Trick of the Light

Add a little neon to a dark night and suddenly a perfectly ordinary parking garage becomes a potential film noir setting. Which reminds me of a great quote....

"I didn't know they were doing film noir," Marie Windsor once said. "I thought they were doing detective stories with low lighting."

There's a Light Over at the Frankenstein Place

Rocky Horror at the Rialto on Halloween? It's a time warp!

Holiday Spirit

Tis the season for festive garlands twinkling over Fair Oaks Avenue ... but last night I was more excited to see The Rialto lit up in all of her neon splendor. A film crew might be responsible for turning on the lights because I could find out nothing about the rather silly title on the marquis.

As Jimmy Stewart said, "Merry Christmas movie house!"

Rest Stop

I've featured Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain several times before. It's easy to stop in and linger at this marvelous place -- it's a South Pas icon. Here's a full shot, looking across Mission at those cheerful awnings and grand old neon sign. These unusually hot November days are perfect for an ice cream soda or lemon phosphate.

Only in America...

Hey! A message that crack dealers and Big Pharma can both agree with!

Actually, this eye-catching neon sign is on the side of the Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain. (And to be fair, the other side of the sign says SODAS.)

So, the message is appropriate for the source... but heck, the subtext speaks volumes.

Gus's BBQ

A lot of friends have piled into cars and headed out Route 66 toward California. Not all of them stop, stay, and create a legendary restaurant. That’s exactly what happened here in 1946. In that heady post-war boom of entrepreneurial spirit, three friends left Cleveland and ended up in South Pasadena. An old diner called Hamburger Mac’s was for sale on Fair Oaks Avenue. The buddies scraped together the cash, became partners and created Gus’s– simply the yummiest place for traditional BBQ in the Los Angeles area. And that tradition continues. (In fact, ABC Channel 7 agrees and included Gus’s BBQ in their top 7 BBQ joints in Southern California.)

Ribs, pork, chicken and brisket are on the menu, along with all-American favorites like burgers, chicken fried steak, flat iron steak, chili, fried catfish and a few contemporary items like a pesto chicken sandwich and jambalaya pasta. Traditional sides abound. (Did someone say sweet potato fries!?)

The original sign competes each night with the neon across the street at Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain making this downtown spot a comfort food lovers dream.

Needless to say, it’s kind of hard to stick to a diet in South Pas…

(Hat tip to Pasadena blogger Ben Wideman, whose series over at the sky is big in pasadena inspired today's neon sign shot...)

Out of the Closet Thrift Store

How's this for a groovy neon sign? Proudly self-described as “the world’s most fabulous thrift store,” Out of the Closet is one of Southern California’s treasures. Since 1990, what started as a single store (and a great idea) has grown into a chain with outlets all over Southern California, Northern California and most recently Florida. The organization is owned and operated by AIDS Healthcare Foundation -- the largest specialized provider of AIDS treatment and advocacy regardless of patient ability to pay. Sales from the stores raise funds for the medical and counseling services AHF provides. Four thrift store locations even offer confidential free HIV testing utilizing a state of the art rapid response test with results in 20 minutes, and counseling available in a private area of the store. Since the height of the AIDS crisis, Out of the Closet has been an excellent source of HIV support and information. The South Pasadena store is located on Fair Oaks, across from Vons.

Way back in the early 90s I found all kinds of fantastic clothes at the store in West Hollywood. (I still love my 1950s black satin full-length gloves and matching clutch.) I discovered a 1930s pink art deco lusterware teapot, sugar bowl and creamer there… for $18! You just never know what you'll find at one of these stores. Each one still manages to deliver amazing finds when – after decades of Boho chic and the resulting raid on all things vintage -- most other thrift stores are well picked over. Shop there. Donate there. I think the world needs more of this kind of big-hearted and innovative thinking.