VALLEY PLAZA in the way back machine

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MY MOM
LET US DO
helicopters
and Coca Cola
... IN NOHO !
By Louis Elovitz
Digital Journalist

With all this talk
of the future for Valley Plaza
I am going way way back
to my childhood events
in the Victory Van Owen Park
area of North Hollywood































up up and away...

I PERSONALLY KNOW
OF ONE AIRPORT IN
NORTH HOLLYWOOD,
and I grew up hearing
of another, both near
each other,
at different times. 

When I grew up an older friend
David Kennedy, said his Dad had
flown his airplanes landing in the
WASH that is now the 170 where
his house was approximately in
the area of Laurel Cyn and Burbank
NE near the WASH.


Movie Theater former
Alexander's Market



My Mom would always take us to shop. One area was
VALLEY PLAZA, or as she would jokingly call it,
"Valley Pleasure" the part SW of Sears by the Theater
which was an ALEXANDER'S MARKET.
Oh, the COKE MACHINE in this market on those hot
Valley days would dispense a bottle of COKE, 8oz,
that was so cold the first drinks were COKE SLUSH.


Victory Van Owen park
In Valley Plaza



The large parking lot is the same today leading to that
part of Victory Van Owen Park which WAS/IS on both
sides of the WASH/170FWY. The WASH was great
all that sand, and on the other side there was a slanting
concrete wall that we would get a piece of corrugated box
throw some sand and sliiiide!


Basically Victory Blvd
and Laurel Cyn


In 1957 (I looked it up on the web) L.A. Airways
paved a landing circle and road from Victory Blvd
to have a helicopter mail stop, which a man in a
station wagon would come and pick up US Mail.
My best friend Richard and I once took a passenger
trip on the noisy Korean Era helicopter leaving
VALLEY PLAZA going to Van Nuys, LAX,
Down Town L.A. and Burbank Airport
(BOB HOPE AIRPORT
originally LOCKHEED AIRCRAFT)
a very noisy but exciting flight.

SO, there you are
frozen Coke before Slurpees
and 2 (TWO) airports in NOHO,
a 'private' landing field once in the wash,
and the scheduled helicopter runs to/from
a small landing in the wash.
TOLD YA!.
.
.

Valley/Laurel Plaza Plans Slammed by Local NIMBYs

At the risk of sounding like the old, dead Republican Mayor (something I really try not to do here as I blog out of that character) I have to say though I understand some of the local concerns and fears about plans to remake Valley and Laurel Plazas north west of Downtown NoHo, I don't agree with them.

JH Snyder - who is revered as a near god here in the District for bringing us HOWS and NoHo Commons - wants to work his magic on the two legendary shopping centers I knew and loved as a child of North Hollywood (yes some of us are still here).

Who among us can forget the party store at Valley Plaza, the movie theatre on Bellingham (where I first saw Star Wars) and of course hanging at Laurel Plaza at the Ice Capades Chalet and seeing the new puppies, kittens or snakes at Safari Pets home of Safari Arnie from the Elementary News.

When I was a wee one my mom and grandmother would attend fashion shows at the tea room at May Co. My mother told me all the ladies at Laurel Plaza would say "What a beautiful baby."

Time, economic forces and the 1994 Northridge Earthquake brought an end to all of that. Valley Plaza crept into oblivion and all that could be saved after the quake of Laurel Plaza was the then May Company later Robinsons-May now Macy's. The quake and the recession put an end to one plan to restore Laurel Plaza back in the 90s.

Snyder's plan in a nutshell is to basically bulldoze all of Valley Plaza and replace it with an upscale outdoor mall similar to The Grove or Snyder's BellaTerra (pictured) in Huntington Beach, anchored by a new Macy's. Once that's complete, Macy's would vacate the current location which we could converted to condos while the surrounding massive parking lot would be populated by more condos, apartments and townhomes - as well as a new city park.

Besides the usual nannypoo NIMBY nonsense tied to this project (such as big-box-a-phobia because God forbid an upscale version of Costco is interested in a spot) is concern that a sliver of Valley Plaza Park connected to the eastern berm of the 17o freeway would be vacated by the new Valley Plaza and replaced with a brand new, state of the art neighborhood park at Laurel Plaza. If you haven't seen the parkland to be replaced, don't bother. Its really nothing more than grass and some trees choked between parking lot and the freeway. Its not where junior goes to play ball but rather where meth addicts hang out to score their next fix.

Though some of the surrounding neighbors bring up an almost irrational, hateful opposition to the project overall there is no doubt it is something that would benefit all of us in the community and the region was well. I personally am tired of having to drive to places like West Hollywood or Santa Clarita or Pasadena or anywhere else I have visited in this state to see something like this. Its high time North Hollywood has the kind of upscale retail and entertainment options every other community has.

Snyder has a great track record already in North Hollywood. I trust him to create something wonderful on the other end of town.

more NUDIE ...( NOT pornographic )

.
.
• NUDIE armed his PONTIAC

By Louis Elovitz
Digital Journalist

NUDIE - WESTERN CLOTHIER OF THE STARS

...As Mike showed us the other day, NoHo has always
been privy to celebrities.  Annette Funicello was married
at the Church across from Ernie's Tacos.   Jimmy, the
head Mouseketeer ( circa 1950's no Britteny ) used
to shop with his Mom around town. USSR Khrushchev
drove down Laurel Cyn before being refused
admittance to Disneyland.   So, it is not unusual to
have the most famous Western Clothier in our town.

Nudie Western Clothier
road around NoHo,
then still called North Hollywood,
in one of his continually updated








PONTIAC convertibles always
decked out with SIX SHOOTERS
as door handles, SILVER DOLLARS
lining the dash and of course
a large set of COW HORNS as the
HOOD ORNAMENT.




( He probably always got PONTIACs
from the dealer that was across from
the Universal Star Market down on
Lankershim, which is the 99cent Store ).
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Elvis and NoHo

Last week was the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley (yes we realize some of you out there think he is still alive) and it gave me a moment to reflect on Elvis' own NoHo connection.

You can read here about where I was when Elvis died, and other semi-related issues.

Nudie Cohn was a Ukrainian immigrant who emigrated to the US almost a 100 years ago. Cohn eventually settled in North Hollywood in 1947. With help from western bandleader Tex Williams, Nudie got his business going. Nudie and his wife Bobbie sewed costumes for a number of entertainers, including the famous gold lame suit Elvis bought for $10,000 in 1957.

The original Nudie shop was located on Victory and Vineland. In 1963 Nudie moved to the famous 5015 Lankershim Boulevard location (now a furniture store).

The list of Nudie's clients was legendary - as was Nudie himself. I had the opportunity to meet Nudie several times as a child when my father, then a country music songwriter, took me to the shop including during live remotes for country powerhouse KLAC radio.

Nudie created several suits for Elvis - right here in NoHo - and developed a friendship with Elvis' manager, Colonel Tom Parker who visited the store often.

Nudie died in 1984 and his wife Bobbie and grandaughter Jamie kept the store going for another ten years before Bobbie decided it was time to close down. The Nudie tradition is kept alive somewhat by Jamie's father and Nudie protege Manuel Cuevas who eventually moved his NoHo based operation to Nashville.

Incidentally though Nudie charged Elvis ten grand for that suit that The King apparently didn't care for and only wore twice, the cost to make it was about $50.

(Nudie related photos from www.nudiesrodeotailor.com)

When I Was A Kid Old People Didn't Get It

I remember that day that Elvis died, Tuesday, August 16th, 1977. I was 12, almost 13 and dreaming of a career in radio when I grew up. I had become a fan of a talkradio program that aired then on the Cal State Northridge radio station, KCSN. The current format of the public radio station owned by the University is "arts and roots radio," but back in 77 it was more of an eclectic mix of talk and music more akin to KCRW.

I was more than thrilled on that Tuesday afternoon that a then talk host on the station had invited me to visit the studio after I had called his about a half dozen times. I was sitting in the control room when the engineer received a phone call. He hung up the phone and announced to us, "Elvis Presley just died."

A call was placed to the station manager as to whether or not the current broadcast should be interrupted to announce the King's death. The response back was "Our listeners would not be interested in a rock and roll singer. We can wait until the news at the top of the hour."

Every other television and radio station in Los Angeles broke into programming to carry the news of the passing of Elvis.

Another example of the difference in the older generation when I was a kid compared to now is a similar but different experience I had at the assassination of John Lennon in 1980. At that point I was a junior at San Fernando High School. I had asked the school principal if the school would fly the flag at half staff in honor of Lennon. The principal declined, telling me "Michael, Jack (sic) Lennon was not a very savory individual. I don't think it would be appropriate to lower our flag in his honor."

This is the same San Fernando High School that refused to place a photo of alum, rocker Ritchie Valens on their wall of fame in the school office. Why? I was told because he had never actually graduated (of course he died at 17). It took almost another generation and a hit movie about the singer (some of which was filmed at the school) to get Ritchie's picture up on the wall as well as his name on a park in his hometown of Pacoima.

Jaycees Help Kids Get Back to School Clothes

Smiles and cheer on July 28th at the 7th Annual UCNH Jaycees "Childpsree" at Mervyn's Sun Valley. Jaycees (Junior Chamber) and friends from the North Hollywood Rotary, Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce, and North Hollywood High School Key Club raised money this summer to take local low-income kids back to school shopping for clothes and supplies.

Fundraisers inlcuded a Body Image Gym Fitness Challenge and McDonald's Night at the Lankershim and Victory Store. After the "Childspree" event, a Pizza Party was hosted by Chuck-E-Cheese Sun Valley for the kids and volunteers. The UCNH Jaycees are the premiere leadership and development organization for young adults ages 18-41 in the San Fernando Valley. For more information contact President Jack Witt at jack@getfitwithWitt.com.

(Photo by Rony Armas of Lunaset.com)

Two of Them? NoHo and Highland Park Old Bank Clones

Upon a visit to Highland Park today I had to do a double take - could it be that overnight someone lifted the former Security Bank Building from Weddington and Lankershim and moved it to Figueroa Street in north east Los Angeles?

Highland Park Security Bank - Available
(Photo by Michael Higby)

Not quite.

Apparently back in the 20s the Security Trust and Savings Bank built at least a few banks with more or less the same design. The branch in NoHo (soon to become The Bank Heist Restaurant and Club), the aformentioned and currently empty Highland Park location and another branch in Eagle Rock that was razed in the 60s for a more "modern" structure.

The Hotspot Formerly Known as Security Bank
(Photo by Lindsay William-Ross for LAist)

Besides its tenure as a bank, the NoHo location has served as a bookstore (anyone remember The Paperback Shack?) and later was the temporary home of the Actors Renegade Theatre while it's Magnolia Boulevard theatre was under construction (now the NoHo Theatre Center). It's also been used for various events such as art exhibitions during the NoHo Arts Festival. Some of the upstairs offices have been used as loft living pre-NoHo Commons.

Maybe Bank Heist wants to open up a branch in the rapidly becoming hip Highland Park?

NoHo ARTS Gallery L.A. • FEMININE MYSTIQUE

• NoHo Art
Gallery L.A.
opening

By Louis Elovitz
Digital Journalist

FEMININE MYSTIQUE

Saturday
August 11
opening run


North Hollywood
California
clic∆link

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Mid Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council -Get Involved!

Mid-Town North Hollywood Committee Town Hall
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. (August Board Meeting to follow at 8 p.m.)
Fair Avenue School 6501 Fair Avenue North Hollywood, California 91606

Committees will be formed for the 2007-2008 Year. Be sure to attend and pass the word to others that the following committees will be forming:

Arts and Humanities
Beautification
Budget and Finance
Communications
Emergency Response
Planning, Land Use, Housing and Transportation
Rules and Elections
Tenant/Residents Construction Impact Committee

All stakeholders in North Hollywood are invited to attend and join a committee.

NoHo EDUCATION .05 ( mine again )

. .
..
• VICTORY BLVD ELEMENTARY
& THE WILD WILD WEST

By Louis Elovitz
Digital Journalist

I WENT HERE. Actually I first went to preschool
at VJCC Valley Jewish Community Center, then
I entered Victory Elementary from kgn to 6 grade
Victory Blvd Elementary was built in 1924
as seen above, the road on the right top side
is Victory Blvd, named for our Victory in WWI.
That building is gone but the spirit and school remain.

At least once a year we had EVENTS staged on the
asphalt play yard. It could be the LAPD showing
car demonstrations, or the ZOO would send a
truck sponsored by Sears full of animals to see.

Sometimes there would be a 'pay event' like a
small circus or a Western show...

We see the Wild West
visiting Victory Boulevard
Elementary with a special show
by Monty Montana
who rode his horse
and performed rope tricks,
he also rode in many
parades for years.



















Years later Monty was
at my daughter Jessica's
HOMECOMING at
Verdugo High in
Sunland Tujunga





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VALLEY PLAZA HELIPORT

.
.

•  MY MOM LET US DO
helicopters and Coca Cola
... IN NOHO !
By Louis Elovitz
Digital Journalist

up up and away...

I PERSONALLY KNOW
OF ONE AIRPORT IN
NORTH HOLLYWOOD,
and I grew up hearing
of another, both near
each other,
at different times. 

When I grew up an older friend
David Kennedy, said his Dad had
flown his airplanes landing in the
WASH that is now the 170 where
his house was approximately in
the area of Laurel Cyn and
Burbank NE near the WASH.


Movie Theater former
Alexander's Market
SOON TO BE TORN DOWN
FOR THE coming MEGAMALL


My Mom would always take us to shop. One area was
VALLEY PLAZA, or as she would jokingly call it,
"Valley Pleasure" the part SW of Sears by the Theater
which was an ALEXANDER'S MARKET.
Oh, the COKE MACHINE in this market on those hot
Valley days would dispense a bottle of COKE, 8oz,
that was so cold the first drinks were COKE SLUSH.


VIctory Van Owen park
In Valley Plaza



The large parking lot is the same today leading to that
part of Victory Van Owen Park which WAS/IS on both
sides of the WASH/170FWY. The WASH was great
all that sand, and on the other side there was a slanting
concrete wall that we would get a piece of corrugated box
throw some sand and sliiiide!


Basically Victory Blvd
and Laurel Cyn

In 1957 (I looked it up on the web) L.A. Airways
paved a landing circle and road from Victory Blvd
to have a helicopter mail stop, which a man in a
station wagon would come and pick up US Mail.
My best friend Richard and I once took a passenger
trip on the noisy Korean Era helicopter leaving
VALLEY PLAZA going to Van Nuys, LAX,
Down Town L.A. and Burbank Airport
(BOB HOPE AIRPORT
originally LOCKHEED AIRCRAFT)
a very noisy but exciting flight.

SO, there you are
2 (TWO) airports in NOHO,
TOLD YA!.
.
.

NOHO old skool, really

.
.
• NOHO farmland in 1898
and more of our history
By Louis Elovitz
Digital Journalist







clic
2 ∆
enlarge






This is what started North Hollywood, AGRICULTURE.
Lankershim Ranch fields being plowed and sowed.

In 1874 a treaty was signed by the US and Mexico
in Noho at Campo de Cahuenga, 2 decades later
Issac Lankershim and his friend I N Van Nuys
bought and planted lands in what we know as
the San Fernando Valley.




clic
2 ∆
enlarge





Wilson C Weddington and others started various
retail establishments in the new town Lankershim.
1910 and the Pacific Electric Red Car brought basic
transportation to 'NoHo' and Southern California.

Universal Pictures opened in 1915 with studio tours.
( we always think we are in 'the future' now )
Victory Blvd was named for Victory in WW 1.
North Hollywood became part of the
City of Los Angeles in 1927 voted by residents
after members first decided to in 1923.
My Alma Mater NHHS was opened for students
in 1928 ( GO HUSKIES! )

...and this is only a very very very small bit of
OUR NOHO HISTORY and CELEBRITY
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