Andy Chase

I need to do something about my terrible timing when it comes to visiting classic spots around Los Angeles.



Just this last weekend I was thinking about driving down to Hawthorne and Downey early one morning to take some photos of Chip's Coffee Shop, the oldest McDonald's in the country, and Johnie's Broiler Coffee Shop. I think I elected to sleep in instead, reasoning that I would be able to go next weekend, or whenever.



I bought an L.A. Times to read at lunch today, and to my horror read that Johnie's Broiler has ceased to operate as a coffee shop; apparently the new owner of the property is making a half-assed attempt at turning the establishment into a used car lot. This happened some time last month, well before I added the place to my list of buildings to photograph, but that's not much consolation.



Fortunately, there seem to be a good many people upset about this, and the article said there have been multiple pleas to the L.A. Conservancy's Modern Committee to help save the establishment from either being torn down, or allowed to crumble and fade at the corner of a shabby used car lot.



This is probably the shove I need to do something more proactive than taking photos and join the conservancy myself, and get involved with Modcom... the idea has already been kicking around my head these last few weeks, but I haven't given it too much thought because of my burnout as a docent at the Ennis-Brown and Hollyhock houses a couple of years ago. I think working with the conservancy would be more fulfilling in the long run, though, and I guess it's time to look into it.



So this weekend I'll certainly be heading down to Downey to get some photos of Johnie's before it gets festooned with any more crappy plastic banner signs. (The photo accompanying the article shows a "USED CARS" banner string unceremoniously across the edge of the roof under the lively "Johnie's" neon script.)



And from now on I have to try to get myself in the habit of just going to these places as soon as I learn about them. I should have gone back to the Sundown with a real camera when I had the chance, and it was torn down by the time I got around to it... ditto with the "Monty's Steak House" sign that had stood over a vacant lot in Encino for the 5 years we've lived in the Valley. Early last month I had an errand over that way and finally had the presence aforethought to bring the camera with me. The sign, which I had driven by not two weeks earlier on Christmas Eve, had disappeared under a new parking lot. Ditto "Schaeber's Cafeteria", formerly at Victory blvd near Laurel Canyon... Schaeber's closed before I ever got around to eating lunch there, and some months later reopened as the "Mirage Cafe". The classic sign from the 40's or 50's disappeared an in its place is a stark white sign with ugly, straight text that looks terrible in its oval frame. Ditto the bowling alley/coffee shop way out by San Fernando on the San Fernando road... the first time I drove by the place in 1997 it was closed and boarded up, but its amazing "Coffee Shop" sign was still there and hadn't even been destroyed by vandals. When I finally went back with a camera in 1999 the bowling alley had been reopened, but not before being stripped of all of its original character and painted white. The sign is gone, probably in a landfill somewhere.



Damn, now I have half a mind to head down to Downey tonight. I probably would if I had any confidence that Johnie's neon signage would be on after dark.