This post follows on from yesterday’s post about Pandora’s Box. Gary Helsinger, frequent contributor to my Facebook page, posted this shot on Facebook and I thought I’d feature it today. We’re looking south from Sunset Blvd down Crescent Heights Blvd in West Hollywood. We can see more clearly here that Pandora’s Box coffeehouse/nightclub was on a triangular island (which was bigger than I imagined.) That white pavilion on the right with the dome housed the Garden of Allah Hotel model outside the Lytton’s Savings and Loan bank branch that Bart Lytton commissioned after buying and tearing down the hotel in 1959. Gary didn’t include a date for this photo so I’m guessing circa early 1960s.
** UPDATE ** – Alison Martino just told me that the photo was taken in 1966 by Ed Ruscha.
Jon P. says: “That triangular island was the flashpoint in the Sunset Strip Riots in November and December 1966. The problem was traffic flow. Back then you couldn’t go straight from Crescent Heights onto Laurel Canyon Blvd. You had to make a sharp dog-leg turn. That jammed up traffic at the intersection, so they demolished PB and shaved off the side of the triangle.
The underlying issue that caused the riots was a generational struggle between the Strip’s old guard (Silent Generation) and the young rock ‘n roll fans (Boomers) who crowded the sidewalks shoulder to shoulder and packed the boulevard’s music venues. The Old Guard won and the Sheriff’s Dept imposed a curfew on kids under 18, which was half the crowd. But it was the announcement in November ’66 that triggered the rioting. The riots had nothing to do with Civil Rights or the War, but were, as the Beastie Boys would say, about the right to par-tay!
The riots went on sporadically at night through late November and into December 1966. On the last night Pandora’s Box was open, Stephen Stills debuted on the stage his song about the riots, “For What It’s Worth,” with the memorable lyric, “There’s something happening here, but what it is ain’t exactly clear. There’s a man with a gun over there telling me I got to beware.”
This is roughly the same view in May 2024. The island is still there (now empty) and the site that used to be home to the Garden of Allah Hotel and later a mini mall is now a vacant plot of land that had been earmarked for a Frank Gehry mixed-use development which was suddenly cancelled.
Martin, yes, this club, which seemed to be the epicenter of the “civic disturbance” on the Sunset Strip in 1966 was on that traffic island which, as you mentioned, “was bigger than I imagined.” That’s because afterwards, the city decided to reconfigure the island which would necessitate the demolition of the building on it. (Perhaps to also eliminate the symbol of the event?) As it stood in 1966, if you were going north on Crescent Heights when you got to Sunset Blvd. you had to turn right. They kept that lane, but they also eliminated at least a third of the traffic island so that you can now cross Sunset Blvd. and continue north into the valley if you so desire. (Crescent Heights at Santa Monica Blvd. also had this same pattern. The reason for these curved lanes was that the road used to have some kind of trolly system there along Crescent Heights.)
I found this link from L.A. City planning, which shows these items concerning this interesting spot in L.A. history:
https://planning.lacity.gov/eir/8150Sunset/AdminRecord/W.%20Lamborn%20Email%20Correspondence/W.%20Lamborn%20Email%20Attachments/2016.06.10%200229pm_FTC_SUPPLEMENTAL%208150%20SUNSET%20WITH%20PICS.pdf
1. 1905 Sanborn map showing the Crescent Heights Tract.
2. 1941 Crescent Heights and Sunset and 8118 Sunset. (aerial)
3. 1950’s Shows full area. (aerial)
4. 1966 8118 Sunset (Pandora’s Box). Right hand turn lane in foreground.
5. 1967 Demo permit for 8116-8118 Sunset (Pandora’s Box).
6. 1967 Drawing of Pandora’s box on parcel to be demolished.
7. 1968 Bank and in the distance the now traffic Island 8118 Sunset.
8. 1973 Right hand turn lane and Island.
9. 2016 Right hand turn lane and Island.
10. 2016 Current Traffic Flow Crescent Heights and Sunset.
11. 2016 Current traffic Island and projects projected public space.
The last entry concerns the project that Martin mentions has been canceled.
Wow, thanks for all this research, Martin!
Yes Martin, up until 1924 there was a single track out on this western section of Sunset as part of the Hollywood Line. Sunset did not go to the ocean via the strip back then..it was still part of Beverly. This would have been the connection down to the Santa Monica Line that ran by Sherman. I believe it may have once been part of a loop service to turn back east and then north. More than half of all routing via Hollywood Blvd. once ran on Sunset. Then it all ended quickly. John Bengtson has an entry in his silent film locations blog about Chaplin filming on that section. Unfortunately, still photographs of the trolley service in that area are not plentiful.
Interesting, Al, thanks!
Why is it Martin that every current photo you print looks like a disaster?
Why do people in your city believe that vacant ugly land is more attractive than older buildings? I do not understand the logic in this!!!! Please help me understand if you can. I use to love visiting your city but the more of it I see inn your photo’s the less I care to go back for a visit!!!
John, that traffic median in the current photo has been like that since 1967. Haven’t you been here since then?
I ate several times while there at the Pollo Loco that was in that strip mall. When did they tear that all down??? I was there probably 10 years ago. Looks like much has changed. I think the strip mall was more attractive than the empty lot!!!
John, don’t worry. Martin is planning on rebuilding The Garden of Allah there. 🙂
That’s right. I’m one simple Mega Millions lottery win away from making it happen.
With specific respect to the old Garden of Allah site, the developers full planned on redeveloping it. They had gone through all the (many) hoops with the city that it takes to get a project like that approved. They’d gone so far as to clear that eyesore of a mini mall, but I guess funding fell apart at literally the last minute. As always, “follow the money.”
The one good thing about that parcel being leveled and vacant at the moment is that when you are traveling north up Crescent Heights the Chateau Marmont on the hillside stands out in glorious relief.