Sometimes when I look at this thread, I play this song. Corny, I know, but that's me.
Cue Doris:
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Here's the LA Times bldg. circa 1939. I love this shot.
From USC archive
1st Street between Spring and Main, across the street from LA City Hall, 1930s.
From USC archive
Notice the dollar a day hotel. For the longest time I knew this block as just the other building, with the site of the dollar hotel being a surface parking lot with a burger stand. This site is now where the new LAPD Headquarters Building is, scheduled to open this fall. But notice the streetcar tracks, and the curve, and compare it to this 1963 photo:
From NYsubway.org
Notice the same curve in the tracks, but it dead ends. I assume that's because whatever streetcar line that was, was discontinued by then.