When the Neighborhood Was Filled with Nightclubs

Category: Our History
Published on Friday, 11 September 2009 00:57
Written by Gloria Garner

Now get your memory cap on because we are going to go way back when.

Let’s start with the RED HUT, located on the corner of Jefferson Blvd. and Western Ave. These were the days when everything was open 24/7 and all the Jazzy People hung out for good meals, breakfast, Lunch and Dinner or just to sit around and discuss business over a cup of coffee or tea.

Back in the day we didn’t have all these separate neighborhoods. There was Sugar Hill where the wealthy like Kingfish, Amos and  Andy, Dorothy Dandridge, and so many other actors, lawyers and doctors resided. Sugar Hill ran from Western Ave. to Gramercy Place and Adams Blvd. up to 24th St.. The other was Buckingham Square, which ran from Adams Blvd. where Buckingham and West Blvd. connect and up to Washington Blvd. Then it started again At Washington Blvd. and Victoria all the way to Venice Blvd. This was another elite area where actors such as Hattie McDaniels, Red Fox, Mya Angelou, Ms. Wiggles, Sir Lady Java, John T. McClain (who owned the It Club on Washington Blvd) and many other rich and famous lived.

 

Down the street on the corner of 30th and Western Ave. was MYRON’S, one of the finest Nightclubs, owned and
operated by Myron Collins and Peter Rabbit. Here is where all the athletes and movie stars and everyone that was anyone would party and dance the day and night away.

Let’s not forget FATBURGER, on Western Ave. between 31st and 30th st. between the Red Hut and Myron’s. We are talking about the best hamburger in the world! The kind where the meat was 100% cow and so juicy you needed a bib to eat it. Let’s get off that subject, I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

On the corner of 29th and Western Ave. was the CLUB MILIMO where Jimmy the bartender was the talk of the town. He had a knack for keeping his customers happy and laughing all the time. When Jimmy made you a drink, you had a drink!

Just across the street from the Milimo was MOORE’S restaurant where L.F. and Geraldine Moore were the proud owners. They served the best soul food in the world. What never ceased to amaze me was that even though it   
was just a small restaurant it was always crowded. Most times you would have to wait at least an hour for service but no one got impatient or angry because they knew when their turn came they were going to be well pleased.

Let’s continue our evening and stroll on down to Adams Blvd. and make a right turn to the corner of Hobart Blvd and Adams Blvd to the COSMO CLUB which later became the CLUB CARAVANPat Patterson was the proud owner and everyone from Beverly Hills to Watts would come out to party and dance. Limos, body guards, athlete’s, movie stars, attorneys and doctors would rush from work to get there for a night of fun, laughter and dancing. OT(Otis), Marcellus, Clarence, and Eddie were the men of the hour, serving up some of the best drinks in town. Keeping up with the times, Pat Patterson later changed the name of the club to the JAZZ-A-GOGO which now had Strippers, Pole Dancers and even Snake Dancers. Now those were the fun days!

But if you wanted to be a little less wild and more conservative, you could go west up the hill to the corner of Adams Blvd. and Manhattan Plc. to the RUBYIAT ROOM where your elite loved to hang, It was a beautiful Black owned Hotel and Night Club, where most of your out of town important people would stay and have fun when visiting the Los Angeles area.  Well this little stroll has made me very tired and hungry.

Remember it takes everyone in the community to help create a place we want our children to remember fondly so pitch in and get involved in the community activities that are trying to bring our neighborhood together!

Peace.