The Counter-Culture Strikes Back or Maybe They Are Jealous, I Dunno

Coming north on Vine Street today, just above Melrose Avenue, I saw a sidewalk sign:

Enoteca?

Does it Matter?

Katsuya, the sushi joint at Hollywood Blvd and Vine Street is less than 2 miles away. It's a busy intersection up there and lots of night life, even including the Kard... 

Téa Leoni - Street Advertising in Hollywood or A Secret Meeting Place?

Travelling south of Vine Street today, I chanced past this and snapped a few photos. 

Téa Leoni - Advert for Madam Secretary

Flag Above the Musician's Union - Partial Patio of the Oinkster

I suspect that this is not a tour bus and why the production company would have the personnel, maybe including Ms. Leoni at the Oinkster restaurant is inexplicable. Stars of shows don't have lunch with production staff. At least the Stars do not travel in such vehicles to go to lunch. But I could be mistaken.

I first saw Téa Leoni in a show called The Naked Truth and thought she was both comic and sexy. This has not changed and while I have not seen the Madam Secretary, and it appears to be a drama, she is easy enough on the eyes, that I'll watch the show even if it is a drama. Madam Secretary has Bebe Neuwirth in it as well. Both of these ladies have voices (the sound of their voices) that I find intriguing. 

Almost a Grand Opening

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf branch at the Sunset Media Center building has been nicely remodeled. There are plenty of places to sit outside, finally. There is even shade for some seating as you can see by the umbrellas. Sit along the east side if the traffic noise along Sunset Blvd. is too much for you. The Grand Re-Opening however, was not supported by Celebrities or Paparazzi.

Here is photographic proof:

Six Balloons

Six More Balloons

That's it, folks. Even the CBTL didn't care about the Re-Grand-Opening.

On another note, the new owner of this building had the exterior re-modeled. They paid about $75 million for 23 stories or about $3 million per story. That's a 322,000-square-foot building. The owner paid $233 per square foot. On an annualized basis that is $19 per square foot. They rental agent is asking between $3.75 to $4.00 per square foot per month. There is but about 51,000 square feet available for rent.

This office building is the home of Nielsen Research, the TV ratings company. In former times it was also the headquarters of the House of Blues.

If you visit Los Angeles and are tired of Starbuck's, try the Coffee Bean.

Oscar Sunday 24th of February, 2013 - Hollywood California

Sunset Blvd. looking towards Vine Street

This Sunday's weather is an example of the rare mild winter weather and brilliant sunshine that Hollywood is so naturally renowned for. Even Oscar Sunday saw a light amount of automobile traffic, along Vine Street, Sunset and Hollywood Boulevards.

Queuing up for the Red Carpet

The front of the line of the queue.
Buxom blonde trying to cut ahead in line.

Shuttle bus for the Red Carpet

Kimmel is a chat show host.
His studio is on the opposite side of the Oscars Theater, along Hollywood Blvd.

The Queue a few minutes before the party started

Hollywood Blvd at Cahuenga Blvd

Press Parking about half a mile from the Oscars

Shuttle Bus parking sign on Sunset Blvd

The Last Greasy Spoon in Hollywood

Last of the Hollywood "joints"

Looking at the place where it stood

Three years later, after a lot of "community activist" involvement in this property, it is being replace by a high rise building. Where the greasy spoon was is not this.

As seen from the reverse angle

Yours truly never ate at this one. It just looks to ill kept. They were there for decades, little "kiosk" like food stands in Hollywood. They served sandwiches mostly. A few were juice bars. Now this is the last one and it's a goner, too. The parking lot, unseen in this photo, but in the foreground and to the left, as well as the Montalban Theater (background) and Molly's are all going under the wrecking ball to make way for a five or six story . . . development. I can't say I'm sorry to see Molly's go, but what's replacing it isn't likely to be better.


Hollywood survives as a place mostly on tourism.  They are the only group that can afford the luxuries that Hollywood as a brand name offers. The zipcodes around the area, 90028, 90038, 90029, are some of the most over-crowded parts of Los Angeles. The people living here (about 25,000 per square mile) are mostly tenants, many retirees. The trend in trendy Hollywood has been to claim to be luxurious, while trying to appeal to as broad a section of the public as possible. It isn't called the petit-bourgeois for no reason.

And The Rose Stands In The Dew XI

Still Life: Nite Club in Day Light

The caption on the photo below reads:
XI. And the rose stands in the dew

Near Fountain Ave. & El Centro Ave.

The Last Few Days of Borders in Hollywood

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Sexy Blonde Gal on Vine Street

Definitely not a tourist. I find this woman steamy hot.

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Illegal Video Shoot at Office Depot?

While looking for some printer paper at Office Depot on Sunday last, I chanced across what, to my mind, was an illegal shoot. It could be that this crew had the permit, insurance and such, but something made me think it was a hot job. Not that I'm morally concerned. I only thought the woman attractive and the director was highly dissatisfied with her work. And such a nice looking babe, too.

Not taking direction "well".

Speaking the lines

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Trompe-l'œil Art Deco Apartment Building in Hollywood

Trompe-l'œil

I've posted about this apartment building before. When I first saw it, I thought: "No Way!" but it has finally been completed. So I was quite pleasantly surprised to see that the south facade of the building is being painted to look like a proscenium arched stage. The curtains are being pulled back from the right side of the stage, and you, dear audience, can now see the show. Notice the painter in the upper left corner finishing the illusion. This is the first piece of Trompe-l'œil I've ever seen in Hollywood. In the foreground is a parking lot that once was a nightclub Basque where Lindsay Lohan celebrated a birthday. It burned down under mysterious circumstances and was never rebuilt. I'm somewhat incredulous that what replaced the club was a parking lot. 




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August 30th 2010 - NOTHING HAPPENED IN HOLLYWOOD!

Sunset Vine Tower

And here is the proof! The fabled Sunset-Vine Tower has NO ad on it's east side. If you click the picture you can see the CNN building in the background. In a moment of unusualness, the camera caught the light at yellow at Sunset and Argyle.  

Ricardo Montalban Theater

The Montalban Theater has no cartoon on it's south side.

Shades of UFOs and Conspiracies! 


Your Rounder has no idea as to what caused this. But if any reader has knowledge of what has caused this tragedy, email us.

Your Name Here?

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Brazilians in Hollywood Celebrate Victory of North Korea

That is Brazilians celebrate their national soccer team's victory over North Korea, earlier today.

These pix were taken on Vine Street in front of the Nike/Montalban Theater.







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1600 Vine Street

The City of Los Angeles using it's powers of eminent domain, took the entire block of Hollywood from Vine Street on the West between Hollywood Boulevard and Selma Avenue and Argyle Street on the east. This taking, to build this huge apartment, hotel, subway station complex. This is a photo of it near the completion of the project. The cranes are gone. This picture is shot from the south west corner of Selma and Vine.

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Cheesecake Factory

Hollywood is the most notorious cheesecake factory in the United States. And in contradistinction to the restaurant Cheesecake Factory, Hollywood makes real cheesecake.

This party was at the M Bar on Vine Street, practically the center of Hollywood.

1253 Vine St

Los Angeles, CA 90038

(323) 856-0036

Open Mon-Thu, Sun 6:30pm-12am

Sat 6:30pm-2am

The bar's website is a little heavy on Flash, so be patient.

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Three of Clubs returns to Disco Nites - 3 of Clubs

I had heard rumors that disco was dead, but to my surprise, disco is alive and well.

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Julie Cobb Real Estate

This is the bust BUS bench that, only a few days ago had the District 9 "This Bench For Humans Only" sign on it.

Now it's some broad in real estate, Jules Cobb. The photo bears a striking likeness to Courtney Cox (Arquette)

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Capitol Records Building by Night

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A Week of Darkness - part 1

Here starts some views of Hollywood at night. These photos were taken by my esteemed colleague:

Wolfgang Copernicus Addlesburg (or Addlesburger, I can never get that 'straight')

This is Vine Street from De Longpre, looking north. The Broadway is in the farthest background, with Borders' Books closer, then the Arclight cinema and lastly McDonalds' Hamburgers.



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A Stroll Down Vine Street

As I wandered up Vine Street on Sunday, making my way for the Hollywood California Certified Organic Farmer's Market, I chanced to see this girl wandering down (south) on Vine, towards me. While your Hollywood Rounder does not "approve" of tough chicks, he makes an exception here, as the girl is in need of some new blue jeans. Contributions may be made to The Hollywood Rounder and are not tax deductable.






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Ten Forward Coffee Shop

Ten Forward, the lounge on Star Trek Voyager has had it' s name borrowed by a Trekkie. This coffee shop (should the Rounder have said: café?) has chairs on the sidewalk, so one may sit and people watch. As they are open every night to midnight, if you wanted to people watch, a cup of coffee would rent you a chair only shouting distance from Katsuya. Katsuya is often featured on TMZ, with this or that celebrity getting in or out of a car.

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Almost Won an Oscar(ette)

Living in Hollywood, your truly, the Hollywood Rounder, is always hankering after an award of some sort or another. Recognition is hard to come by. Last Thursday, I was the recipient of an Oscarette. That's an award that is given for the biggest liar, so of course, I won. That's a statue for those who aren't all that artistic, -ette.

And I want to thank all the little people who made this possible! Mostly that is all the viewers of the Rounder's Roundup at City Daily Photo. Further I would like to thank my camera for never failing to get a snapshot. This is the ceremony immediately after your Rounder was given a certificate of fruit basket and a permanent record of recordation in the Pantheon of Memories.

Well ... a fellow can dream, can't he?

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