Outrigger Apartments in Temple City (for Tiki fans - Do Not Disturb Residents! Do not trespass)

MOVIE PALACES:

Movies by Haeyong Moon:  Check out these great clips from the films of Haeyong Moon - a very important up and coming Los Angeles film maker who is preserving the memories of Golden Age Hollywood and particularly the incredible movie palaces of  Los Angeles.  See architecture and features of these great movie palaces that have been hidden from the public for decades. Haeyong is not just a great filmmaker but also a preservationist who is currently fighting to save the Fairfax Movie Palace. You can see most of her work here (the clips at the side are all her's as well) :  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4AriEpC_NI

Wilshire Center - one of my favorite parts of Los Angeles.

ART DECO:

The Art Deco Society of Los Angeles - Los Angeles is a treasure trove of Art Deco history, buildings and interiors.  Art Deco was the ultra futuristic look of the past.  My favorite Art Deco sights in the Los Angeles area are the Queen Mary, the Eastern Columbia building, the Oviatt building and the Pantages Theater, but there are hundreds of other buildings, especially in downtown, Hollywood and the Miracle Mile.  Check out this organization to learn more about these treasures.

The Alexandria Hotel - it still has some nice remnants from its Golden Age.

BLOGS:

1947 Project - Fascinating site with a very unique topic.  The site documents the year 1947 including everything from the Black Dahlia to Bugsy Siegel. A window into an era gone by - one visit and you will be hooked! Kim and Nathan who run this site are some of the coolest people in Los Angeles!!!

L.A. Observed - This is a truly great blog on Los Angeles. Excellent information on current happenings in Los Angeles, as well as some great information on Los Angeles history as well. And the author of the site solved the mystery of the fifth Brown Derby (see my Brown Derby page).  If you haven't bought Kevin Roderick's book on Wilshire Blvd - you know nothing about Los Angeles!!! One of the best books ever. If you care about LA - you have to check out this blog, the 1947 Project and the LAist on a daily basis!

LA Color - Blog with really beautiful pictures and retro Los Angeles themes and of course, the wonderful world of color. Authored by a nice guy!

Franklin Avenue - Really nice blog on Los Angeles that covers a lot of themes in common with my website. Lots of nice pictures on classic sites. Franklin Avenue is of course one of the coolest streets in town. After all, the Montecito is there.

Terra Non Firma - Nice blog on Los Angeles with a good variety of architecture discussions and links - and very honest commentary. /

The Diner - Nice Los Angeles blog that concentrates on good old American comfort food - from Ribs to Chow Mein! By a fellow guy from Maryland. Plenty of Baltimore Colts history as well. If anyone is up on Johnny U. it's this guy. /

LA.Foodblogging - All encompassing food blog in LA. Neat resource to answer all your Los Angeles food questions. /

The Lope - Great blog with many themes in common with this site. Really nice pictures as well from the Southern California area. /

Classic Cars of Los Angeles - Great blog on classic cars in Los Angeles that one stumbles upon spontaneously when traveling around Los Angeles.  Nothing enhances the time machine effect of Los Angeles more than a classic car!

One of the last remnants of the Ambassador Hotel on Wilshire.  I think they could have saved a little more.

CAFES/RESTAURANTS:

Classic Cafes - Perhaps the only other website on the history of restaurants (well Cafes) besides my site and the sites dedicated to American Diners (if there are more out there, let me know!).  This is an essential resource if you are going across the pond to the UK. Over there the time machines transport you wayyy back! /\

Nice Remnants of the King Edward Hotel's Glory Days

HISTORY/MODERNISM/PRESERVATION: 

The Story of Classic Las Vegas - Two major must see documentaries will be released this year on Las Vegas, based on hundreds of interviews of those who experienced the Vegas golden age.  For a "preview" of these documentaries checkout this new site with great vintage Vegas graphics. Lynn Zook is perhaps the greatest modern historian on Las Vegas pop history. /

The Los Angeles Conservancy -  the group is bravely fighting to keep Los Angeles' historical buildings from being demolished. Their "Last Remaining Seats" program is a must see, where closed movie palaces are opened for one night. Nothing short of incredible.  They show classic films, sometimes with a live orchestra and sometimes with the movie stars from the films.  This is one of the only ways to see the interior of the Los Angeles Theater or the Orpheum. Their walking tours on Saturdays are one of Los Angeles' best attractions for tourists or locals.

They don't make neon like this anymore - and you'll have to go to Reno, NV to see it.

ROADSIDE/MOTELS/SIGNAGE/NEON:

Road Trip America - If you are embarking on a road trip, this site is a must see first. Very well organized site with extensive resources, maps, books and just about everything else you need before you explore.

Motels of the Southwest - A great site for those of you into neon, that hypnotic, somewhat lost art, you'll love this site.  A beautiful poster of Motel neon is also available for purchase.

Debra Jane's Homepage - Incredible site, especially for roadside vernacular architecture (e.g. the Brown Derby). Lots of wonderful photos. Load's of nostalgia.

Bygonebyways - great website on Rt. 66 and other nostalgic highways, now rapidly disappearing - make sure to check it out!

Roadsidepeek - One of the best sites I've discovered. Loads of really good pictures on neon motel signs, Googie, tiki and all roadside retro. A must see site!  Wish I could do nearly as well. Talk about an incredibly wide coverage of the U.S.

The Arcade building in Downtown Los Angeles - will American culture ever return to this kind of attention to detail?

LOS ANGELES GENERAL:

Electricearl.com - nice site on all things Los Angeles, especially music resources. Very well established on the web. Check out his daily webcam of Los Angeles - for those of you like me, who know what it means to miss "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reyna de Los Angeles de Porsiuncula" . His site also reminds me that I should not have sold my 1964 pre-CBS Strat back in high school for $150!!

Things to Do in Los Angeles -LAOkay.com - Nice site on hundreds of things to do in Los Angeles and other areas of California. All sorts of topics and activities. Lot's of historical pictures. Good resource for Googie Restaurants.

Aprilbaby - All around fun site on Los Angeles and living in the suburbs by a fellow bohemian. Well designed. Extremely well written. Wish she would do a book on the San Fernando Valley. One of the best sites around for the San Fernando Valley.

Hollywood USA - Great site on all things Hollywood. Lots of nice pictures.

Art Deco Grill on Hollywood Boulevard - Bring back Art Deco! It's better than any current style (urgggh! Those mirrored glass buildings).

TOURS - LOS ANGELES

LAS ANGELITAS - Wonderful group dedicated to the History of "Nuestra Senora La Reyna De Los Angeles de Porcuincula" - the original Los Angeles Pueblo. Check out their site for free tours and historical information. I think these tours are free.

See latimemachines.com's sister site - www.oldschoolla.com for some Denver Time Machines.

LAS VEGAS IN GENERAL:

Living Las Vegas (Megan Edwards) - Great site on all topics relating to Las Vegas, tourism and travel.  Get all the info you need here before you visit.

Kathy Kroll's Web Page - Great site on the Classic Days of Las Vegas Casino Entertainment, by a former dancer and lovely lady who experienced it all first hand.  Lot's of great photos.

Go to www.oldschoolla.com  for a ton of Las Vegas neon signs - both daytime and night - with Reno time machines and neon signs as well.

THE WORLD IN GENERAL:

Things You Should Do - Ever find yourself sitting around bored and with nothing to do. Shame on you! With this website, you can find all kinds of new activities and pretty much anywhere in the world. Adios couch potato!

Dallas / Ft. Worth is one incredible metropolitan area - go to our sister site www.oldschoolla.com for tons of time machines there.

RETRO OR TOO HARD TO DESCRIBE:

Retro Roadmap - The best site out there for finding retro places with great pictures, maps and reviews.  These guys really know their stuff!  Highly recommended. And they have been very supportive of my favorite place - Musso and Frank Grill - the WORLD'S GREATEST BAR and Ultimate Hollywood Experience!

Martinimusic.com - Go here to find four great sites in one.  Lounge music, book a real lounge band, art deco furnishings, art deco photography and live acts - it just goes on and on.  These are my type of people! /

Miscellaneous:

Yard Sale Bloodbath - If you are like me and love garage sales - check out this great blog by my cousin who really knows her stuff!  Plenty of laughs and very well written. There are few greater joys in life than the mega-deal at a yard sale!

Jatbar.com - Jason's and Terry's Bay Area Review - Lot's of great restaurant reviews for San Francisco, but includes some classic places in Los Angeles as well.

Original Los Angeles Lamp Post

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Historic Los Angeles Bars & Restaurants I have Yet to Explore | Area Tours of Metro Los Angeles History

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Old Restaurants of Los Angeles that are Remodeled  |WARNINGS!

Photos of Old Town Historic Pasadena  |  Matchbooks & Historic Images

Misc. Pictures of Historic Oakland and San Francisco buildings | Misc. Pict. of Baltimore/D.C.

Awards and Recognitions for Los Angeles Time Machines  |  RENO NEON SIGNS | CHRONOLOGY

My Choices for Top Ten Best Los Angeles History Time Machines for Various Categories

Miscellaneous Facts on Los Angeles bar and restaurant history  |

TIKI/GOOGIE/ART DECO/NEON | Misc. FUN FACTS RESTAURANT HISTORY |

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