Norms, L.A.’s icon of coffee shop architecture, would give way to a fast-food chain. Some are outraged
Norms restaurant at 470 N. La Cienega Blvd. in West Hollywood. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
From the Los Angeles Times: It could be the end of an era for a place that came to define a certain architectural and food aesthetic for Los Angeles.
If all goes according to plan, the iconic sawtooth “Norms” coffee shop sign on La Cienega Boulevard — one of L.A.’s few remaining examples of Googie coffee shop architecture of the midcentury — would be replaced by “Canes.” Goodbye to the retro diner known for steak and eggs, hello to a new outpost for Raising Cane’s fast-food chicken strips.
The Pima College board voted to raze three historic Tucson motels this week after public outcry stopped the demolition a year ago
The Tucson Inn (lower left) is at risk for demolition to make way for additional parking at the Pima Community College Downtown Campus in Tucson, Ariz. on May 22, 2023. Credit: Michael McKisson
From Arizona Luminaria: The governing board of Pima Community College voted this week to demolish a row of 1950s motels in a historic district along the northern edge of its downtown campus, saying they have exhausted other options for the properties.
But they will “make every effort” to preserve the neon signs in front of the motels, board member Greg Taylor said in the motion.
The question of demolishing the buildings, which are contributors to the Miracle Mile Historic District, sparked public outcry last year when Arizona Luminaria reported the college planned to take down the buildings and install a parking lot. The community flooded a May 2023 meeting with concerns and emotional appeals to save the structures, and an advisory board was formed in response.
Aurora council considers Riviera Motel sign as historic landmark
Riviera Motel in Aurora. Photo by City of Aurora
From Newsbreak: The Aurora, Colorado, City Council will consider during its study session Monday designating a neon sign from hotel row on Colfax Avenue as an historic landmark.
The council will decide whether the Riviera Motel sign should be given protections that would allow the owner to qualify for funding to restore the sign.The motel and sign are owned separately. The sign is owned by Freeman Signs, Inc.
Historic York County Modernaire Motel sign rescued
From WHTM: YORK COUNTY, Pa. – The historic neon sign at the former Modernaire Motel in York County was rescued today with the building set to be demolished.
Preservationists were hoping to save the sign along Old Lincoln Highway with the motel being torn down in the near future. On Tuesday workers prepared to remove and rescue the sign for future generations to enjoy.
Tom Davidson, the State Director for the Lincoln Highway Association PA, says the sign will be repainted and the neon will be reconstructed “so that it can light up.”
Collections Department: Match Game
From Phoenix Magazine: Long ago, before snapping selfies with friends was a thing, revelers took something else to remember a night on the town. Matchbooks, cocktail napkins and swizzle sticks were pocketed as guide pegs to recall all the stops made during a rollicking evening. (Bonus points if the phone number of that person you locked eyes with across the bar was scribbled on a napkin or matchbook.) The striking artwork on these complimentary tchotchkes made for memorable keepsakes and created countless inadvertent matchbook collectors, formally known as phillumenists. The inexpensive, mass-produced swag debuted in the Midwest in 1894 and, in the case of several of the classic Valley pieces featured below, often survives long after the establishment has served up its final Jack and Coke.
This 22-Foot Turkey Roosts in a Region of Roadside Giants
The Midwest has turned roadside statuary into an art form. Photograph by Graham Dickie
From The New York Times: The most celebrated resident of Frazee, Minn., is 22 feet tall and is known to his friends simply as Big Tom. He lives alone just off Highway 10, past the metal barns but before the railroad tracks, where admirers show up seeking photos at all hours of the day.
Big Tom is a turkey — the world’s largest, locals will tell you — and his fiberglass feathers are more than just a conversation starter. He pays homage to the region’s poultry industry, a cornerstone of the rural Minnesota economy, and to the annual Turkey Days festival in Frazee, a town of 1,300 people about 200 miles northwest of Minneapolis.
While no sculpture is quite like Big Tom, who was roosting over Frazee before Thanksgiving with icicles clinging to his chest, snow on his tail feathers and a stoic expression above his wattle, it does not take long while wandering the Midwestern countryside to see more supersize statuary.