[BifRayRock]

Originally Posted by unihikid

there was indeed a 76 gas station there till at least the late 90s, i used to fill my bike tires up there. It was a very mid century station, I want to say it had a garage, but what I remember most is that there was no borderline for the may company and gas station.

Thanks for the reply.

I did not frequent that station except for a few times in '79 or '80. In keeping with the character of LA, the station probably started out as one brand and morphed into the Powerine-Powerline-Powersomething I am trying to remember. Thus, it would not be surprising to learn that it changed into a Union/76, as you mention. I distinctly recall the inconvenience of exchanging cash for tokens. In fact, I vaguely remember some patrons using "Ike" Dollars in place of the tokens since they carried the same value as the tokens. And now that I think about it, there may have been one or two other similar stations in or near Westwood or Santa Monica, because the tokens were practically worthless at any place other than one of these stations.

From my extremely vague memory, the station I remember shared a common blacktop with the May Co's parking lot, but the station was barely demarcated by a chain link fence. The station's motif did not stand out in my mind other than it was white and basically set up for selling petrol and smokes. I could be wrong, but remember the air being available from its own island near the NE corner of the station plot. As noted in the earlier post, I do not recall a tall spire. Nor do I recall any covered garage or lift. (A picture sure would be nice to establish how much I have forgotten.)

Since that post I have been reminded that the Chevon station catacorner from Fire Station 61 (on Third Street) did have a small garage with a lift. It was apparently a magnet for parking the wrecks that resulted from accidents at that intersection. West on Third Street - before reaching the Farmer's Market on Fairfax, one would pass the Gilmore Drive In which later was occupied by a nursery (Mordigans?) On the South side of the street, after passing Park La Brea (Tav sign?), you might pass a former Restaurant that later became Lohmans? Then there was the Town and Country Market, with BRITTS Department Store - part of the JJ Newberry chain (Now KMart) and the Mayfair Market (or was it a Safeway?). In the other direction (East) there were car dealerships on La Brea (Irv White Buick) Pontiac, Ford, Chrysler Plymouth and a Ralphs grocery store on Third and LaBrea.

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Speaking of the Kiddie Park where the Beverly Center now plots, I vaguely remember at the corner of Beverly and La Cienega an impediment in the middle of the road that was a vestige of oil well that was supposedly removed 30-40 years earlier(?) See: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug...-then-20100821
Feb 16, '31:
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...chs-m8531.html

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Dupars on Wilshire (mentioned in earlier post)
http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/D...Search&index=w

Another interesting shot of Park LaBrea.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics22/00045566.jpg