AERIAL VIEW OF UPPER LARCHMONT NEAR MELROSE, 1964. Larchmont’s proximity to movie studios has drawn residents who work in the entertainment industry. Paramount Pictures is shown here.
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UPPER LARCHMONT
When the Los Angeles streetcar line traveled up Larchmont, it went all the way to Melrose Avenue to take bathers to the Hollywood Mineral Hot Springs, just east of Larchmont near Gower Street. Upper Larchmont was developed as part of the Larchmont Heights tract, now known as Larchmont Village. Most of the homes were built around the same time as nearby neighborhoods, though there was no single developer. According to the Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association, most of the homes were built by individuals to occupy or sell to the growing population of newcomers.
In time, the residential homes were converted to businesses, and upper Larchmont became an extension of Larchmont, though distinctly different. The intersection at Beverly and Larchmont serves as a kind of “four-corners,” connecting upper Larchmont to the village. As a result, the corner and adjacent lots were the first to be converted into stores. In the 1980s, the corner gas station was converted into a drive-through hamburger stand. Across the street, the first and only high-rise on the road was built.
The charming bungalow homes now house offices, shops, and even a school—Page Private School—that opened in the 1930s. Specialty shops like Dawson’s Books opened, taking advantage of the proximity to the village and more affordable space.
The eclectic nature of the street still exists, and now there are opportunities to live even closer than before. The Larchmoyne, built in 1929, still offers studio and bachelor apartments for those who want convenience and walkability, a very rare and valuable commodity in Los Angeles. As a result, upper Larchmont is a very desirable place to live, if people can find the space.
AERIAL VIEW OF UPPER LARCHMONT NEAR MELROSE, 1964. Larchmont’s proximity to movie studios has drawn residents who work in the entertainment industry. Paramount Pictures is shown here.
STREET VIEW OF LARCHMONT LOOKING NORTH, 1985. The Hollywood sign can clearly be seen from Larmont. At left is Page Private School. There is now a landscaped median on upper Larchmont Boulevard.
AHREN’S KITCHEN AND BAKERY, C. 1940. Ahren’s Kitchen and Bakery, Champan Ice Cream, Beverly Cleaners, and Country Florist occupied the northwest corner of Larchmont and Beverly Boulevards.
MOBIL SERVICE STATION AT 600 NORTH LARCHMONT, C. 1960. At the northeast corner of Clinton and Larchmont Boulevards, Aki’s Service Station offered residents yet another place to fill up their tanks in the neighborhood. (Courtesy of Marc Wanamaker at Bison Archives.)
PHILLIPS 66 SERVICE STATION AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF LARCHMONT AND BEVERLY, C. 1970. At one time there were half a dozen gas stations along Larchmont. Real estate values and gasoline prices have risen dramatically over the years. The buildings on the south side of Beverly Boulevard remain the same, but the gas stations on the north side have been replaced by Ritz Cleaners on the east side of the street and a Chipotle restaurant on the west side at 301 North Larchmont, which started as a real estate office when it was built in 1921. The next year, Julius LaBonte and Charles Ramson took over and enlarged the space and built a garage in the rear. In 1926, the new owners converted the space to a flower shop, where it remained a retail space. In 1996, Koo Koo Roo restaurant moved in and did business until 2003, when the space became the said Chipotle Mexican Grill.
AERIAL VIEW OF NORTH LARCHMONT, 1968. A view of Larchmont near Melrose Avenue shows the shift from residential bungalows to commercial use and small apartment buildings.
FLYING A SERVICE STATION AT LARCHMONT AND BEVERLY BOULEVARDS. The northwest corner of Larchmont and Beverly Boulevards became a very prominent intersection and featured two service stations on each corner. Along the West Coast, Flying A stations were rebranded as Phillips 66 in the early 1960s, when Phillips Petroleum purchased the western network of Tidewater Associated Oil Company.
SHELL SERVICE STATION AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF LARCHMONT AND BEVERLY, C. 1950. A gas station stood at 306 North Larchmont until sometime in the late 1960s. The earliest building permit for the address is for construction of a large pole sign in 1969, possibly to advertise Baker’s Burgers, a drive-through restaurant. In 1994, a permit was issued to convert the addition to a photograph-processing driver-through. Currently it houses the tailoring workshop of Ritz Cleaners, owned and operated by Raj Patel and his family since 1969.
THE LARCHMOYNE AT 515 NORTH LARCHMONT. When the Larchmoyne opened in 1929, it was advertised as “ultra-modern and luxuriously furnished,” with an Art Deco–style building featuring touches of Spanish Colonial Revival. The Larchmoyne apartment building was home to a mixture of blue-collar and white-collar residents, some of whom worked for nearby motion picture studios. Lovingly maintained, the building’s current 24 apartments are never without tenants, who exude the ambiance of the building and the charm of upper Larchmont.
AERIAL VIEW OF LARCHMONT AREA, 1961. The density of the neighborhood can be seen in this shot. More and more residents were enjoying Larchmont in the 1960s.
VIEW OF NORTH LARCHMONT FROM THE WEST SIDE OF THE STREET. Construction fences show the proposed Larchmont Medical Building in the early stages of construction. At the time, the building was welcomed in the area, though it would dominate the Larchmont skyline. The elegant El Royale apartment building can be seen in the distance.
LARCHMONT MEDICAL BUILDING, 1964. Completed in 1964, the Larchmont Medical Building was developed by Owen Properties, Inc. and located at 316 North Rossmore Avenue. Welton Becket and Associates were the architects and engineers of the 10-story building, constructed for $1.5 million. Becket’s other work includes the Capitol Records Building, Beverly Hilton Hotel, Pan Pacific Auditorium (destroyed by a fire), the Equitable Building, Cinerama Dome, and a host of buildings on the UCLA campus.
BAKER’S BURGERS AT 306 NORTH LARCHMONT, C. 1970. Now the Ritz Cleaners, this small drive-through commercial space was home to a number of different businesses. There were many of these buildings constructed to offer convenience to drivers.
PAGE PRIVATE SCHOOL AT 565 NORTH LARCHMONT. Page Private School was founded in 1908 by Robert and Della Page Gibbs and expanded by their daughter and son-in-law, Edith and Earle Russell Vaughan, who opened the Larchmont campus in the 1930s. The school is currently run by the third generation.
DAWSON’S BOOK SHOP AT 535 NORTH LARCHMONT. Founded in 1905 by Ernest Dawson in downtown Los Angeles, Dawson’s Book Shop moved to Larchmont in 1968, making it one of the oldest continuously operating book shops in the city of Los Angeles until it closed in 2010 after 42 years on Larchmont. Dawson’s specialized in California history, Western Americana, and photography.
HANS WEISSHAAR VIOLIN SHOP AT 627 NORTH LARCHMONT. Master violin maker Hans Weisshaar first opened his business on Sunset Boulevard in 1947. In 1961, he constructed the two-story, Modern-style building at 627 Larchmont, remodeling a residence and garage built in 1921 to establish the first world-class violin making and restoration workshop in the western United States. Cellist Margaret Shipman, a graduate of University of Southern California, pictured here in 1994, went to work for Weisshaar in 1969. After 36 years, she transferred the business to Georg Eittinger. Of note is the wrought-iron guild sign Weisshaar commissioned in Germany.
AERIAL VIEW LOOKING NORTH FROM THIRD STREET, C. 1964. The Wilshire Country Club is an island of green in the midst of the dense urban neighborhood that is Larchmont. A number of movie studios nearby provide jobs for residents and attract many more who support the local businesses on Larchmont.
AERIAL VIEW LOOKING WEST ALONG MELROSE AVENUE, C. 1964. The Paramount Studios lot is visible in the lower right. Larchmont is the double-wide street ending at Melrose. Much of Larchmont was still residential, though more lots were being converted for commercial use.
THIRD STREET LOOKING EAST FROM LARCHMONT, 1968. Third Street has always been a major traffic artery that bisects the neighborhoods surrounding Larchmont, bringing traffic through a tree-lined streetscape. In early years, it offered easy access for prospective buyers to the neighborhoods and patrons for Larchmont businesses. In recent years, residents and city leaders seek ways to reduce the traffic and the negative impact it has on the neighborhood. Too bad there is not a trolley any longer! (Courtesy of Marc Wanamaker/Bison Archives.)
THIRD STREET HEADING WEST APPROACHING LARCHMONT, 1968. Windsor Square looks much like it did 60 years ago, but the street trees have matured, enhancing the value and beauty of the neighborhood. Civil unrest in Los Angeles would make these wonderful, old neighborhoods lose their value, but the trend would be reversed when things quieted down and people discovered their unique architectural character and the charm of nearby Larchmont. (Courtesy of Marc Wanamaker at Bison Archives.)
ART WORKS STUDIO AND CLASSROOM AT 660 NORTH LARCHMONT, 2012. 652-600 North Larchmont, at the southeast corner of Melrose Avenue, was built in 1925 for retail use and office space by Preston S. Wright & Company according to a listing in the 1921 edition of Southwest Builder and Contractor (the daily publication of the building industry in the West). Everett H. Merrill, a civil engineer, was the architect of the wood-frame, brick-exterior building. (Courtesy of Marc Wanamaker/Bison Archives.)
HOLLYWOODLAND REALTY CO. 584 NORTH LARCHMONT, 1950S. Hollywoodland Realty Co., operated by Edward T. Carroll through 2003, is now run by his daughter Patricia Carroll. Edward acquired the property, originally built as a residence, in the late 1950s. The wood-frame, Bungalow-style structure, built in 1913, was common on the street. In 1926, Mary (a teacher) and Minnie Allen (housing inspector for the Health Department according to the 1920 city phone directory) added a garage and enlarged the porch in 1935. (Courtesy of Patricia Carroll.)
STREET VIEW OF LARCHMONT NEAR THE 500 BLOCK LOOKING NORTH, 1980. The Hollywood sign, now an icon of the entertainment industry and a symbol of Los Angeles’s celebrity lifestyle, can be seen peeking through trees in the left center of the photograph. The sign adds to Larchmont’s charm that attracts both celebrities and regular folk.
EAST SIDE OF LARCHMONT BOULEVARD, SOUTH END. Pictured above at the southeast corner of 250 North Larchmont is a two-story brick structure built in 1925 as stores and an apartment, now offices and stores. Noah’s Bagels has been at the corner since the early 1990s, and it is followed by Village Footwear; Kiku Sushi Restaurant; Prado Restaurant, serving Caribbean cuisine since 1991; newcomer Salt and Straw, a handmade ice cream store; MALIN+GOETZ apothecary and lab; Erin McKenna’s vegan Bakery LA; and Louise’s Trattoria, serving homemade Italian food since 1978. At 230 North Larchmont, a two-story brick building was constructed in 1925 as a Masonic lodge, with stores on the ground level. In 1967, Los Angeles’s first yoga studio, now called Yogaworks, took up residence. Coffee bar Go Get Em Tiger is at street level. Next is Rite Aid, which formerly housed several grocery stores, and then there is Above the Fold Newsstand, which opened around 1990. The image below starts with Crumbs Bakery, at 216 North Larchmont, which is in one of the storefronts built in 1985 with underground parking. To the right is Pickett Fences, a clothing boutique opened in 1994 by Joane Hennenberger Pickett, who also served as president of the Larchmont Boulevard Association; Hans Fiebig opened the next business, Hans Custom Optik, in the late 1970s; the Larchmont Beauty Center has been here since the 1980s; and Starbucks opened one of the first of many coffee shops around the same time. The 200 North Larchmont address was built up in 1925 with stores, offices, and apartments and was modified by owners LaBonte and Ramson a year later. The original facade is intact, making it one of the most charming buildings on the street. Flicka children’s clothing was opened in 1992 by Liz Reilly and daughter Lisa, who now runs the shop with sister Kristen. Diptyque Paris, the company’s first Los Angeles boutique that came to be in 2014, and Jamba Juice occupy the street level. The 150–154 North Larchmont address was constructed in 1925 as a two-story building with stores and apartments; it has been dramatically altered. Sam’s Bagels, next to Jamba Juice, opened in 1980. Hardwear, at 152 North Larchmont, is named for Larchmont Hardware, which served the street for over 82 years until it closed in 2008. (Photograph by Joe F. Lombard.)
EAST SIDE OF LARCHMONT BOULEVARD, NORTH END. Above is Lipson Plumbing, which opened in the 1930s and occupies the first storefront in the last remaining LaBonte and Ramson building on Larchmont. The 148–124 ½ address has housed many different businesses over the last 90 years. At present, Bonne Chance women’s clothing, Landis Labyrinth toy store, the Larchmont Barber Shop, Landis Gifts and Stationary, Haas & Company salon, State Farm insurance, CH Boutique and gift shop, Sage Lifestyle boutique, Chevalier’s Books, and Jessica’s From Sunset nail salon occupy the street-level shops. Judy M. Horton Garden Design is housed upstairs in one of the former apartments. Pictured below, next to Peet’s Coffee & Tea, is Village Heights gift shop (formerly Paul Thompson Jewelers), which opened in 1978. Next is Lette Bakery, which sells handmade French macaroons; and LF, a women’s clothing store. Keller Williams Realty occupies the second-floor space (formerly Larchmont Hall). The two-story brick building was constructed in 1928 for $25,000. Bank of America is on the corner where the Larchmont Motor Service Station once stood. (Photograph by Joe F. Lombard.)
WEST SIDE OF LARCHMONT BOULEVARD, SOUTH END. This image was constructed with photographs taken early in the morning when the angled parking spaces are empty so the facades of the buildings would be visible. There are several buildings with their original facades and architectural details, though most have been altered. At the corner is Chase Bank in a brick building constructed in 1924 as six storefronts at 101, 103, and 105 North Larchmont. In 1929, a real estate office was built at 107 North Larchmont. DMH Aesthetics, Le Pain Quotidien bakery and restaurant, and A Silver Lining frame shop occupy the ground floor of 111, 113, 115 & 115 ½, which was originally a two-story building constructed in 1925 as stores and apartments for two families. In 1926, a dry-cleaning plant was built at 113 North Larchmont. There are currently offices on the second floor. Coldwell Banker Real Estate occupies the ground floor of 119 North Larchmont, built in 1924 as a five-unit apartment house. The Larchmont Juicery, Library clothing, Z Pizza, California Roll and Sushi, and Le Petit Greek restaurant (opened in 1988) are also seen. Village Pizzeria, Heavenly Couture, and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf all occupy the former Albert T. Balzer gourmet grocery store, built in 1926. Much of the facade has been altered, but the three arched windows remain. The Mail Shoppe, Nicole, Groundworks Coffee, KicksLA shoes, Gorin Brothers Hats, and Birkenstock (a temporary pop-up store) are at street level with offices above. Records show building permits for stores and apartments issued in 1922. Flywheel occupies the site of the former movie theater constructed at 149 North Larchmont in 1921. The building was demolished, and the addresses have been renumbered. USBank, at 157 North Larchmont, occupies the original Landis Department store and has been renumbered. (Photograph by Joe F. Lombard.)
WEST SIDE OF LARCHMONT BOULEVARD, NORTH END. Above, Daas Optique, Press Juicery, Pinches Tacos, and Bellacures nail salon occupy the storefronts of one building that could have been moved onto the site in 1924. New buildings were then constructed in 1939, numbered 161 through 205 ½. The city parking lot at 209 North Larchmont was formerly a gasoline station and is currently the site of the Larchmont Family Fair, held every October around Halloween near the Sunday Farmers’ Market. Radiance of Life skin care, Burger Lounge, and Alternative Apparel occupy the storefronts at 215, 217, and 219, respectively, of the 1924 two-story building. The brick building housing Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits and Cheese (223), and Vernetti Italian Restaurant (225) was constructed in 1926 and maybe had four storefronts initially. Below, 227 North Larchmont is vacant; the building was constructed in 1924 as stores. It was altered a great deal over the years. The parking lot for Wells Fargo (233–235) was built as stores in 1922 and torn down in 1974. The adjacent building, 237–239 North Larchmont, was constructed in 1923 as a three-unit apartment house and later changed to stores. The 239–241 address was torn down in 1974. The 245 North Larchmont site became a bank in 1953, and now it is a Wells Fargo. Several of these addresses were renumbered over the years. At the corner is 247–251 North Larchmont, which is now Coldwell Banker Real Estate on the ground level with offices on the second floor. Constructed in 1920 as stores with apartments above, the building has undergone many interior and exterior changes, with various signs coming and going; however, the facade remains much like it was when constructed. (Panorama photograph by Joe F. Lombard.)
