Tag Archives: Downtown Los Angeles

Cordova Hotel at 808 S. Figueroa St, on the southeast corner of 8th St, downtown Los Angeles, circa 1910s

I don’t know a lot about the Cordova Hotel which stood at 808 S. Figueroa St, on the southeast corner of 8th St in downtown Los Angeles other than the four-story building opened in 1913. But hey, what a stunning … Continue reading

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Looking across Bunker Hill near where Olive St meets 2nd St, downtown Los Angeles, 1955

This shot gives us a soon-to-be-demolished glimpse of what Bunker Hill at the northernmost end of downtown Los Angeles looked like in 1955. The two streets we can see here are Olive St and 2nd Street, where downtown was still … Continue reading

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Color photo of an electric LA Transit Lines trolley coach approaches the intersection of 5th and Hill Streets, downtown Los Angeles, circa mid-1950s

In this colorful photo, we’re watching an electric LA Transit Lines trolley coach (a successor to the LARY streetcars) approach the intersection of 5th and Hill Sts in downtown Los Angeles. However, I’m more interested in the background – specifically … Continue reading

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Pacific Electric Red Cars bound for Glendale and Hollywood sit on tracks below the Subway Terminal building at 4th and Hill Streets, downtown Los Angeles, undated

Though dimly lit and hard to make out, this photo glows with atmosphere. The (rather brave, I think) photographer was standing on the tracks that those four Pacific Electric Red Cars were about to take to Glendale and Hollywood. This … Continue reading

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Looking north up Broadway from 7th St during a Shriner convention, downtown Los Angeles, circa 1925

Back in the first half of the 20th century, the busiest intersection in Los Angeles was where Broadway meets 7th St. And so it make sense that a good number of photos from that era LA were taken at, around, … Continue reading

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Los Angeles policemen ride their bicycles along Broadway at around 6th St, downtown Los Angeles, circa 1904

Here we see a concept that wouldn’t fly today: the Los Angeles police force on bicycles. But back in circa 1904, when this photo was taken, I suppose bikes were the quickest and most nimble way to get around town … Continue reading

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Color photo of LA Railway Yellow Car streetcar heads along Broadway from 7th St, downtown Los Angeles, 1956

The Pacific Electric Red Cars get most of the attention in vintage photos of the streets of LA in the first half of the 20th century. But the LA Railway’s Yellow Cars also did their bit moving Angelenos around the … Continue reading

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A cable car rumbles along the 600 block of Broadway, downtown Los Angeles, circa 1890s

We have to take a long trip in the Wayback Machine for this one. This is the 600 block of Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, circa 1890s when LA’s streetcars were still cable cars. They don’t look like they had … Continue reading

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Color photo of Nibblers diner at the corner of Spring and 1st Streets, downtown Los Angeles, 1955

In this color photo, we’re looking at a restaurant called Nibblers, which billed itself as a “family friendly diner” which sounds about right because “Nibblers” sounds like a place that served comfort food. It sat on the southeast corner of … Continue reading

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United States Court House on Main St looking south toward City Hall, downtown Los Angeles, 1939

The appeal of this photo, for me at least, is that it juxtaposes LA’s past alongside LA’s future. We’re looking south along Main St in downtown Los Angeles. In the earlier part of the 20th century, Victorian-era stores and offices … Continue reading

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