The Good Ol' Days In Hollywood

To be honest, I remember very little of my first years here in Hollywood due to heavy drinking which most likely destroyed my hippocampus. I feel nothing anymore as I drive by my old haunts. Having lived there for a year before moving to the Valley, a lot has changed. It's less the traditional Hollywood you would see in movies of the 60's and 70's and more of the downtown hip places of an open air mall. To me, it's sad and boring.

But I get that Hollywood had to survive. There were moments, in those days, where I could walk from Van Ness Avenue (where I lived) to the other side of LaBrea (Hollywood Boulevard) and see maybe ten people. The air was dense with smog (I was smoking then, so it was hard to tell). The feeling was pretty morbid. That the deceased of Hollywood were beneath your feet (the Walk Of Fame). The street was in disrepair. The stores were falling apart. They had movie memorabilia shops and sex shops and strip clubs. The Pantages and The Frolic Room were still a place. I was so broke. I spent my afternoons at Bally's gym and then went over to watch a double feature at a theater on Hollywood Boulevard. It was called The Vine theater, and you could watch 2 movies for $5.

The Sandy Burger next to it was phenomenal. A smiling Korean guy ran it. It was literally a hole in the wall. You had to wiggle around to get a bar stool. The guy cooked behind a plexiglass separation and for $5 you could get a massive pile of chicken fried rice cooked right in front of you like a teppan grill. That was the life. But obviously I was broke beyond a joke. I was in constant fear of being evicted or just desperately trying to find a way into the business. I can't imagine what it must be like now. Or why anyone would attempt it now. But I know some people and I have the greatest sympathies for the newbies who come into town. It sucked so bad sometimes that I just wanted to go back home. But a lot of logistics prevented me from actually doing it. Least of all was even having enough gas money to get there. Haha. Great times.

A lot of us have survived the millenium years and have come out a little shell shocked, haggard and...well looking like a 70's game show washed up celebrity edition. I'm pretty sure I was the last generation that experienced the old Hollywood that are in movies. The newbies only see the Times Square-like circus. The dank, grime and history is fading. Much like the classics. I'm not sure what history they have to draw on. A friend had told me her favorite movie of all time was "Jurassic Park." And interesting choice as it does tackle that sense of wonder. I often wonder how the new folk here see the new Hollywood. Is it disappointing? Do they know the history of the ground in which the walk. I always had that reverence.