Sharon Knolle, Entertainment Writer

Fury over Plummer Park Historic Destruction

West Hollywood politicians set to destroy historic buildings for Jetsons look

By SHARON KNOLLE, Oct. 20, 2011

Architect Henry L. Gogerty may be forgotten by this city of newcomers, but three of his memorable creations can be seen from the corner of Hollywood and Vine: the Hollywood Playhouse, now the Avalon Theater; the art deco tower at Yucca and Vine; and the preserved facade of the art deco building next to Capitol Records.

Preservation efforts by Hollywood Heritage and others have assured that nearly all of Gogerty's numerous designs live on in Hollywood — apart from the Brown Derby on Vine Street, torn down in 1985, and attributed to him and partner Carl Jules Weyl. Gogerty also conceived the admired Grand Central Terminal at Glendale Airport; the remarkable Spruce Goose Hangar at Ballona Creek, which is on the National Register of Historic Places; and neighborhood favorites such as the Cat & Fiddle on Sunset Boulevard.

In West Hollywood, it's a different story.

Keep reading at LA Weekly

 Death of L.A. Newsstands


Los Angeles is getting slammed by unemployment, foreclosures, tanking home values — and now a devastating hit on local newsstands, one of the city’s oldest neighborhood traditions, which are being edged out by cigarette stores, overwrought “smart growth” and especially the Internet.

Several decades-old institutions have closed in Los Angeles, like Universal News in Hollywood, which dated to the 1950s, and smaller, less high-profile stands, like La Cienega News and Miracle Mile News, both of which now sit empty.

Read more

May 28, 2009

Historic Fiesta Hall in Plummer Park is scheduled to undergo a radical "reskinning" as part of a massive, $41 million project.

Among the buildings designed by Henry L. Gogerty: The Hollywood Playhouse, now known as the Avalon.

The Gogerty Building, next to Capitol Records, dates back to the '20s.

Sunset News in West Hollywood is now Grand Tobacco

photos by Sharon Knolle