When I first moved to LA from NYC to continue my scouting career, I assumed it would be the major differences that would be hardest to get used to. But in fact, it’s the elements that are sort of similar, yet VERY different, that still hit me as strange. One example: Bob Hope Patriotic Hall…
Every time I see it, I’m instantly transported back to the rows of 8-10 story historic midtown buildings I used to scout back in Manhattan, like General Society of Mechanics.
There’s just, ah, one minor difference: someone forgot the rest of the block.
As long as I live, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing this building sitting by its lonesome, as though magically whisked from a crowded midtown side street to retire in the sunny climate of Southern California.
But that said, the building is gorgeous, and has been featured in countless film and television productions over the years, including as an East Coast stand-in. And honestly, walking up to the door triggers a strange deja vu that I’m always happy to feel.
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