighborhood. Mr. Dippell has seen the prosperity of the 20s, the depression of the 30s and the return of prosperity in the stable years since World War II. He is as confident in the future of the area as he was in the early years. His sons, Cutler and Howard, are second-generation businessmen on Larchmont. The firm of Dippell Realty Co. has been selective in its buying and selling, planning the homes for the buyers, and carefully selecting the buyers (Please turn to page 37)

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thing from a spool of thread to a piano. The most modern household equipment is available on the street, and the oldest and most beautiful antiques can be purchased. Two marvelous shops offer home decorating service, and gift shops and bookstores offer the latest in novels and the smartest in gifts. Women come to shop, and remain to visit. Recently, a conversation between two matrons, meeting on the street, was heard. “Where have we met before? Was it at the Los Angeles Symphony, the Hollywood Bowl, a Social Service tea—” “No, it was not one of these. You know the face, but not the place. We both shop on Larchmont.” It has been said by one who was there that one day a committee meeting was called at a Hancock Park home, but that early that morning by pure happenstance the five ladies met behind their baskets at the Larchmont Safeway, and the business of the day was conducted then and there without benefit of tea or ceremony.

October 2013

Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Reindeers, Carnation soda shop and other Mile memories Toby Horn, who grew up in the Miracle Mile, shared her early recollections. Carnation had the best chocolate chip ice cream in the whole world. Tiny flecks of chocolate that melted into the vanilla ice cream. The soda shop was the stopover on the way home from school, too. And if the moon was in its right phase, we might even get to stop for ice cream after an evening scout troop meeting. I had my first hot fudge sundae there. Gas stations were on all four corners at Highland and Wilshire. The captive Christmas reindeer enclosed in a glass cage atop the Fritz Burns Company at the corner of Highland. We were told that they had been brought in from Mr. Burns’s ranch. S&H Kress five and dime is now a post office. Where else could you get Tangee lipstick that was one color in the tube, and changed eerily to another after you applied it? The drugstore on the southeast corner of La Brea and Wilshire was replaced with the now demolished and lamented Columbia Savings and Loan. Another Prudential building on Wilshire had the most fantastical sculpture and fountain in the front. The stationery store near the camera shop is now declared as a historic monument. Men’s stores included Silverwoods, Brown’s, Desmonds, Harris and Frank and Phelps Turkel, which became Phelps Wilger. These stores were the source of gainful vacation employment for so many neighborhood kids. MAY COMPANY, with its perfume bottle facade, opened in Miracle Mile in 1939. The department C’mon now, who in their right mind really calls it LACMA West? store was the shopping destination for gym clothes to televisions. It’s really the May Company! Raise your hand if you got your gym clothes there. And remember the candy department where you And the little treasure tucked into the corner next to Ralphs? Our very own could buy 25 cents worth of warm red pistachios that would stain your fingers See’s Candy where you could always find a place to park in front. Was it really until the next day and tipped off your mother how you spent your allowance. $1.30 a pound? Always reasonable enough to buy a box for mom on her birthday The parking lot sales in the May Company parking lot is now the site of Chris or Mother’s Day. Burden’s street light installation and the BCAM. My first transistor radio came Brown’s Bakery, Flying Saucer Restaurant and Du-par’s where I wanted to be a from the television department there. waitress and wear impossibly starched uniforms and elaborately folded handker Those divine dresses at Lanz never fit, but how I pined for them. Remember chiefs as a corsage. Those waitresses were such pros, and they didn’t even insist their flannel nightgowns? upon telling us their names. At Van de Kamp’s bakery and coffee shop, a regular The Ralphs grocery store at Wilshire and Hauser was originally designed by the burger was 50 cents; the special with French fries was a few cents more. renowned architectural firm of Morgan Walls and Clements. Had the Los Angeles Buster Brown Shoes where children could stand on the platform in the middle Conservancy been in existence then, the building might have been treasured and of the store and have their feet (Please turn to page 37) not torn down.

Congratula�ons on your 50th, YOUNGSTERS! From Du‐par’s FARMERS MARKET SINCE 1938

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Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

LARCHMONT REMAINS A SMALL TOWN

(Continued from page 35) ing, and the sons and daugh- eration businessman came on for the homes. ters of the older generation re- the scene. Bob Landis, son of Also, in the business dis- turned to the Larchmont dis- Mr. and Mrs. Arthur B. Landis, trict, Mr. Dippell, Sr. has scru- trict. The people who moved became the new and moving tinized the character of the back of necessity remained to force of the Landis Departprospective owners, and en- rebuild and reface the homes ment Store. This family has couraged merchants who will of their childhood. There was been in business on Larchbe a credit to the community an influx of new capital, and in mont for a quarter of a centuto locate on Larchmont. a relatively short time, homes ry. It is not a self-service store, Unsuspecting babysitters and gardens were restored, and but so long has it operated, are the Larchmont Junior property values boomed. On and so friendly is its service, Bootery and Guys and Dolls. the large and well-landscaped the customer more often than While the small tots are not finds the merchanbeing outfitted at these Larchmont Blvd. is the gathdise without bother to two attractive shops, the ering place of the neighborthe clerks. Bob and his mothers are casting an eye hood—the country store, the father have hired most on the beautiful imported of the young people in town hall. Everything is there, dresses in the window of the neighborhood durand at some time of the day, Naomi Price Gary. ing the vacation periods, District came back to life practically everybody. and many a young man It is interesting to note and woman can credit that the early settlers in lots was room for swimming the Landises with his first step the Larchmont district did pools and patios, and a second up. not necessarily stay in this generation was established in Larchmont Blvd. is the neighborhood. During the de- the old home environs. gathering place of the neighpression, the district became The Larchmont business borhood—the country store, somewhat run down, and to district took on a new look. the town hall. Everything is all appearances was an out- The telephone poles that stood there, and at some time of the grown district. Old families in the middle of the street on day, practically everybody. On moved further west, homes Larchmont were removed. The the street corners, world afthat had been show places in streetcars outlived their need, fairs are discussed, business the 1920s became run down and the tracks were taken out. deals are made, and the gossip and dejected appearing during New buildings were construct- of the Los Angeles westside is the depressed years. Termites ed, and the old buildings reno- passed from one to another. flourished, roofs leaked and vated and improved. Los Angeles takes on a new decay set in. Another second generation importance by being the big Then, the gas rationing pe- And, during this transition city that surrounds the small riod of World War II created period, another second gen- town—Larchmont. the necessity of “closer-in” liv-

ORIGINALLY a camera store, the Miracle Mile location has morphed into several different restaurants through the years.

Reindeers, Carnation soda shop (Continued from page 36)

unnecessarily irradiated to see if their bones were growing correctly. If your feet survived the X-ray, you could walk across the street to the tar pits and go into the little building with the viewing platform to look at a mass of bones embedded

in tar. The observation pit survives today amidst huge boulders, stands of palm trees and amphitheaters. To enter there, brings back the smell of childhood excursions and slow summer days. And the bones haven’t aged a bit, though I have.

October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Larchmont Chronicle

Chicken pot pie, steak Diane were favorites on 1960s menus By Helene Seifer Restaurant editor Food has become an obsession in America. Cooking channels. Foodie blogs. We buy five kinds of sea salt and frequent farm-to-table cookeries. But it wasn’t always so. In 1963 when this newspaper began to chronicle our neighborhood, the food scene was quite different. We were a meat-and-potatoes nation. Pot roast suppers, Swanson’s TV dinners eaten while watching “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Most families rarely ate out. In 1963 it was a treat to visit Canter’s Deli for a 90cent corned beef on rye or El Coyote for a 75-cent beef enchilada. For superb sirloin everyone headed to Taylor’s Steak House. Other legendary restaurants buzzed with Hollywood glitterati and wellheeled patrons. Perino’s was hopping from day one. Mobster Bugsy Siegel and the entertainment elite flocked to the elegant site. Bette Davis had a dedicated booth. Frank Sinatra sang in the bar. Designed by architect Paul Williams, the pink-and-peach restaurant featured continental cuisine: frog’s legs, medallions of beef, shrimp salad. It’s

THE DÉCOR at Musso & Frank is original.

said Cary Grant favored Steak Diane. Larchmont residents celebrated birthdays and anniversaries there. Paul Williams also designed Frank Capra’s haunt, Chasen’s. Alfred Hitchcock, Ronald Reagan and Greta Garbo appreciated Chasen’s code of client privacy. The comfortable décor complemented the simple fare of steak, chicken pot pie, chilled seafood, and their wildly popular chili. In 1962 Elizabeth Taylor had 10 quarts flown to her “Cleopatra” set in Rome. An iconic L.A. restaurant was the bowler-shaped Brown

PERINO’S was designed by architect Paul Williams.

Derby on Wilshire Blvd. Stu- rants. The décor is original, so dio executives, actors and lo- it’s easy to step back in time. cals devoured its two culinary Imagine yourself arriving in evening inventions: cobb salad dress, handPerino’s was hopping from ing the valet and grapekeys to your fruit cake. day one. Mobster Bugsy Siegel and the entertainment Closed in new $4,200 Chevy Corthe 1980s, elite flocked to the elegant one opened restaurant. Frank Sinatra vette Sting sang in the bar. at the DisRay. Winney-MGM ner of “Most Powerful S t u d i o theme park in Florida. maître d' in Hollywood,” Jesse Musso & Frank Grill offers Chavez greets you by name (he the authentic flavor of 1960s has worked there for 65 years). dining. Founded in 1919, it’s Red-jacketed waiters whisk by. the oldest and one of the most The Rat Pack, Groucho Marx storied of Hollywood’s restau- and Steve McQueen hung out

here. Charlie Chaplin had a reserved booth. F. Scott Fitzgerald proofread his novels here. The Rolling Stones dropped by. Luminaries such as Marilyn Monroe and Kurt Vonnegut took refuge in a guarded back room. The menu offers a taste of history. Chicken pot pie for $10 and $18 filet mignon were popular in 1963 and are still popular now at roughly twice the price. Recipes for Chasen’s chili and the Brown Derby’s cobb salad and grapefruit cake are at www.larchmontchronicle. com.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LARCHMONT CHRONICLE ON ITS 50th YEAR We have been serving Hancock Park and the surrounding communities for 76 years

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Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

Early history told of Larchmont LAC

Larchmont

animaL cLinic

By Dr. H.J. Kurtzworth Chronicle Historian The following is from a 1971 article in the Larchmont Chronicle. The story of LarchLABONTE pioneered development on the Boulevard in 1921. mont Boulewho is responsible for some 70 percent vard, an exclusive six blocks extending from Third St. of the structures on the boulevard. north to Melrose Ave., should be easy to Buildings also bearing the LaBonte stamp include Poinsettia Cleaners, the unravel and explain! But who knows where it got its name? two-story facility next to Jurgensen’s, Has anyone ever seen any larch trees in the stores where Beverly Larchmont the vicinity or knew any of the first set- Pharmacy now stands, the movie thetlers? Someone must have the records, atre that is now where Security Bank is located, the Van de Kamp’s building, but thus far, they are mostly secrets. Beginning about 1920, the Third Landis Department Store building and Street car line extended its double tracks a store complex which is now the Shell up Larchmont so that people could ride Station site. to the mineral well on Melrose to enjoy LaBonte’s 250-foot frontage building at 126 N. Larchmont is the second the health benefits offered. Los Angeles was growing so rapidly commercial building on the boulevard, that many downtown homeowners felt built in 1921. He looked out the winthey were being crowded and began dow of his home at 340 S. Arden and looking westward with the idea of mov- saw nothing but barley fields. The firm had seven offices through the city, doing their homes. In 1921, Julius LaBonte, then 43, ar- ing $1 million in sales each month. rived from Grand Rapids, Mich., bought A charter member of the Wilshire some land and opened up the first real Country Club, he has had a real estate estate office at the corner of Third and office in Larchmont since 1925. A resident of Park La Brea, LaBonte has also Larchmont. “Larchmont Boulevard gets better all lived in Country Club Manor. He and the time,” says the developer-builder his wife were married in 1910.

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Larchmont Chronicle

Shopping choices were plentiful along Wilshire Boulevard Shopping five decades ago was an experience you dressed up for, and Wilshire Blvd. offered a variety of stores. A mother-daughter tradition was dining in the Bullocks Wilshire tearoom. Moms selected the grapefruit salad while the young girls opted for a chocolate sundae while watching the fashion show. Paris and U.S. designers debuted many of their styles at both Bullocks Wilshire and I. Magnin. Donavan & Seamans and B. D. Howes were first stops when buying engagement rings, anniversary gifts and wedding presents. Young marrieds visited Cannel & Chaffin for the furniture for their Park La Brea apartment. Or they might have tried Barker Bros. for a wider assortment. The Broadway department store took over Coul-

ter’s in the Miracle Mile. The Mile was lined with boutique shops as well as suburban branches of downtown stores. These included Desmond’s, Silverwoods, Harris & Frank, Phelps Terkel and Meyer Siegel. When the excursions were over, shoppers enjoyed a snack at nearby Van De Kamp’s, Tilford's or Ontra IF MOM COULDN’T find it at Bullocks Wilshire, she went west to the May Company. Cafeteria. La Brea Ave. was lined with automobile dealerships. Waters Dodge and Irv White Buick were neighbors. Across the street was Barish Chrysler, later to become La Brea ChryslerJeep. Further south AMONG THE CHOICES in Miracle Mile for menswear shopping on La Brea was MULLEN & BLUETT, an upscale clothing store that focused on menswas Edward Nalbandian's Zachary All. Courtesy Chevrolet. wear, opened a branch on the Miracle Mile in 1949.

We Send Hearty Congratulations to

Larchmont Chronicle Our Larchmont Partner.

50 Years of Serving this Special Community is an Amazing Accomplishment!

The Jeffrey Foundation “Round Up For Kids” Campaign

Cheers and Best Wishes for Another 50!

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Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

October 2013

Past events on the Boulevard

Family-Run

Over 50 years

We‘re “Floored” you’re 50!

Three Generations of the Lester Family Send the Larchmont Chronicle Our Salute for being the “Neighborhood Choice” for 50 years! ©LC1013

BROWNIES marched at a Christmas parade in the 1960s, top left. The Boulevard's 50th year in 1971 was celebrated with a Golden Jubilee, right. Here Tom Reddin and Eddie LeVeque participate. Rudy Valle also attended. Pet show on the Bouleavrd. An art show brought entries from all ages at the Al O’Neal gas station. Police officers were invited to stop by for coffee and conversation at the Cop Shop, donated by Lipson Plumbing.

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NCJW/LA Congratulates the Larchmont Chronicle on their 50th Anniversary of serving the community!

We Want Your Pants... and coats, shirts, sweaters, jackets, purses, shoes, suits, belts, ties, furniture, housewares, electronics, jewelry... Donations of gently-used items help us to provide services for at-risk women, children and families.  Tax-deductible itemized receipts  Call us to schedule a pick-up  8 Convenient locations 800-400-6259 www.ncjwla.org

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9/13/13 12:39 PM

October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

LETTER FROM BLACKWELL – NOVEMBER 1983

Congratulations to the Larchmont Chronicle on its 50th Anniversary

'Designers' court disaster

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from Wayne Saldana A proud member of the third generation Callanan-McNamara – Saldana family

Lipson

Larchmont Chronicle

The dress industry is being raped by so-called “designers.” It appears that this new breed has little or no respect for the objective—to enhance, to make women more beautiful and create a better feeling about oneself. There are many designers today that feel the more outrageous you look, the more “in” you are. In reality, you are making a total fool out of yourself and creating an emotional problem that might well take years to get over. For instance we now have the punk look. Forget the outrageous use of color in the hair and the sickening type of haircutting. I cannot conceive shaving your head like a Mohawk Indian and then coloring it green, purple and yellow as having any fashion merit. THE WORN TORN LOOK: Remember the day when if you had a run in your stocking, you would be so embarrassed that you would instantly run for a new pair. Today, you must look like a neighbor’s dog created your wardrobe by chewing the devil out of it. To be “in” you much have a blouse or dress at least five years old. Then you must rip streamers into the remains of this atrocity and the more threadbare it looks, the better. Let’s not forget to cut out a few holes in all the wrong places and burn the edges. This will assure you a place in fashion posterity. One final bit of advice: be absolutely

sure that the colors do not go with each other. They must clash against each other as if a volcano were exploding. DISASTER DRAPING: The newest contribution to 1983 comes from the Orient. It is almost as if they are trying to relive the attack on Pearl Harbor. Nothing must fit. Everything must have more than enough yardage to drape at least the shower in the guest bathroom. Then you must be sure that it all falls off your shoulders. Tear a piece here and there and make it out of the worst available fabric on the market. I personally recommend a well-used piece of cheesecloth (formerly used for polishing tables). And if the entire family cannot fit under the skirt, then you know it simply doesn’t fit. MEN IN SKIRTS: What an absolutely wonderful idea considering all of the above confusion. But I can tell you now that it isn’t going to work. Can you see your local dentist drilling away in a pleated cotton skirt with an uneven hemline? What kind of fools are we being taken for? What has happened to some sense of sanity? The weirdest look in the world is going to look okay after enough brain washing. What does this mean to the future of the American fashion industry? Well in my opinion, it means we are in one great mess. And if I see another female imperson(Please turn to page 43)

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Larchmont Chronicle

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Civic leaders made headlines (Continued from page 15) the volunteer’s volunteer, is credited with founding 26 philanthropic and social organizations. Among the groups she co-founded were the Sunday Night Supper Club, which raised money for the VOLUNTEER Lucy Lung Foundation; Toberman. the Colleagues of the Big Sister League, which built a child-care center, and Las Floristas, which raised funds for handicapped children. A one-time columnist for the Los

Letter from Blackwell (Continued from page 42)

ator on the big movie screen winning any awards, I am moving to the north end of Siberia. I hope in the Great Beyond they are still wearing something reasonable in soft-white floor length robes with gold sandals. Wouldn’t I be shocked if I found out they went punk in the Great Beyond! Blackwell Editor’s note: The Chronicle was fortunate to have Blackwell’s wit and wisdom in our pages for more than 20 years.

Angeles Times and later for the Larchmont Chronicle, she served on the Los Angeles Social Service Committee and the Planning Commission. A celebrity among wine connoisseurs, Robert (Bob) Balzer was an authority on wines and spirits. When he joined his father’s grocery store on Larchmont Blvd. in 1936, he was put in charge of the wine department. He wrote a WRITER column for the WINE Robert Balzer. Balzer’s newsletters. The store was later purchased by Jurgenson’s, but he continued his column, and shoppers came to him for advice. In 1984 Mr. Blackwell became a columnist for the Larchmont Chronicle. He was closing his dress design business at the time. Known for his acidtongued criticisms of celebrities and other newsmakers, he began his WorstDressed list and announced the “losers” from his Windsor Square home. His Chronicle columns focused on lifestyle; often they became philosophical essays on how to live a better life. He often emceed fundraising events and donated dresses he designed to the charities for their prizes.

October 2013

Congratulations to the Chronicle on its 50th Anniversary! We’re also proud to have been a Larchmont favorite for 25 years.

EST. 1978

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October 2013

50th Anniversary edition 1963-2013

Congratulations Larchmont Chronicle on 50 eventful, colorful, meaningful years. For all youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done to enrich the daily lives of your community, we thank and applaud you.

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