For a Pacific Electric Red Car to be able to go around a corner, it needed two fairly wide streets to intersect. In this circa 1940s photo (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong about the date), a streetcar coming out of the San Fernando Valley and heading for the subway terminal in downtown LA is at Santa Monica Blvd and Highland Ave. In color shots like this we can see how eye-catching that red is—you could see them coming from miles away. As much as many of us miss the Red Cars, I don’t think any of us pine for the days when all that electrical wiring stretched overhead. It is a bit of an eyesore, isn’t it? The other detail that caught my eye is the typewriter store on the left. That’s something you never see anymore. In fact, I wonder if they still even make typewriters…?
Here is how that corner looked in January 2021.
I am thinking 1950 or 1951 judging by the green Pontiac or Buick, the second car back. Also if the Red Car was turning off Santa Monica and on to Highland, it would be the north-east corner it is rounding ( provided the camera is facing east ).
Fond memories of my Grandmother taking me downtown L.A. at Christmas time to tour the ‘ big stores ‘ toy departments, riding the Red Car from the S.F. Valley ( Chandler Blvd. ) down to the underground station on S. Hill and 4th. We would walk past the ice skating rink at Pershing Square and listen to the Christmas music being played for the skaters, visit the stores, then eat lunch at Clifton’s Cafeteria. It was a thrill for me to ride into the tunnel, look into the lit windows of the outbound cars, arrive at the lower level terminal platform, go upstairs to street level and into the bright day. Last time for me was December of ’54 when I was eight. The next year, GM bought out Pacific Electric and sold Los Angeles their busses.
Thanks for sharing your memories, Richard. I envy them! For me, all of that sort of thing can only be experienced in photos like this one.
Oh you bet. Treasured memories and your page stimulates the recollection.
This was the same Grandmother that did all the vacation flying, with the family seeing her off and picking her up at L. A. International. Dad was also a serious ‘ wingnut ‘ and we spent much time at the various airports around the Valley as well as L.A., Santa Monica, and Long Beach. In thos days walking the ramps was easy to do, and got close to the aircraft of interest. When the Sepulveda tunnel was opened in 1953 that took traffic under the runways at L.A. International, Dad took us down, going from Century to Imperial, back and forth many times for the novelty. So much fun.
Regarding the Belmont Tunnel and the Toluca Substation at its opening, there were two tracks in that split into five ( if memory serves ), each terminating in the building facing S. Hill. Coming up to the lobby was like a grand palace and was a special event with each visit. After the tunnel was closed, it has been used many times for TV and movies. Predator 2 is my favorite.
Cheers.
The Rainbow Market was at 6763 Santa Monica, so I think the corner we are seeing here is across Highland from the Public Storage. The current building on the corner has the same general shape as the credit bureau building, although much smaller.
https://i.imgur.com/z4xgjcC.png
Ah! So it’s the northeast corner with the donut place. Thanks Johnny. I’ll change the post. Much appreciated.
Thanks for your confirming comment. Red Car journeys were sure a part of my early life. Further west, the right of way for the tracks split Santa Monica Blvd. into two-lane bidirectional roadways though I haven’t been in that area for decades. These nostalgic photos are a nice memory tickle for me. Your comment is appreciated.
The Route66 postcards site has an advertisement for Milani’s Mile Long French Dip sandwiches joint at 6802 so it must have been closeby on the northwest corner area (out of view here). Claimed to have the bottomless cup of coffee. You could go broke doing that these days.
Or maybe the even numbers were on the south side?
Yes north east corner—-I took this streetcar down Highland on to Santa Monica Blvd. down to Bronson where I got off and walked up to Le Conte Jr. High in 1947
Thanks for the memories
Grant Loucks