Brooks Memorial Home for the Aged from “Miracle on 34th Street” Has Finally Been Found!

I am ecstatic to report that Brooks Memorial Home for the Aged, where Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) lived in the 1947 holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street, has finally been identified!  Sadly, though, it is no longer standing. Watch my latest reel to discover where filming took place.

TL; DW – The now-defunct Black-Foxe Military Academy, formerly located at 637 North Wilcox Avenue in Los Angeles’ Hancock Park, played the facility onscreen.

The Tire House from “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday”

The Tire House from Pee-wee's Big Holiday (3 of 8)

Today’s locale is becoming quite the prolific film star!  I’ve blogged about the residence at 800 Adelaine Avenue in South Pasadena previously – twice, in fact.  It first came on my radar thanks to its appearance in the 2008 comedy Bedtime Stories, as I chronicled here.  Then, in 2015, I noticed it pop up in the pilot episode of the short-lived Fox series Grandfathered and dedicated another post to the place.  Pretty thorough coverage, I know.  But when I learned that it also cameoed in not one, but two Christmas-themed productions recently, I decided that yet another write-up was in order!

[ad]

The picturesque English Revival holds a pretty special place in my heart.  I have it to thank for meeting and becoming friends with fellow stalker Owen.  Way back on May 20th, 2009, I received an email from him asking for some assistance in tracking down the home belonging to Wendy (Courteney Cox) in Bedtime Stories.  That email kicked off the first of many location hunts the two of us have embarked upon.  Owen’s comment on my initial post about the place was quite prophetic.  He wrote, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  Did I say ‘Louis’?  I mean ‘Lindsay.’”  Oh, how right he was!  The two of us became fast friends and remain so today, more than a decade later!  The house has fared pretty well, too, cameo-wise.

Screenshot-001425

The Tire House from Pee-wee's Big Holiday (6 of 8)

As mentioned above, it was also featured in the Grandfathered pilot in which it portrayed the home of Jimmy Martino’s (John Stamos) ex, Sara (Paget Brewster).  It only appeared in the one episode, though.  Once the series got picked up, filming of Sara’s house scenes shifted to a different pad at 12660 Kling Street in Studio City.

Screenshot-001402

Screenshot-001406

Then, last week, while writing my post on the residence where Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) lived in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, I scanned through the 1988 sequel Big Top Pee-wee and the 2016 Netflix film Pee-wee’s Big Holiday to see if the same property was utilized in either.  It wasn’t, but I was thrilled to see the Bedtime Stories house in the latter!  Though it only popped up briefly, I recognized it immediately as the spot where Pee-wee released a tire from a trailer as part of his extensive morning routine at the beginning of the flick.

Screenshot-012754

Screenshot-012755

Coming full circle, a few days before that discovery, I received a text from Owen informing me that he had attempted to write a comment on my original Bedtime Stories house post, but that my site wasn’t allowing it.  (That’s an ongoing issue with old posts that the Grim Cheaper is trying to fix.)  Because I knew he had been binging Christmas movies, I figured he was likely wanting to apprise me of the home’s Pee-wee’s Big Holiday cameo.  But once the GC finally got comments on the post up and running, I was shocked that Owen was actually clueing me in on a different Yuletide-themed appearance!  He wrote, “When I think of this house, I think of you, because our friendship had its genesis in the search for this location.  For that reason, I thought I’d let you know that the house recently updated its filming location curriculum vitae, if you will.  I saw it pop up again on the “Christmas Spirit” episode of 9-1-1, which aired on Dec. 2.  They give the address as 2749 Elmer Ave. in North Hollywood in the episode . . . and then proceed to allow the ‘800’ house number near the front door to be visible five minutes later.  You have to do better than that to fool a stalker!”  Yeah, especially when it comes to such a well-known locale!  In the “Christmas Spirit” episode, the pad is where a mom (Chrystee Pharris) collapses and 9-1-1 operator Maddie Kendall (Jennifer Love Hewitt) talks her young son, Leo (Seth Carr), through performing CPR until the paramedics arrive.

Screenshot-012751

Screenshot-012753

The residence is so idyllic and charming, it is not at all hard to see how it wound up onscreen in so many productions.  Built in 1925, the pad has 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2,165 square feet, a 0.23-acre lot, and a detached garage.  It last sold in January 2004 for $652,500, but Zillow puts its worth at $1,555,821 today!  So not only does the property have the ability to foster friendships, but it’s lucrative to boot!

The Tire House from Pee-wee's Big Holiday (1 of 8)

The Tire House from Pee-wee's Big Holiday (5 of 8)

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to Owen for asking me to find this house back in 2009, informing me of its recent 9-1-1 appearance, and, most of all, ten years of friendship.

The Tire House from Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2 of 8)

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: The “tire house” from Pee-wee’s Big Holiday is located at 800 Adelaine Avenue in South Pasadena.

The Federal from “Four Christmases”

The Federal from Four Christmases (23 of 31)-2

I tracked down today’s locale thanks to some very insider information.  Back on December 19th, 2012, I wrote about the San Francisco pad that portrayed Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate’s (Reese Witherspoon) residence in Four Christmases.  Just a few hours after hitting “publish,” I received an email from the production designer of the 2008 holiday romcom, Shepherd Frankel, who had this to say, “Wow – I loved reading your blog and seeing your detective work unfold.  Truly amazing.  So interesting to read for me and I actually designed the film!”  His kind words just about made me fall over with excitement!  Though I often contact crew members to inquire about locations, a production designer getting in touch with me was a first!  Once I regained my composure, I wrote him back and, of course, asked for some help in IDing a few additional locations from the film, namely the restaurant where Brad’s firm’s holiday party was held.  And Shepherd was happy to help!  Though he did not remember the name of the eatery, he informed me that it was a former-bank-turned-restaurant in Long Beach.  Using those search parameters, I quickly figured out that filming had taken place at The Madison at 102 Pine Avenue.  Sadly, I also quickly figured out that the gastropub had recently closed.  I added it to my To-Stalk List regardless, hoping it would reopen at some point, which, thankfully, it did as “The Federal” just months later, at which point I ran out to stalk it.  Though I’ve briefly covered the place a couple of times before – first in my post about sister restaurant The Federal Bar in North Hollywood, then in My Guide to L.A. – Bars, and finally in a Scene it Before column for Los Angeles magazine – I figured this holiday season was the perfect time for a full-blown write-up.

[ad]

The 13-story, 146,000-square-foot building that houses The Federal was initially built in 1925 as the Long Beach headquarters of the Security Trust and Savings Bank of Los Angeles.  The stately site was designed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style by architects Aleck Curlett and Claud Beelman.  (The latter also gave us The Mayfair Hotel from The Office, The Standard, Downtown L.A. from Fracture, and the California Bank Building from Girls Just Want to Have Fun.)

The Federal from Four Christmases (30 of 31)

The Federal from Four Christmases (25 of 31)

The towering structure, known today as the “Security Trust and Savings Bank Building” as well as “Security Pacific National Bank,” was originally comprised of offices on its upper levels and a grand 3-story, 8,925-square-foot bank space complete with a basement vault on its lower floors.

The Federal from Four Christmases (7 of 31)

The Federal from Four Christmases (12 of 31)

When Security Trust and Savings, which had been renamed Security Pacific Bank, moved out in 1991, the bank space sat vacant for a time before catching the eye of Terry Antonelli and Enzo DeMuro, the famed restauranteurs who in 1990 founded Long Beach staple L’Opera in another former bank building located right across the street.  The duo decided to lease the site and worked their magic transforming it into upscale eatery The Madison, which opened its doors in May 1999.  During the conversion, the room’s gorgeous beamed ceilings, which had incredibly been covered over to make way for an air conditioning system at some point, were once again unveiled.

The Federal from Four Christmases (17 of 31)

Shortly after its debut, Los Angeles Times restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila wrote, “I’ve been to The Madison Restaurant & Bar, a posh new steakhouse, three times, and each time I’ve walked through the door, I’ve had to catch my breath because the size and grandeur of the rooms are overwhelming.  Built in the days before ATMs, when banks functioned as secular cathedrals and women donned hat and gloves to do their banking, the former Security Bank is one of Long Beach’s stateliest historic buildings.”  As you can see below, her words were not hyperbole.  The space is nothing if not breathtaking!

The Federal from Four Christmases (2 of 31)

The Federal from Four Christmases (9 of 31)

The Madison enjoyed a nice long run, remaining in operation until September 2012, just a few months before I learned about it.

The Federal from Four Christmases (1 of 31)

The Federal from Four Christmases (3 of 31)

Shortly after its closure, Morgan Margolis, the nightlife impresario behind The Federal Bar in North Hollywood (and son of Mark Margolis, aka Mr. Shickadance, the landlord from Ace Ventura: Pet Detective), toured the space and decided to open a sister Federal location on the premises.  The Federal Long Beach opened just a few months later.  Thankfully, not much of the interior was altered in the changeover.

The Federal from Four Christmases (21 of 31)

Still as grand as ever, the gorgeous eatery features 2 full bars, seating for 300 patrons, rich wood paneling, towering columns, an extensive menu of healthy and not-so-healthy comfort foods, and a speakeasy situated in the basement vault!  Quite the unique atmosphere to grab a bite!

The Federal from Four Christmases (13 of 31)

The Federal from Four Christmases (8 of 31)

My photos truly don’t do the space justice.  Unfortunately, the natural light beaming in through the windows wreaked havoc on most of the images I snapped while there, but at least they give you the gist of The Federal’s beauty.

The Federal from Four Christmases (18 of 31)

The Federal from Four Christmases (20 of 31)

It is at The Madison that the Rohlich and Tweel LLC 8th annual Christmas party is held in Four Christmases, during which Brad and Kate explain to Brad’s co-workers how they get out of spending the holidays with their families each year.  (Their advice?  Just lie and tell everyone you’re doing charity work.  “You know, something like building houses in third world countries.  Teaching English as a second language in Puerto Rico.  Delousing orphans in Somalia.  Helping Chinese kids capture lobsters – boil them, gut them, clean the weird stuff out of the middle.  We find that the more details you give, kinda throws them off the scent.”  After all, “You really can’t spell families without ‘lies.’”)

Screenshot-012747

The Federal from Four Christmases (1 of 1)

Though Shepherd and his team decked the restaurant out in Yuletide finery for the shoot, not much of the place was shown onscreen.  But what was visible remains very recognizable.

Screenshot-012744

The Federal from Four Christmases (1 of 1)

We get a much better view of the restaurant via Dinner for Schmucks.  In the 2010 comedy (and I use that term loosely), Tim (Paul Rudd) meets with some clients at The Madison and chaos quickly ensues thanks to the misguided efforts of uninvited guest Barry (Steve Carell).  In looking at the screen capture as compared to my photograph below, you can see the changes made to the site before it re-opened as The Federal.  For some inexplicable reason, a beam running across the vast dining area was installed which really cuts off the room in my opinion.

Screenshot-012738

The Federal from Four Christmases (14 of 31)

The main bar (on the left-hand side below) was also partially closed off and the beige upholstered booths swapped out for black leather versions.  You can check out some more images of the interior of The Madison here.  Oh, how I wish I could have seen it before it closed!  Despite the unfortunate changes, The Federal is still a stunning place to grab a bite or cocktail when in Long Beach!

Screenshot-012739

The Federal from Four Christmases (15 of 31)

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

The Federal from Four Christmases (31 of 31)

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: The Federal, aka the former The Madison from Four Christmases, is located at 102 Pine Avenue in Long Beach.  You can visit the eatery’s official website hereL’Opera Restaurant, from Charmed, can be found right across the street at 101 Pine Avenue.  You can visit that establishment’s website here.

The “L.A. Confidential” Christmas Eve Pot Bust House

L.A. Confidential Christmas Eve Pot Bust House-1090252

Some might not consider the subject of today’s post a Christmas location.  It’s certainly not from a holiday flick, that’s for sure.  But the scene that was shot there took place on Christmas Eve, so I figured it was fair game.  For those who do not recognize the pad pictured above, it was at the two-story Craftsman that the infamous “movie premiere pot bust” – or as I always refer to it, the “Christmas Eve pot bust” – from L.A. Confidential was lensed.  If you’ve never seen the 1997 film (and I just learned that the Grim Cheaper counts himself in that category, which absolutely flabbergasted me!), I’ll fill you in.

[ad]

At the beginning of the 1950s-set drama, Hush-Hush tabloid reporter Sid Hudgens (Danny DeVito) convinces LAPD sergeant Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) to arrest two Metro Studio contract players, Matt Reynolds (Simon Baker) and Tammy Jordan (Shawnee Free Jones), whom he has set up for pot possession, so that he can document the whole thing for his magazine.  When they arrive at Reynolds’ home, Vincennes, ever the media opportunist, immediately notices that a Hollywood premiere is taking place at the theatre down the street and instructs Sid, “Put your camera right there.  When I walk out, I’ll stop right here, you get the movie premiere in the background.”  To which Sid says, “I like it!  I like it!  The movie premiere pot bust!”  (Why a film premiere would be taking place on Christmas Eve night is beyond me, but I guess that is a question for director/screenwriter Curtis Hanson.)  As Sid later spins the story, “It’s Christmas Eve in the City of Angels and while decent citizens sleep the sleep of the righteous, hopheads prowl for marijuana, not knowing that a man is coming to stop them – celebrity crime stopper Jack Vincennes, scourge of grasshoppers and dope fiends everywhere.”

Screenshot-006794

L.A. Confidential Christmas Eve Pot Bust House-1090256

Because of the tight angle from which the scene was shot, as well as the low lighting (not to mention a change in paint color in the ensuing years), the movie premiere pot bust house looks quite a bit different in person than it did onscreen.

Screenshot-006799

L.A. Confidential Christmas Eve Pot Bust House-1090257

While it deceivingly looks like a single-family residence from the street, as was depicted in L.A. Confidential the 1914 property is actually a multi-occupancy dwelling.  Per Zillow, the structure boasts a total of 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3,304 square feet, and a 0.23-acre parcel of land.

Screenshot-006803

L.A. Confidential Christmas Eve Pot Bust House-1090255

Though they are now largely obscured by a screened-in porch, you can just make out the property’s two front doors in my photograph below.

L.A. Confidential Christmas Eve Pot Bust House-1090254

The home’s actual interior was also utilized in the movie.  It is there that Vincennes (does L.A. Confidential have great character names, or what?) first learns about Fleur-de-Lis thanks to a mysterious black business card he finds tucked away in a notebook.

Screenshot-006806

Screenshot-006808

Though the scene taking place there is rather brief, the pot bust house was one of the tougher locales for the L.A. Confidential production team to nail down.  According to an interview with location manager John Panzarella and key assistant Leslie Thorson that ran in L.A. Weekly this past September, early versions of the script called for a residence within view of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.  Panzarella says, “Our directive always was to have a theater that was in a sightline to a house, like half a block away.  We did go look at the Chinese Theatre, we went down Sycamore, we went down Orange, we went down all the adjacent streets and there was no house there that was within sightlines.”  So they started seeking out other venues – in Leimert Park, Westwood, and additional areas of L.A.  But they came up with zilch.  That’s when production designer Jeannine Oppewall stepped in and saved the day by proposing that an old Art Deco bank building at 5620 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood could possibly mask as a theatre in the scene.  Her idea was right on the money and Panzarella and Thorson soon zeroed in on a home with period-perfect architecture located just down the street from the structure at 1714 North Gramercy Place to portray Reynolds’ residence.

Screenshot-006798

L.A. Confidential Christmas Eve Pot Bust House-1090258

Transforming the bank building into the fictional “El Cortez” theatre for the shoot did prove a bit challenging, as the owners of the structure would not allow anything to be attached to the façade.  So Oppewall had to think outside the box.  As she explained to Curbed L.A. in a recent interview, “What I ended up doing was designing the movie marquee as a freestanding triangle.  We shoved it up against the building, and then we built two pilasters on the back two legs that disappeared directly into the background of the building . . . And we had to have a supporting pillar in the front, which we painted black.  I specified that we had to always have some extras standing directly in front of it so you wouldn’t see that it was actually standing on three legs.”

Screenshot-006804

L.A. Confidential Christmas Eve Pot Bust House-1090250

Known as the California Bank/Precision Auto Building in real life (per this Historic Resources Survey Report), the structure was designed by John Parkinson of Parkinson & Parkinson, the father-and-son architecture team who also gave us Union Station, Bullocks Wilshire and both Security Trust & Savings Bank’s Highland Park Branch and North Hollywood BranchAccording to the Los Angeles Times, the site, which boasts a 95-foot-tall pyramid-topped tower, was built in 1920 (though many others report the year of construction as 1929).  Said tower was badly damaged during the Northridge earthquake in 1994.  Though it has, thankfully, since been repaired, you can check out some eerie photographs of its toppled spire here and here.

Screenshot-006805

L.A. Confidential Christmas Eve Pot Bust House-1090251

  For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

L.A. Confidential Christmas Eve Pot Bust House-1090253

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: The Christmas Eve pot bust, aka the movie premiere pot bust, from L.A. Confidential took place at 1714 North Gramercy Place in Hollywood.  The California Bank/Precision Auto Building, aka the fictional “El Cortez” theatre seen in the background of the scene, can be found just down the street at 5620 Hollywood Boulevard.

Virginia O’Hanlon’s Former House

Virginia O'Hanlon's Former House-1140679

I still believe in Santa Claus.  Yes, you read that right.  Though I am fast approaching 40, the magic and wonderment of the Christmas season remain very real to me.  My feelings on the subject can best be summed up by Francis Pharcellus Church’s famed 1897 The New York Sun editorial penned in response to a letter from eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon, who asked the age-old query “Is there a Santa Claus?”  Church’s reply, which assured her and the audience at large that “Yes, Virginia, there is!,” stated that without Kris Kringle, “There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.  We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight.  The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.”  I remember reading the editorial as a young adult and reveling in Church’s encouragement of a belief in things that can’t be seen.  So when my friend Owen, of the When Write Is Wrong blog, informed me that he knew the location of Virginia’s former house, where she wrote her famous letter, I just about died of excitement and headed right on over there while in New York this past April.

[ad]

This location was an easy find for Owen.  When I asked if he remembered how he came across Virginia’s address, he replied, “I definitely recall how I found that one.  It took an incredible amount of investigative work and persistence on my part.  Here’s the lengthy story: I found a picture of the original 1897 letter to the editor in The Sun newspaper.”  Ha!  Nicely done, Owen!

article-the-sun-francis-pharcellus

Virginia’s former residence, one of a set of six attached brownstones, was originally constructed in the late 1880s.  The four-story property, as well as its neighbors, was designed by architect Charles T. Mott for developer Charles Bouton.  In 1896, Dr. Philip O’Hanlon, who worked as the City’s Coroner’s Physician, his wife, Laura Lincoln Plumb, and their daughter, Laura Virginia, leased the red-brick home.

Virginia O'Hanlon's Former House-1140681

As the story goes, the following summer, young Virginia came to her father with the query ‘Does Santa Claus really exist?’  His rather deflective response was to suggest Virginia write a letter to The New York Sun about the matter.  The newspaper published her letter, which I’ve recreated below, as part of an editorial on September 21st, 1897.  You can take a look at Virginia’s original note here.  And yes, the original does still exist.  It was appraised on Antiques Roadshow in 2012 (It’s worth?  $20,000 to $30,000!) and today belongs to Virginia’s great-grandson.

yes-virginia-letter

The man tasked with the fateful job of composing a reply was the assistant to the editor, Francis Pharcellus Church, though his authorship went unknown until shortly after his passing in 1906, as the editorial was originally published unsigned.  The Sun readers were quick to embrace Church’s poignant and heartfelt prose and over the years many wrote in asking for the editorial to be republished.  The newspaper eventually complied and began featuring the column annually in 1920.  It has gone on to become one of the most reprinted editorials in history.  You can check out a picture of one of the many reprints, which I’ve re-created below, here.

yes-virginia-response

Virginia and her family remained in the home at 115 West 95th for four years, at which time her parents purchased a pad just a few doors away at 121 West 95th.  After the O’Hanlons moved out, Virginia’s former residence became a boarding house and then, in 1957, was divided into apartments.  Eight years later, it was acquired by the city, along with its five neighbors, and left vacant.  By that time, the properties had fallen into disarray and the city intended to fix them up as part of an urban renewal project.  Those plans never came to fruition, though, and it was not long before the dwellings became the subject of a heated real estate battle.

Virginia O'Hanlon's Former House-1140673

In the 1970s, Jeanne L. Beatty, founder and president of the West 95th Street Development Corp., purchased the six homes from the city, along with five others on the street.  She rehabbed five of the properties, but the remaining six, including Virginia’s, were left to essentially rot.  Jeanne blamed a bad loan and construction complications.  Neighbors blamed Jeanne’s greed – despite their dereliction, the residences had risen considerably in value and locals believed Beatty wanted to hold onto them for as long as possible to squeeze as much revenue out of them as she could.  A lawsuit was eventually filed against Jeanne and the brownstones continued to sit untouched, dilapidating further, as the legal battle forged ahead.  Finally, in 1992, the city repossessed the homes and sold them off.  Virginia’s house was purchased by a man named Moshe Shrem, who began renovations.  He converted the property back to a single-family residence and in 2001 it hit the market for a cool $2.7 million.  The story doesn’t end there, though.  Two years later, the dwelling, along with its neighbor to the west, was purchased by The Studio School, a private elementary/middle school.  The two homes were combined into one large learning facility and The Studio School began holding classes on the premises in September 2007.  Two years later, the school honored Virginia by affixing a plaque to the front of the building commemorating its famous former resident and the historic event that took place there more than a century prior.

Virginia O'Hanlon's Former House-1140669

A close-up view of the plaque is pictured below.

Virginia O'Hanlon's Former House-1140667

Sadly, the front door of Virginia’s home was removed during The New School renovations, so the property looks a bit different today than it did when the O’Hanlons lived there.

Virginia O'Hanlon's Former House-1140677

As you can see below, the entrance to The Studio School is through a pine wood door located at the property to the left of Virginia’s former home at 117 West 95th Street, while 115 West 95th has no entrance.  You can see what the residence looked like before the doorway was removed in this 1967 photo.

Virginia O'Hanlon's Former House-1140683

Thankfully, the casing around Virginia’s former door is still intact, so it is possible to make out where it was situated, which is just below the 115 address marker.

Virginia O'Hanlon's Former House-1140672

Today, a window occupies that space.

Virginia O'Hanlon's Former House-1140666

A staircase leading to the basement level of the school was also added to the front of the property during the renovations.  The rest of the original façade appears to have been left intact, though.

Virginia O'Hanlon's Former House-1140675

While researching Virginia’s former home, I came across this photo of it taken during Christmastime.  The decorations are absolutely beautiful!  Oh, how I wish I could have seen it all decked out for the holidays!

Virginia O'Hanlon's Former House-1140676

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to my friend Owen, of the When Write Is Wrong blog, for telling me about this location!  Smile

Virginia O'Hanlon's Former House-1140670

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: Virginia O’Hanlon’s former house is located at 115 West 95th Street on New York’s Upper West Side.

Tracey Ross from “Beverly Hills, 90210”

Tracey Ross from 90210-16

‘Tis finally the season – the season for holiday-themed filming locations!  As is the case every year, because Christmas locales in the L.A. area are rather limited, I waited to start blogging about them until the end of December.  And I should mention here that my postings over the next two or three weeks will be fairly limited, as well, due to some holiday events and trips that I have planned, including a shopping visit to L.A.  (I can’t wait!  There’s no shopping like L.A. shopping!)  Anyway, today’s locale comes from my favorite television show ever, Beverly Hills, 90210.  While scanning through the Season 2 episode titled “A Walsh Family Christmas” prior to writing my post on Lake View Medical Center in October, I spotted an establishing shot of the store where Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty) briefly worked and got a bit distracted.  I had not remembered an exterior of the shop ever being shown on the series and became very excited about the possibility of tracking it down, which I eventually did.  As it turns out, though, Geoff, of 90210Locations, had already found the place and listed the address on his site, which would have saved me quite a bit of time had I known.  #blondemoment

[ad]

In “A Walsh Family Christmas,” Brenda lands a sales job at a local Beverly Hills boutique a few days before Christmas.  The exterior of the boutique was shown several times in the episode and I was thrilled to see that both a store name, Tracey Ross, as well as a 105 address number were visible.

Screenshot-000287

So I got to Googling and discovered that, while Tracey Ross is no longer currently in existence, there did indeed used to be a boutique by that name located at 105 South Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Grove.  Today, that location houses an outpost of Lululemon.

Tracey Ross from 90210-2

Tracey Ross from 90210-3

At the time that “A Walsh Family Christmas” was filmed, the building that housed Tracey Ross looked considerably different due to the fact that the bottom level was split up into five different spaces, as you can see in the Google Street View imagery below from August 2007.

Screenshot-000303

Tracey Ross was located in the northern portion of the building, two storefronts south of Alden Drive.

Tracey Ross

At some point in 2008, Rock & Republic opened an outpost on the premises and combined the building’s two northern units (including the one formerly occupied by Tracey Ross) into one big space.  Though R&R has since moved out, that storefront has remained one unit ever since.

Tracey Ross from 90210-26

Tracey Ross from 90210-17

Thankfully, some recognizable elements remain despite the many changes that have taken place since 90210 was filmed.  As you can see below, the Robertson storefront is still recessed, much like it was when it was featured in “A Walsh Family Christmas.”  And the black-tiled facade of the suite next door is still a direct match to what appeared onscreen.

Tracey Ross 90210 2

A close-up view of the storefront next door is pictured below.

Tracey Ross from 90210-23

Tracey Ross from 90210-24

Tracey Ross’ actual interior was also used in “A Walsh Family Christmas.”

Screenshot-000282

Screenshot-000284

In the episode, Brenda’s boss, Deirdre (Rebecca Staab), kicks a homeless man dressed as Santa Claus out of the store on Christmas Eve.  When Brenda leaves the shop later that night, she sees some police officers harassing Santa and, in classic Walsh style, winds up rescuing him and bringing him home to her house for Christmas Eve dinner.  Ironically, the shop visible across the street in the scene is Les Habitudes, the very same shop that designed the wedding dress that Tori Spelling wore in Beverly Hills, 90210’s final episode, “Ode to Joy.”  The only reason I know that random factoid is that I worked as an extra in the episode and overheard Tori discussing the gown with a crew member.

Screenshot-000292

Tracey Ross from 90210-8

Because the name Les Habitudes is so unusual, it stuck with me.  When I happened to pass by the shop a couple of weeks later while walking on Robertson Boulevard, I recognized the moniker immediately.  The boutique has since moved a few blocks south, but whenever I pass by the stone-covered building where I originally spotted it (which is currently vacant), I am immediately flooded with warm memories of being on the set of 90210.

Tracey Ross from 90210-1

Tracey Ross from 90210-6

Tracey Ross also appeared in the next episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, titled “Fire and Ice” (which is one of my favorite episodes of the series ever).

Screenshot-000295

Screenshot-000298

As if kicking Santa Claus out of the store on Christmas Eve wasn’t bad enough, in “Fire and Ice,” Deirdre steals a large commission from Brenda.  But instead of immediately quitting, Cindy Walsh (Carol Potter) helps her get even.

Screenshot-000301

Screenshot-000296

Dressed as a wealthy Beverly Hills socialite, Cindy heads to Tracey Ross and proceeds to select thousands of dollars worth of items to purchase.  When she receives receiving a parking ticket in the middle of her shopping expenditure, Deirdre offers to pay it for her, at which point Cindy announces that she doesn’t actually want any of the items, nor does she care for Deirdre’s attitude, but that she appreciates the ticket being taken care of.  She then turns on her heel and stomps out of the store.  Ah, snap!

Screenshot-000299

Screenshot-000300

The actual Tracey Ross has a much better reputation than Deirdre.  Raised in Long Beach, the fashionista worked at several upscale Los Angeles boutiques after dropping out of UCLA in the ‘80s.  She was a natural at selling clothes and eventually began styling celebrity clients, which led to her opening her own store in 1990.  It was wildly successful.  In 1996, when the rent was raised at her Robertson Boulevard space, Tracey moved to a new storefront at Sunset Plaza and it was a hit, as well.  During its heyday, the boutique, which even had an onsite manicurist, became the stomping ground of such stars as Robert Downey Jr., Jennifer Aniston, Britney Spears, Natasha Henstridge, Courtney Love, Bob Dylan, Melanie Griffith, Lindsay Lohan, Ellen Pompeo, Nicole Richie, Kelly Lynch, Virginia Madsen, Linda Gray, Samantha Ronson, and Kate Hudson.  Sadly, the Sunset Plaza shop was shuttered in 2009 due to the poor economy.  You can read two great Los Angeles Times articles about Tracey here and here.

 Tracey Ross from 90210-22

Tracey Ross from 90210-18

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Tracey Ross from 90210-4

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: Tracey Ross, aka the store where Brenda worked during Season 2 of Beverly Hills, 90210, was formerly located at 105 South Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Grove.  Today, that space houses a Lululemon.  In “A Walsh Family Christmas,” Brenda rescued Santa on the southwest corner of Alden Drive and South Robertson Boulevard.  The former Les Habitudes storefront, which can be seen across the street in the scene, can be found at 101 North Robertson.

Nat King Cole’s Former House

Nat King Cole House (14 of 14)

My good friend Lavonna is all about Christmas.  So when she came out to SoCal for a visit, along with Kim, Melissa and Maria, last month, she had a few suggestions of holiday-themed locations for me to stalk.  One of the locales was the former Hancock Park home of Nat King Cole, the African American crooner who was the very first artist to record Bob Wells and Mel Tormé’s immensely popular carol “The Christmas Song” in 1946.   So we ran right over to stalk the place on the ladies’ last day in L.A.

[ad]

Cole and his wife, Maria, purchased the sprawling 6,831-square-foot home in 1948.  Reports vary as to what the couple paid for the property – some say $65,000, others say $75,000, and still others claim $85,000.  Whatever the case, the Coles’ new neighbors were not happy about the sale.  The Hancock Park Property Owners Association even stepped in, at one point offering Nat $25,000 plus the purchase price of the residence to walk away from the deal.  Nat declined, causing one homeowner to approach the singer and inform him that he didn’t want “undesirables” living in the area.  Cole responded, “Neither do I.  If I see any, I’ll let you know.”  Despite the opposition, Maria and Nat and their adopted daughter, Carole, moved into the Tudor-style residence on August 13th.

Nat King Cole House (12 of 14)

Nat King Cole House (5 of 14)

The massive 1924 property, which sits on a 0.7-acre corner plot of land, boasts five bedrooms, five baths, maids’ quarters, a library with a fireplace, a master suite with a fireplace, a tennis court, a guest house, a pool house, a pool and two patios.

Nat King Cole House (2 of 14)

Nat King Cole House (4 of 14)

In a May 2014 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Nat and Maria’s second oldest daughter, singer Natalie Cole, recounts growing up in the home as an idyllic experience.  The holidays were an especially magical time.  She says, “Christmas was a big holiday in our house.  My dad was always home for the holiday and would have the fireplace going and music playing.  We had a huge tree on the front lawn that must have been 40 feet tall.  We’d decorate it and the lawn with lights and a Santa Claus that waved, and reindeer that rocked back and forth to simulate running.”  You can see a photo of the Coles in front of the dwelling during the time that they lived there here.  Today, much more foliage surrounds the property.

Nat King Cole House (1 of 14)

Nat King Cole House (9 of 14)

In 1951, federal agents seized the home from Nat for non-payment of $146,000 in back income taxes.  He quickly paid the amount owed and reclaimed the property.  The singer passed away in 1965, and Maria continued to live at the residence until 1972, at which time she sold it to a family friend and moved to the east coast.  Of the home’s sale, Natalie says, “My sister and I were so upset.  It was all we had left of our childhood and our dad.  From time to time, I drive past the house today, but I’ve never stopped to surprise the owners with, ‘Hi, sorry to bother you.  I used to live here.’  Seeing it is so bittersweet.  From what I can tell, it’s still a beautiful home.  Only black families have lived there since we left, and all have taken wonderful care of it.  I would love to buy it someday.  I’m curious to know what it’s even worth at this point.”  Well, Natalie, here you go – according to Zillow, the pad is currently valued at a whopping $5,228,372!

Nat King Cole House (11 of 14)

Nat King Cole House (8 of 14)

You can watch a video of Nat King Cole singing “The Christmas Song” by clicking below.  An interesting bit of holiday trivia for you – apparently Bob Wells and Mel Tormé had not set out to write a classic carol when penning “The Christmas Song.”  Instead, during one particularly hot day in the summer of 1944, the two were simply trying to keep cool by jotting down terms having to do with cold weather.  Forty-five minutes later and one of the most popular Christmas songs in history was born, boasting those classic lyrics we all know and love like “Jack Frost nipping at your nose.”

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Los Angeles magazine online.

Big THANK YOU to my good friend Lavonna for telling me about this location and suggesting that I blog it!  Smile

Nat King Cole House 2 (6 of 14)

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: Nat King Cole’s former house is located at 401 South Muirfield Road in Hancock Park.