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Exterior of The Abbey in West Hollywood

The Abbey: The Story of an L.A. Icon

06/09/2016

Elina Shatkin

When David Cooley decided to open The Abbey in 1991, the bar scene in West Hollywood looked much different than it does now. Cooley, an Ohioan by way of Las Vegas, moved to the city in 1981, at the start of the AIDS crisis. "When I was coming to bars on Santa Monica Boulevard, it was not as open," he says. "There were no front patios where you could have a cigarette. It was all behind closed doors and through back alleys."

Redwood tree and atrium at Clifton's

Clifton's Cafeteria: The Story of an L.A. Icon

09/21/2015

Elina Shatkin

How magical would it be to instantly trade the sidewalks and steel of an urban downtown for a woodland utopia? Clifton's spanned 16,000-square-feet of faux redwoods, frolicking forest creatures, scenic murals, a brook babbling with limeade and a 20-foot waterfall cascading over artificial rocks. To say that Clifton’s was unique is like saying LeBron James is a pretty decent basketball player. Imagine a larger-than-life diorama designed by Walt Disney on a Pine Sol-fueled bender. Simply put, it was unlike any other restaurant in Los Angeles.

Hotel Normandie lobby

Hotel Normandie: The Story of an L.A. Icon

08/11/2015

Sandi Hemmerlein

Situated only three miles in each direction from Downtown L.A. and the Miracle Mile, Koreatown has become a historic, cultural and entertainment destination, marked by the revival of architectural icons like the Hotel Normandie

Gay Los Angeles: Legendary Bingo

04/24/2013

Frontiers LA

Legendary Bingo at Hamburger Mary’s in West Hollywood is a whole different animal. Inappropriate behavior is not only encouraged—it’s demanded. 

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