noirish Los Angeles

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by broadwy_central_bldg

It's these doors in our lobby that interest me:



They are sealed up now. I have no idea, but it seems possible they may have once opened to the Broadway's lobby. Or maybe they're just decoration added by developers later. What do you guys think?

The doors look original to me BCB.

So is the elevator lobby parallel with Broadway behind the stores? Have you snooped around in the back of the Shoemaster or Alvarado Clothing stores to see you can see the opposite side of the sealed up doors?




__

[broadwy_central_bldg]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

Here's the 1924 permit allowing the larger, right-hand retail space (addressed No. 428) to be turned into the Broadway Theater:



ladbs online building records

There are a lot of permits for your building BCB and for its retail spaces, starting with the one to demolish a two-story brick building on the site. The 2/27/1907 permit names C.R. Aldrich as the architect.

Well how about that! I didn't know where to look up the actual building records (or that it would be so easy to do so). Now I can really put together a history of this building. So many alterations and repairs!

[tovangar2]

Now I see Alvarado Clothing doesn't have two doors. There's a separate tiny space on the south end of the building. These two together take up the former theater space.
______________________________________________________________________________________

Originally Posted by broadwy_central_bldg

Well how about that! I didn't know where to look up the actual building records (or that it would be so easy to do so). Now I can really put together a history of this building. So many alterations and repairs!

It's quite new that it's online. Beaudry here told us how to access it. One used to have to go to City Hall and ask a counterperson. It took forever back then

[broadwy_central_bldg]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

The doors look original to me BCB.

So is the elevator lobby parallel with Broadway behind the stores? Have you snooped around in the back of the Shoemaster or Alvarado Clothing stores to see you can see the opposite side of the sealed up doors?




__

The narrow elevator lobby is *perpendicular* to Broadway (it's narrow because it's crammed all the way over to the left side of the building). So the doors would have opened to the right, directly into the shoe store. Unfortunately there is no sign of them on the other side. Just drywalled over.

[ethereal_reality]

Oh I see. I didn't think there was enough room for the elevator shafts if the lobby ran perpendicular with Broadway (the space between the entrance-door and the left edge of the building is really tight) -so I thought perhaps the lobby was turned north-south behind the stores

[tovangar2]

I wanted to get a shot of the windows on the stairs from Frank Court, but my googlemobile stopped short and will not budge:


gsv

It looks, in the shot below, like the elevators bump out into the hallway space. If you have the time or inclination BCB would you pls get a shot of the hall that includes the very front part? I'm guessing it's wider like the bit back by the stairs. Maybe a shot taken through the open entrance door? Thx.

Also, is that another door back by the stair railing on the right?

Do the stairs turn left or right? I'm guessing left.

Do you have access to the basement? I was wondering if one could still see the "supporting beams and cols" that were added when the theater was installed.


yelp first posted on previous pg

Train & Cressey did a great job for Judson Rives with a very small space. It looks like a jewelbox rather than skimpy. Impressive.

[ethereal_reality]

Here's another odd configuration on S. Broadway.

It's the Schulte-United Building at 529 S. Broadway. (built in 1928)


gsv

detail

gsv


"Schulte-United department store was once a national five and dime (with stores in Canada as well) that started in the early 1900s selling everything from men's socks to women's cosmetics. The ground floor (at 529 S. Broadway) contained smaller separate boutiques and kiosks not affiliated with Schulte-United. In order to access Schulte-United on the second floor and above, one would have to go to the back of the building to a grand staircase where beautiful brass railings were used to entice customers upstairs."
http://brighamyen.com/2014/03/14/new...r-downtown-la/



Unbelievably, the grand staircase is now completely blocked off from the businesses facing Broadway. This means you have to actually go behind the Schulte-United building through a back door entrance to access the staircase and upper stories.



The 'hidden' grand staircase.



http://brighamyen.com/2014/03/14/new...r-downtown-la/



http://www.529artstower.com/



http://www.529artstower.com/









Back entrance on Lindley Place.


gsv


Looking up at the backside of the building. (there appears to be a rectangular ghost-sign)


gsv




Today the building is known as the "Broadway Arts Tower"



First time I've heard mention of a 125 seat cafeteria counter in the old Schulte-United.

__
http://www.529artstower.com/

[ethereal_reality]

re: The Thalberg Building lobby.(something I didn't know)






http://www.sonypicturesstudiostours.com/tours.html

"The lobby of the Thalberg features Columbia's 12 Oscar statuettes for Best Picture."


So where are MGM's Best Picture Oscars located?
__

[ProphetM]

Originally Posted by broadwy_central_bldg

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. Every time I get out of the elevators I want to slip through those doors! Makes me wish there were still a cafe on the other side... Thanks for the input!

So bcb (welcome, by the way!), were you living there back in January when Night On Broadway happened? It was quite the evening.


Photo by me

[CityBoyDoug]

Judson building floor plan. BCB has introduced us to this building. Each floor is a bit different.



ref: http://thejudson.com/

[broadwy_central_bldg]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

It looks, in the shot below, like the elevators bump out into the hallway space. If you have the time or inclination BCB would you pls get a shot of the hall that includes the very front part? I'm guessing it's wider like the bit back by the stairs. Maybe a shot taken through the open entrance door? Thx.

Also, is that another door back by the stair railing on the right?

Do the stairs turn left or right? I'm guessing left.

Do you have access to the basement? I was wondering if one could still see the "supporting beams and cols" that were added when the theater was installed.


yelp first posted on previous pg

C.R. Aldrich did a nice job with a small space. It looks like a jewelbox rather than skimpy. Impressive.

T2, I will take some photos for you tomorrow of the entryway. I perused the building permits, and I now know that the ornate lobby decor was installed in 1929 ("marble wainscot and floors, new ornamental iron trim")... I believe that's when the doors were put in, but not sure when they were sealed off. According to this floorplan (publicly accessible via the real estate office that's currently trying to lease out the storefront) the door is really there.

That staircase you see in the photos (which, yes, turns left) is also shown here. It does not exit to Frank Court, but the building's rear staircase does. Near the lobby stairs are two doors, one to a storage corridor and another to the basement. As to the columns and beams, I believe the basement is partitioned on similar lines to the storefronts above, so we don't have access to the right side.



http://www.colliers.com/-/media/Imag...f.pdf?la=en-US

OK, now you all know way too much about my building. Please, don't nobody try to blow it up or anything.

[broadwy_central_bldg]

Originally Posted by ProphetM

So bcb (welcome, by the way!), were you living there back in January when Night On Broadway happened? It was quite the evening.

Yes, I was there! I wish they'd do more street fests like that (it was sort of a pain having the street cordoned off, but worth it). It was my first time inside most of the theaters on the strip.

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Here's another odd configuration on S. Broadway.

It's the Schulte-United Building at 529 S. Broadway. (built in 1928)

Thank you e_r. I am so glad a Broadway building has been turned into office space.

I love what they did with the old elevator shaft. It's now a sky-lit light box bringing sunshine to every floor:

la.curbed

The Shulte-United is a Walker & Eisen:




ladbs

I love this shot. I'm such a sucker for the Cameo, I cannot even explain it:

529artstower

Grayson (?) Look, they photo-shopped those blocked-up windows:

529artstower

Next door to the south, at No. 533, is a little, stripped-down Train & Williams from 1907:

gsv

Here's the Schulte-United/Broadway Arts Tower from Hill Street:

gsv

Too bad the International Jewelry Center building is there. I'd still like to see the strip between Lindley Pl and S Hill added to Pershing Sq (while leaving Hill St in place), then the whole 500 block of Broadway would want back entrances:


google maps

(I'd say a redesign and a name change are long overdue for the park too, but maybe that's too much to wish for, especially all at once)

[GatoVerde]

Is this the a different manifestation for the orphanage that used to stand by Macy and Alameda in the 1850s and which would later appear in Boyle Heights, and now Maryvale in San Gabriel? I'm wondering if the orphanage seen here is Catholic Church property? I think Castellar is later Hill Street here, so just North of the windmill, on the corner of what would later be Ord and Hill, stood Our Lady Queen of Angels Middle School of which I am an alumni. I have not seen too many photos of my old school and I would be pleased if someone might reference any.

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

This is more or less the same view north over Castelar Street as the previous photo, but c. 1900. At left you can see the larger Orphans' Asylum building with its central tower. Also, the Castelar Street School has been rebuilt.

Huntington Digital Library -- http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...id/3614/rec/14

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by broadwy_central_bldg

T2, I will take some photos for you tomorrow of the entryway.


http://www.colliers.com/-/media/Imag...f.pdf?la=en-US

Oh, not to worry. The floor plan is perfect and answered all my questions. I had not guessed there was a vestibule. Also thanks for the heads up re the 1929 remodel of the lobby. That was Train & Cressey for then-owner Judson Rives. Beautiful job. Thank you so much for that.

Originally Posted by broadwy_central_bldg

OK, now you all know way too much about my building. Please, don't nobody try to blow it up or anything.

Pfft. Nah, not saboteurs, just curious. Thx again :-)

[HossC]

If you believe the Dutch origin of the word sabotage, you'd better hope that shoe shop on the first floor of the building doesn't stock wooden clogs if you want to avoid the saboteurs!

[broadwy_central_bldg]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

(I'd say a redesign and a name change are long overdue for the park too, but maybe that's too much to wish for, especially all at once)

You said a mouthful! Maybe you're not aware of the current plans to "renew" the park: http://pershingsquarenew.com

There is also a "competing" grassroots campaign to "restore" the park to its former glory, championed by the Esotouric crew, Kim Cooper and Richard Schave: http://restorepershingsquare.blogspot.com/ but I'm not confident they'll have much luck. (They DID get Garcetti to respond this month to a petition about reopening Angel's Flight, tho...)

What's your suggestion for a new name, T2? Back to Central Park?

Originally Posted by HossC

If you believe the Dutch origin of the word sabotage, you'd better hope that shoe shop on the first floor of the building doesn't stock wooden clogs if you want to avoid the saboteurs!

LOL I can't believe it's taken me so long to stumble on this forum. Wordsmiths and historical architecture fans, you guys are my kind of people

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by broadwy_central_bldg

Maybe you're not aware of the current plans to "renew" the park: http://pershingsquarenew.com

There is also a "competing" grassroots campaign to "restore" the park to its former glory, championed by the Esotouric crew, Kim Cooper and Richard Schave: http://restorepershingsquare.blogspot.com/

What's your suggestion for a new name, T2? Back to Central Park?

I keep track of the various plans to update the park. The driveways to the underground parking are a big problem though, as they have been since they were built.

There's a wealth of choices for a new name for Pershing Square. A nod to our deep history might be in order: Tongva Square or Yang-na Park (although Santa Monica opened their own Tongva Park last year). The name of the park that honored the 44 Pobladores has been changed to "Grand Park", which I find confusing, as we already have a Grand-Hope Park (those names are too generic anyway). I wouldn't mind "Pobladore Square". Governor de Neve might be a choice. He's the one that neatly side-stepped the Franciscans and got the mandate from the Spanish Crown back on track by founding our city. "de Neve Square" sounds good. I've long thought Dona Bernarda Ruiz should be remembered and honored. Her name would be an excellent choice. I'm sure others can think of many more.

Basically, for me, anything but "Pershing", which memorializes an embarrassingly jingoistic episode. Not our finest hour.


I dunno, what name would you pick?


Nathan Masters on former name changes

[broadwy_central_bldg]

Not to keep hijacking this thread with photos of the same building, but I did a little snooping around and took some more photos. First, the lobby.



The vestibule holds our mailboxes. In the floor in this area there is a marble inlay with the name of the building. I believe this is c. 1950s, but I'm not sure. The permit I saw said "terrazzo" but I don't think this is:



detail of ceiling:



detail of stairs:



landing between 1st and 2nd floor:



This tile looks older to me than the rose colored marble in the lobby. I think it might be original.

Originally Posted by broadwy_central_bldg

As to the columns and beams, I believe the basement is partitioned on similar lines to the storefronts above, so we don't have access to the right side.

T2, I was so wrong. You are going to love this: We do have access to the full basement. And wouldn't you know it, under the right side of the building there are structural supports that aren't present under the left side.





Of course these must be the "beams & cols in basement" referred to in that 11-10-24 permit. How cool is that!

[ProphetM]

Originally Posted by broadwy_central_bldg

Not to keep hijacking this thread with photos of the same building, but I did a little snooping around and took some more photos.

Not to worry, you're talking to people who have spent many pages discussing a single palm tree.

Thanks for the wonderful pics!