The motel has already been identified by sopas ej and lemster2024, but here's a better view of the sign. Sadly, I think that's the remains of the tower to the right of the sign.

"El Adobe Motel sign and building. The building appears to be out of operation as the windows are boarded up and there is debris in the lot."

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...1.jpg~original
Califa Digital Collections/Monterey Park Historical Society

I also found this undated postcard of the El Adobe Motel in better times. The reverse says it's "Situated 7 Miles East of Los Angeles City Hall on Route 99". It also claims that the "El Monte Motel is sound-proof throughout".

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...2.jpg~original
eBay

The layout can be seen on CityBoyDoug's 1964 aerial from the previous page.

The corner building from e_r's original post is missing from the 1972 image, and the whole site is empty by 1980.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...3.jpg~original
Historic Aerials

The sign says "31st St". I'm not that "eagle-eyed" - I found Chao's Market at 3031 S Flower Street in the 1956 CD. The building is still there today, although if it had been one block east, it would have been under the Harbor Freeway.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...r.jpg~original
GSV

I too, looked for this one, for about two hours yesterday, but did not find anything in our Highland Park. I began to wonder if the structure was actually in one of the other cities or areas called Highland Park around the country...

:previous: Thanks tovanger2 and oldstuff for trying to locate the schoolhouse.
I'll go back through my old files, and try to find out just where exactly I first found the photograph. (I'm pretty sure it was on eBay)

"Highland Park school, 1890"
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...673/yJI58Q.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...537/L1xgbP.jpg
old file/eBay(?)

:previous: Excellent discovery Hoss!


I'm surprised by how skinny the building is.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...661/qj461i.jpg
gsv

there's the freeway across the street.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...661/o2uZn1.jpg
gsv



I don't think the house behind it has much time left.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...540/aKgrNn.jpg
gsv

When you located Chao's Market in the 1956 directory did it say what the store (with the awning, and clock in the window) to the right of Chao's used to be?

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...661/qkDcu6.jpg
detail

My guess is a barber shop.

:previous:

There's no sign of a barber in the 1956 CD, but Herb's Barber Shop shows up in the 1960 CD. There's also the Collegiate Beauty Shop. This is the entire listing for that block from the CDs mentioned.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...31SFlower2.jpg
LAPL

:previous: thanks Hoss.

While I was in the area looking at the Chao's Market building, I came across this 'throw-back' motel a little bit north on S. Flower at 29th Street.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...910/SuMczh.jpg
gsv


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...911/QRPHhW.jpg
gsv


Next door is a vintage apartment building with an old 'ghost' sign. It's a bit hard to read; does it say 'IONIC APTS? and is the smaller word underneath 'Olympic'?

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...537/ygGyKD.jpg
gsv


The apartment building has some interesting stone-work going on at both the top and the bottom.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...661/Ns3F0K.jpg
gsv


this is from a neighboring store's facebook page (the old apartment building is visible)
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...673/hhXNbn.jpg
https://www.facebook.com/theprosandcons

Seeing as I still had the 1956 CD open, it was easy to find the Ione Apartments at 2913 S Flower. According to loopnet.com, the apartments were built in 1913.

ETA. Although the building is named as the Ione Apartments in the 1956, 1960 and 1961 CDs that I checked, the 1914 Baist map below indicates that it was originally the Ionie Apartments (which matches the ghost sign better). Flower Street was only a block long in this area in 1914.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...IonieApts1.jpg
www.historicmapworks.com

posted by HossC
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...661/TgXZ6s.jpg

Herb's Barber Shop is now 'Pros and Cons'.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...538/JHZw6a.jpg
http://pncla.com/

I just came across this very interesting slide on eBay.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...661/zRzYmF.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/35mm-Dupe-Sl...item58c4f096d0

The seller didn't include the location, just the date, 1954. (note the nifty 'Felix' roof-top sign at far right)





detail / enlarged
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/540/I3nKMD.jpg

I certainly hope the building with the seven graceful arches is still standing.
And wasn't 'Felix' a chain with various stores? I feel like I should know this location.

I was watching the news here in LA this morning and saw this. It looked familiar, sure enough its this building, It was a descent size 3 alarm fire. The building was slated for demolition for 5 years but was used by homeless people as shelter. Very surprising of that since that's a nice area of WH. The TV people also mentioned that it was the last example of old art deco architecture in the area.

Add another old LA County building from the surviving column to the gone.


http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...521-story.html

That looks like South Grand Avenue looking north from Pico.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...GrandPico1.jpg
GSV

The building with the arches is pretty much the only survivor.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...GrandPico2.jpg
GSV

R.I.P.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...901/dud6z0.png
eBay

and one was killed. :(

http://ktla.com/2015/05/21/man-dies-...est-hollywood/
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...911/ow93k7.jpg
ktla

I'm intrigued.

:previous: Me too!!


stairs at the old El Adobe Motel site
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...537/3vC1KS.jpg
gsv

http://www.oldlarestaurants.com/wp-c...villacapri.jpghttp://www.oldlarestaurants.com/wp-c...villacapri.jpg

http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/d...ean/patsys.jpghttp://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/d...ean/patsys.jpg



The quoted text is somewhat historically imperfect given that in its original form, James Dean could not have visited the Yucca location in 1957 (unless the author is referring to the spirit world). But the text includes something about which I have long wondered. By whom, where and when was Pizza commercially introduced in LA? Did Patsy have it on the '39 menu? Pizza shops clearly proliferated in the '50s, but was Patsy really first, pre WW2? :shrug:

FWIW, one source claims pizza was commercially available in 1905 (Lombardi's, NYC) and on the West Coast by 1935 (Tommaso's, San Francisco) and the first pizza "chain" began in 1943 (UNO, Chicago). http://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/...ias-in-americahttp://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/...rillist-nation

When I first saw this photo, before I zoomed in for a closer look and maybe because of the gunfight going on, I read this as CHAOS MARKET.

It looks like this fire photo was taken from the Melrose side of the building.

I, too, am surprised SoCalBear that homeless people were residing in this building. Last year there was a concerted effort by residents and preservationists to save this building and one of them, who posted on NLA, mentioned trying to get inside to take photos of the fountain and other things mentioned as being part of this building but said it was locked up tighter than a drum.

Since the WeHo Post Office (customer service part) facility on San Vicente was moved to Doheny last year, I've been walking by this building on occasion and I can attest there seemed to be no way to get inside it. (Maybe (?) the homeless were living on the outside areas.) In any case, even though the city okayed this building for destruction, preservationists were still trying to get the architects to change their plans and incorporate this structure into the new building being planned for that space. but, you know, fire puts an end to all discussions about things like that. And homeless are easy to blame. Not that I'm saying anything nefarious (or noirish) was afoot mind you... :cool:

You'd think we would have discovered this building here on NLA before, but I couldn't find it. Not surprisingly, it was a car dealer... circa 1919, Davidson, House & Meyer sold Coles; later Golden State Motor Co sold Moons. But the best part is that it has a little bit of noir cred. Could there be some bullet damage in the facade?


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-j...0%252520PM.jpghttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t...2520PM.bmp.jpghttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x...2520PM.bmp.jpg
Times May 22, 1924

I just realized the large Felix building with the vertical roof-top sign is still there as well.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...661/zRzYmF.jpg
eBay

Here it is today. -note the structure on the roof that once held the Felix sign is still in place. (the building with the arches is visible down the street)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...673/D0h5gl.jpg
gsv

We've seen this building once before on page 145.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=2894