Charles’ 
Slide of the Week: October 7th, 2004
Chinatown, Los Angeles, 1948
Looking for a spectacular color scheme to liven up your home’s exterior? Let Chinatown be your influence. Decades have passed since the masses considered Chinatown a “must-see” tourist attraction, but it’s still the most colorful place in town. And in the last few years has become the address to the city’s smartest new shops, galleries and bars.
Last week I overheard a friend visiting from Dallas say "I’ve never been to Chinatown before!” Not twenty minutes later we were there. We spent the whole afternoon there eating, shopping, gawking and cocktailing.
First we had dim sum at a late 80’s time warp, The Empress Pavilion. The dining room is so big that if you had a football you might score a touchdown. Uniformed servers maneuver heavy pushcarts like they were baby carriages. They are pushing -in more ways than one- cartfuls of yummy mystery meat-filled steamed, fried and boiled savory little pockets and pillows. Just when you think you’re about to explode, here comes the dessert carriage with the most magnificent striped Jell-o you’ve ever seen.
Nourished and in the mood to shop for all things exotic, we waddled across the street to Old Chinatown. As usual the quaint 1938 themed environment inspired my imagination and made my spirit soar! Just as I was collecting myself and realizing that the wild colors, vintage neon and pagoda rooflines were reality and not a Chinese food induced dream, I spotted an open door where I had only seen a closed door before. Faster than you can say “pass the pupu platter” I was entering into REALM, a new contemporary decorative arts shop. If though I was dreaming before, I now must’ve died and gone to heaven-Chinese Restaurant heaven. REALM occupies a long defunct 1940s Chinese restaurant called The Hong Kong Caf�. The original ceramic bamboo, padded cocktail bar and gold dragon ceiling are out of this world! For your interior d�cor let REALM be an inspiration to you. REALM is at 443 Gin Ling Way, (between Hill and Broadway) Los Angeles.
Cheers to the fine folks at REALM and YOU
Charles Phoenix
Los Angeles
October 2004
Sets this Slide belongs to:
Los Angeles & Theme Parks
3 Comments on “Chinatown, Los Angeles, 1948 ”
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May 5th, 2006 at 3:26 pm
My memory of Chinatown 1960 is mostly the organ grinder with his trained monkey where you would give the monkey a coin.
It caused my present irrational fear of all monkies. This was the ultimate L.A. fantasyland, like Disneyland, but real life.
August 7th, 2006 at 8:35 pm
Chinatown and Olvera Street where places we visited often in the 50’s. Also Angels Flight and Clifton’s. Visited the downtown department stores at Christmas time to see all the decorated windows. And never worried over safety - yeah the good old days.
June 26th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
http://arrivalcom.myweb.hinet.net/FreeRide
http://arrivalcom.myweb.hinet.net/Taipei101