The skate center was L.A.’s answer to Studio 54—on wheels It’s hard to believe but roller-skating was practically a national pastime once. It was so trendy during the ’70s, in fact, skating often figured into film and TV plots. Stars rode around on eight wheels in Xanadu, Roller Boogie, Skatetown USA, Charlie’s Angels, and ChiPs. I once skated my way …

In 1944, a tailor named Sy Devore moved to Los Angeles from New York to open a 900-square-foot shop at the glamorous intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street, in Hollywood. The shop, which sold handmade custom suits, was next to Wallichs Music City and down the street from the world-famous Brown Derby restaurant. Just five years later, Devore was …

If I could go back in time and return a single L.A. building to its former state, I would pick the old Beverly Hills Public Library. I sat happily with other children on the floor of its screening room, listening to the impeccably tailored Suzanne Pleshette read “Hansel and Gretel” in the late 1970s. A unique light reflected off the …

When Alison Martino enters a room, it’s as if someone flipped the switch on a spotlight. Maybe it’s her creative energy, which has been channeled into television, music, writing and interior design. Maybe it’s the shiny blonde locks, sun-kissed skin and boho chic style that give her away as the ultimate native Angeleno. Or maybe she’s just refracting the years …

Can you imagine driving down Sunset and seeing the spellbinding psychedelic mural above? It once welcomed visitors to the Aquarius Theatre at 6230 Sunset Boulevard. The historic structure was painted for the opening of Hair in 1968. Eric Clapton, Janis Joplin, and Sal Mineo caught performances of the play during its two-and-a-half year run from 1969-1971. The theater had many …