New life for Fred Harvey space at Union Station

The first time I snuck into the vacated Fred Harvey cafe at Union Station, maybe 20 years ago, I could almost smell the 1940s cigar smoke. The room and adjacent lounge just exude a certain L.A. era, helped by some furnishings left behind and that great floor. It's good to hear, via Franklin Avenue, that Metro is looking for a restaurant tenant to move into the space. For decades it has been used mostly for film and TV shoots and for private parties, including Franklin Avenue's own wedding reception. He has more pics over there.

More retro L.A.: The other location that most conjures up the cigar era for me is the Park Plaza, for some reason especially the big tiled men's room off the lobby. It's easy to picture the place as an Elks Lodge for the white and powerful of 1930s L.A. There's a photo from the Elks Lodge #99 era on the cover of my Wilshire Boulevard book with Eric Lynxwiler.

Photo: Franklin Avenue