Wagons in vintage Street scenes

Parking in Oakland, Calif. was not the best compared to other places.

 

1957



Today:

 

Thanks Marshall. I love those before and after photos. At least it's still a parking lot, altho larger.

 

Parking lot, Pacific Coast Highway


Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe, on PCH below Santa Monica:
This building is gone now. I remember it from when I was a kid - it was abandoned back then and a hangout for the homeless. Was apparently quite the place in the 30's and 40's. Thelma Todd was an actress.


Thelma Todd:


Turns out that cafe opened in 1934, and Todd died in December, 1935 under suspicious circumstances.....
Wikipedia:
"On the morning of December 16, 1935, Thelma Todd was found dead in her car inside the garage of Jewel Carmen, a former actress and former wife of Todd's lover and business partner, Roland West. Carmen's house was approximately a block from the topmost side of Todd's restaurant. Her death was determined to have been caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. Todd had a wide circle of friends and associates as well as a busy social life; police investigations revealed that she had spent the previous Saturday night (December 14) at the Trocadero, a popular Hollywood restaurant, at a party hosted by entertainer Stanley Lupino and his actress daughter, Ida. At the restaurant, she had had a brief but unpleasant exchange with her ex-husband, Pat DiCicco. However, her friends stated that she was in good spirits, and were aware of nothing unusual in her life that could suggest a reason for committing suicide.[5] She was driven home from the party in the early hours of December 15 by her chauffeur.

The detectives of the LAPD concluded that Todd's death was accidental, the result of her either warming up the car to drive it or using the heater to keep herself warm; however, other evidence, such as a bloodied lip, seemed to point to foul play.

A Coroner's Inquest into Todd's death was held on December 18, 1935.[6] Autopsy surgeon A.P. Wagner testified that there were "no marks of violence anywhere upon or within the body" with only a "superficial contusion on the lower lip".[7] The jury ruled that the death appeared to be accidental but recommended "further investigation to be made into the case, by proper authorities." [8]

Subsequently a grand jury probe was held to determine whether Todd's death was a murder. After four weeks of testimony, the inquiry was closed with no evidence of murder being brought forward.[9] The case was closed by the Homicide Bureau, which listed the death as "accidental with possible suicide tendencies." However investigators were unable to find any motive for suicide or a suicide note.[9]"

 

It's sad to see nice buildings like that gone. Todd's looked like a really well built place.

 

Are you referring to her chest or the building her cafe was in?

 

Beach in Los Angeles area, 1940's


Los Angeles, 1961. East 1st St. at Flower St.


Beach at Camp Pendelton Marine Base, San Diego County - 1975


Yeah, Disneyland!

 

Dizz Knee Land...been there, done that, got a ticket for allowing an open container in a car....

 

I spy a white Falcon Ranchero.
Sweet!

 

Post #12998 top photo.
I see these parking lots of long ago and wonder just how people got in and out. Even cars parked at the curb here and in other pictures would be difficult to leave.
If I were wet, tired, and sunburned I'd be wanting to go home and not have to wait for hours for someone else to move. No wonder there is so much drugs and violence out there now.
Wonder if Thelma Todd was related to Mary Todd lincoln? She was a few bricks short of a full load.

And Snooter I was referring to the nice building. For some reason the picture of Mrs. Todd wasn't showing at the time I commented. Altho her and the building seemed to be well built and sturdy.
I don't believe for a moment that she wasn't murdered. We need to get Columbo to check it out.

 

I remember these lots as a kid. Heck, my dad could have parked in that lot.

It's hot in Los Angeles. You want to go to the beach. So does everybody else. These little lots have to cram in as many cars as possible, so you leave your keys with the attendant, and when you're ready to go home, he has to jockey a few cars to get yours out. They even made a computer game out of it.

Cat, your question really jogged my memory banks!

When I was growing up, we didn't live very far from the beach - maybe 3 miles as the crow flies. Too far to walk unfortunately. I remember many outings, Loading up the car with lawn chairs, blankets, coolers, potato chips, sandwiches, drinks, basically enough stuff to provision a small army, for an afternoon at the beach. Sometimes we'd go to Santa Monica (south of the pier). Sometimes we'd go to Venice (at the breakwater). Good times.

 

5/76
D&H 4085 by CPShips, on Flickr

 

Open Hearth Restaurant - Gatlinburg, Tennessee by The Pie Shops Collection, on Flickr
Crossroads Motor Lodge - Gatlinburg, Tennessee by The Pie Shops Collection, on Flickr

 

19690830 05 Newark (Ohio) Bus LInes by davidwilson1949, on Flickr