These days, Los Angeles is littered with corner mini-malls. Hardly any of them are particularly attractive or add anything to the overall cityscape (aside from crassly commercial functionality, I guess.) What a much more pleasant vista it would be if they looked more like this one. Taken in 1930, this shows a mini mall on the northeast corner of Wilshire Blvd and Hamilton Dr., a block east of Restaurant Row on La Cienega Blvd. How many mini malls these days have a clock tower, a Juliet balcony, and an arched doorway??? I have two questions I’m hoping somebody might be able to answer: Are other US cities filled with mini malls, or is that more of a California thing? And would people back in the 1930s have called these places “mini malls”?
** UPDATE ** – David G says: “The term “mini-mall” is of circa 1965 vintage, because first there had to be big shopping “malls” (a postwar development) before there could be “mini-malls” as a terminological matter. But small strips like this go back to the 1920s and are thought to be a Los Angeles export. See: A Brief History of the Mini-Mall
Thankfully, this mini mall has survived the years intact. This image is from March 2021.
Mini malls are an America wide travesty unfortunately
Not sure but believe these types of establishments were referred to as “drive-in-markets”, their original purpose. Recall in the 1980’s this location was used as the Beverly Hills Porche dealership. Can you imagine a more charming car dealership building?
Too bad the original streetlight & flagpole as tall as the clocktower are gone.
You’re right, Matt. They were called “drive-in markets” as this article points out:
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-nov-16-tm-54209-story.html
Good catch!
There was a car dealership on Wilshire in Santa Monica near 16th or 17th that was really cool. Spanish style with huge arched windows and iron work. I always loved it.
On edit: It has a huge arched door, the windows are square. It’s at 1626 Wilshire in Santa Monica, and it’s a Mercedes dealership.
Building original constructed as a Packard dealership by Earl C. Anthony. Recall when Mercedes took over the building, they placed a very cool small blue Neon Mercedes Star over the entrance. In a subsequent fire, the City of Santa Monica (The People’s Republic) refused to allow the Neon Star to be replaced!
Is there a cafe/feedbag of some sort involved in this one?
I’d say chances are pretty good that there’s a cafe in there somewhere.