Broadway in the 80s
Thanks to YouTube, scores of amateur videos of Downtown Los Angeles are posted, mostly taken from a moving car. Here's one from 1988 by "Meadowlawn" who was being driven north on Broadway. You will see some theaters still working as movie houses, and spot businesses now gone, including a FatBurger.
The shaky tape has a good choice of background music and offers an interesting peek of a Downtown LA from 20 years ago. Click on Downtown Los Angeles at Night.
wow. that was great. '88 is the year i landed in this fine state and began my quest to become a full-fledged angeleno.
broadway was so vibrant at night with all those stores open past 6pm and the neon/flickerbulbs on the exteriors.
Posted by: shannon | July 09, 2007 at 11:23 PM
It looks very alive, doesn't it?
Posted by: e@v | July 10, 2007 at 12:08 AM
More lights are on, but the retail looks pretty much like the same swapmeetesque stuff that's down there now.
Posted by: Dr. Boris | July 10, 2007 at 10:48 AM
It is already in swapmeet transition with residue of a downtown that was trying to hang on as a shopping center; ThomMcCan, KFC with store front. If you are on Broadway as much as I am, you also see some of the original bulb lit signs, that yes, were adapted for arcades etc.
Still, a interesting archive.
Posted by: e@v | July 10, 2007 at 11:01 AM
Not to rain on anybody's parade, but we do not know what TIME that video was shot.
Sure, downtown L.A. was very much "alive" if it was filmed at midnight or 2 a.m., but my guess is that it was shortly after dark. The date was in November 1989 when the sun set around 5 p.m., so this could be Broadway around as early as 6 or 6:30.
And, if that is the case, then, with the exception of some of the theater marquees, not much has changed. Broadway looks pretty similar today around that hour of the evening!
Anyway, I still really liked the video, even if the music was inappropriate (it belonged more to a 1950s drive-by than 1980s). I hope that more old driving clips will make it to the web....
Posted by: Scott Trimble | July 11, 2007 at 08:02 AM
I think it's still "alive" compared to a December 2007 5-8 pm. The theaters signs still work and the box offices are intact, instead of the swap meets now embedded inside.
For some of us who are on Broadway almost daily, there are differences.
I still like the music. It does remind me of a 50s film, but also has an echo of Taxi Driver from the 70s.
Posted by: e@v | July 11, 2007 at 09:23 AM