Chinatown Los Angeles Tank Tops

1940's luggage label from New Chinatown of Los Angeles, California.

At first glance, the traditional Chinese pagoda facade didn't speak much to revelry, but once inside, namely in the downstairs bar, it was a totally different story. At Hop Louie, the Chinese lanterns and a lacquered bar top gave way to the old school charm of the oldies-playing jukebox, low lights, and cheap, stiff drinks. You knew that you were without question in a great dive bar, but this one just happened to serve some of the best Chinese food in Los Angeles. The restaurant opened as Golden Pagoda (the name changed in 1985) a couple of years after “New Chinatown” was built in 1938.

Chinatown

Just a pic taken with my camera phone but sometimes the simplest tools can create such pretty things. :)

Chinatown La design

Generally considered one of the greatest movies of the seventies and arguably the greatest private eye flick ever made (the only other contender is John Huston's The Maltese Falcon) 1974's Chinatown, which unleashed the character of Los Angeles gumshoe J.J. "JAKE" GITTES upon the world, is a superb private eye mystery and modern-day film noir thriller.

College Street, Chinatown, Los Angeles, California by Mistah Wilson

Chinatown, Los Angeles, California by Mistah Wilson

Cesar Chavez, Chinatown, Los Angeles, California by Mistah Wilson

A map I made showing the vestiges of Los Angeles's historic Little Italy in 2013 for "California Fool's Gold." Since then, Little Joe's -- the last remaining Italian restaurant in the neighborhood -- has been demolished. https://ericbrightwell.com/2013/07/10/exploring-the-remains-of-l-a-s-little-italy-block-by-block-land-of-sunshine-kcet/