Andy Chase

12/30/2001 - 12/30/2001 - Friendly Hills Bowl

15545 East Whittier Boulevard • Whittier, California

The contrast of the futuristic boomerang roof against the stone material of the wall is a perfect example of the Googie style.

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12/30/2001 - Jack's Whittier Restaurant
13221 Whittier Boulevard • Whittier, California

Although the coffee shop itself has lost any Googie character it may have once had, the Jack's sign has held up nicely over the years.

12/30/2001 - Dal Rae Restaurant

9023 Washington Boulevard • Pico Rivera, California

Opened in 1958¹, the Dal Rae looks like a great restaurant inside and out; See the Dal Rae web site for photos of the dining areas.

¹ The Dal Rae Story. Dal Rae Restaurant. 31 Jan 2002. <http://www.dalrae.com/about.htm>

12/30/2001 - Tastee Freez

127 N. Asuza Ave • Covina, California

I believe the orange A-Frame design pegs this as one of the original Tastee Freez restaurants, but never having had them around central Massachusetts (at least, not that I knew of) I can't say for sure.

12/30/2001 - Covina Bowl

1060 West San Bernardino Road • Covina, California

Closeup of the bowling alley's stylish sign.

12/30/2001 - 15130 Whittier Blvd • Whittier, California

The first Muffler Man I've seen in greater Los Angeles who is actually holding a muffler.

12/26/2001 - A closer shot of the Safari Inn's sign, taken from underneath the sun deck.

Note the inward-curving sides of the swimming pool, matching the shape of the sign.

Unfortunately, the desk clerk told me I couldn't actually go up on the deck to take photographs. I'm not sure whether it was a liability issue, or if they thought I was going to be somehow profiting from it. Places around Los Angeles are sometimes cagey about letting you take photos without some kind of release. They didn't say anything when I was shooting from the ground, though.

Safari Inn - 1911 West Olive St, Burbank, California

A wonderfully preserved sign presides over the classic 1950's motel, which you may recognize as one of the filming locations for True Romance. Be sure to visit 8 Ball, a retro clothing and accessories store located across the street.

Sherman Way at Sepulveda Boulevard, Van Nuys, California

This is the same Muffler Man I shot a little over two years ago. Until I got up close, I didn't realize that not only had his kerchief been repainted, but his beard has been painted over with skin color; only the dastardly pencil moustache remains.

From a distance all you can see is his lantern jaw, but up close the flesh colored ridges of his beard look terrible.

Moorpark Avenue, Sherman Oaks, California.

The dog got me up extra early one morning, and I decided to run back outiside with the camera since I'm hardly ever up at the crack of dawn.