Golden Gate Theatre

I understand that the Bonito Theatre was on Ford Blvd & Brooklyn Ave (presently Cesar Chavez Ave)I believe the old theatre building still stands on the east side of Ford Blvd. I saw “High Hopes”, with Frank Sinatra, at the Unique Theatre (area of First & Rowen) in the early 1960’s. I understand that the First Street Store, was intially half it’s present size, (if it’s still standing) the area of the men’s/boy’s department was a former E.L.A., Belvedere theatre. Does anyone know the name of that theatre?

The Wabash Theatre was another Boyle Heights area theatre located at Wabash & Evergreen, close to Manuel’s Tepeyac Mexican Restaraunt (known for their famous king sized burritos). Other Boyle Heights theatres included the Brooklyn Theatre located at 2524 Brooklyn Ave, in the area of N. Fickett. The National Theatre was located at 2229 Brooklyn Ave. The Joy Theatre was formally located at 2014 E. First Street.

For more information about the area of Boyle Heights, Brooklyn & Soto contact the Southern California Jewish Historical Society to purchase a video called, Meet Me at Brooklyn & Soto. This is an incredible historical video about the history of early East Los Angeles and the contributions by the Jewish community to our California history.

Max Factor was formerly a barber in Boyle Heights before he became a make up artist for the Hollywood stars. Golds Gym was started by a family that owned a wrecking yard on Ford Blvd, many years ago. During World War 2, the Jewish community purchased two B-17’s, one was named the Spirit of City Terrace, and the other, The Spirit of Boyle Heights, both were purchased by the community towards the war effort. My grandfather was a driver for the Chicago Meat Packing Company that delivered Kosher meats to the famous deli’s such as Kanter’s in the area of Brooklyn & Soto and hotels in the greater Los Angeles area.

Thanks for the memories. Born in East L.A.

Mr. Davila, I glad to know that I wasn’t the only E.L.A. cardboard, dirt rider. I did the exact same thing in the area of Sunol Drive and 3rd St. I along with family and friends would hang out in all the vacant, condemned houses and explore all the time.

There must have been so many families that were forced to sell their homes to make way for “progress”, called the Pomona Fwy. I’m sure we drove the construction companies crazy when we would move or take the long wooden stakes that the surveyors had placed for the freeway. These wooden stakes made great swords for battle. In the area of 3rd & Humphrey’s Ave we would have serious rock fights with other kids for hours.

This must have been my effort to oppose the distruction of our community to make way for “progress”. It’s funny how the Long Beach Fwy never went beyond Valley Blvd in the north. Then again, the predominiately white communties of Alhambra, South Pasadena would not have allowed that to happen. Sadly, the Whittier Blvd area went into a rapid decline shortly after the East Los Angeles Demonsrations/riots in the late 60’s, 70’s. The large white population in the area left for safer ground towards further east and or Orange County; sociologists use the term, “white flight”

I don’t like the changes that have occurred in the past 30-40 years, but no one can take away all the good memories I have of growing up in East Los Angeles. Just think of all the families who can share the East L.A. experiance.

Thanks for the memories, Happy New Year to all you good people.

JDuran,

Wow, small world. What’s your full name? Male or female? I’m trying to remember you. I still have my 1968 yearbook. Give my gegards to Randy Donaldson, I’d like to reconnect with him. Also, say hi to Kauffman, I saw him at the 30-year reunion. Yeah, being in band was fun, and I thought Mr. Ulrich was a good guy. In fact, the current and long-time band director at Montebello is a guy from my class, Larry Covellone. When he and I were 16, we saw the Beatles at Dodger Stadium!!

The other day I drove down to Whittier Blvd, after many years away, and I could hardly recognize the place I once knew. So, I decided to park my car off a side street to stroll around and take a closer look. I walked along Whittier Blvd the same very same path I took while growing up in East L.A. To my horror, instead of being sentimental about being in my old stomping grounds I was in culture shock. I have to admit I felt like I was somewhere in a third world country. The place seemed so foreign to me. I have visited the Tijuana main shopping district on a few occasions and Whittier Blvd today mirrors it. It is evident that the new generation of immigrants have transformed every aspect of the area to reflect the environment of their origins. District politicians and area Supervisors have turned a blind eye or encouraged Whittier Blvd social and physical decline instead of fighting for it’s preservation apparently to appease its new residents. It is sad because gone are the distinct American cultural icons I remember growing up i.e. those lunch counters and hot dog/hamburger stands, coffeshops, the five & dime stores, department stores, drug stores, professional businesses, and the handsome shows like the Grand Golden Gate Theatre that once called this famous boulevard home. On the day of my visit, these places were almost unrecognizable remnants that were either condemned, in bad decay or hidden behind overdeveloped storefronts that all seemed alike to me. The many shops along the Boulevard were overdeveloped tightly packed one next to the other. The storefronts were cloned storage unit designs with a roll top security grate front entryway. It was hard to tell where the doorway was. It was just an open space between the sidewalk and the inside to the store. I noticed, also, that many of the shops were Spanish named. Any effort that was made, by some shopkeepers, to write in English were marred with mistakes and miswording. It really didn’t matter though becuase much of the advertising was done in Spanish. I was trying to find at least one store I could recognize, from my youth, with its traditional frontdoors and wide glass panels featuring mannequins adorned with the latest fashions or merchandise neatly displayed behind the windows inviting customers in. Sadly, I could find none. The merchandise, from many of the stores on the boulevard, were laid out like fruit in a farmer’s market and being sold like at a auction. I noticed so many pushy employees out front trying to hustle their wares in Spanish. It made me feel very uncomfortable. The times sure have changed. Long gone are the days of service with respect and a smile. Back then, any employee rude to customers would be immediately reprimanded or worse fired. It seemed like those pushy employees were more concerned about a quick sale rather than offering good decent customer service. I decided I had and seen enough so I went back to my car and I drove west on the Boulevard toward the Long Beach Freeway. Off to my side, my eyes caught these skinny solitary steel beam towers that were grey in color placed on every other corner which I hadn’t noticed while I was walking. I guess everything seemed to overwhelm me while I was on foot so they were obscured and the fact that they were grey blended into with the color of the sidewalk. Finally, before I reached Ford Boulevard was this huge hideous drab grey steel half soccer ball netted arch structure over Whittier Blvd. If this was a monument of some kind it really looked out of place but so did everything else on this boulevard including those grey skinny steel beams and row upon row of delapidated plain storefronts. Funny thing though the only thing that seemed to match was the color grey. Everything seemed grey and drab. The street I once loved as a kid is only a cherished memory now. The Whittier Blvd of yesterday is a thing of the past yet so much of East LA is too. The K-Mart Shopping Center is overdeveloped too and almost entirely unrecognizable of its former self. Gone too is the classic Army recruiting station near Goodrich & Whittier, as is the Goodrich Tire Company and most of the three great moviehouses on Whittier Blvd. Unfortunately, even streetnames are fair game without regard to preservation. In my personal view, the renaming of Brooklyn Ave was a mistake. The street name was a classic one and familiar to generations of residents. They could have honored Cesar Chavez by renaming Belvedere Third St. Civic Center after him instead of forever erasing Brooklyn Ave from the map. Anyways, Nothing fits like it used to on the day of my visit to Whittier Blvd. It was like scattered puzzle pieces trying to figure out what went where. It is a pity. I truly do not understand why the classic American landscape that was once Whittier Blvd. was not preserved and shared alongside shops that reflect the culture of foreign lands

That’s amazing! Do you remember the day (not so long ago)) when no man or women would be seen having there haircut along side one another. Boy how times have changed for the better. Isn’t it great to have your hair cut at a super cuts type place with no one male/female territorial issues taking place. In the early 1970’s I had a women take strong offense to me holding the door open for her. Oh well, just got to roll with the changes.

gorfster,

Is this the same barber from around 1964-1965?

well paul you were right,the bowling alley next to the builders emporiom was called [lucky lanes]yup we use to go bowlling there all of our history is mostly gone now, so we as people neen to stand up to protest and save our history,,,,like our GOLDEN GATE,,, MERRY CHRISTMAS……GORF…….

slight correction to above reference, it was either The Kress or Grant’s Department store The Center Theatre faced. This boggles the mind. It all seems so long ago.

Born, I remember the Vic Tanny’s and Stan’s. I graduated from Montebello High 1970. Paul, I remember the bowling alley on Pomona and Atlantic but I thought it was called Triangle Bowl. Not really sure. There was also a car wash, Gardunos and I think a National Lumber store there near the bowling alley and Kaiser clinic.

Sorry, I was born in 1970.

Does anyone remember “Lucky Lanes” on Atlantic and Pomona Blvd? Caddy-corner from Pep Boys(still there today)?

Paul

I believe the bowling alley was called – “Whittier-Atlantic Bowling Alley”.

Where was the Center Theatre? Between what streets?

ELA, if you stood outside the theater the lunch counter was to the left of the ticket stand. I also recall playing pinball in a small bowling alley near the Golden Gate. It all seems like a dream now.