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Monday, December 21, 2009 – A Rich Christmas

In the midst of the worst economic times since the Great Depression, Santa flies into the center of Beverly Hills, heading for Rodeo Drive –

Yes, he's flying past Sterling Plaza on Wilshire Boulevard, built in 1929, the year of the last great crash –

No matter, as you've got your big red bows everywhere –

And the beyond-expensive by-appointment-only jewelry store looks all pretty –

Nice lights at Louis Vuitton on Rodeo Drive –

Ah, Tiffany's has penguins –

Across the street at the base of Rodeo Drive, it's Christmas at the famous Beverly Wilshire Hotel – from 1928 (Walker and Eisen) – the hotel from "Pretty Woman" (1990) with its Presidential Suite, where that odd couple stayed while in Beverly Hills. Warren Beatty lived in the penthouse suite from a time, and Julie Christie and Barbra Streisand used to drop by. You can stay in that penthouse now, for a bit under eight thousand dollars a night. And Dashiell Hammett wrote "The Thin Man" here. It's a curious place, built on the site of the former Beverly Hills Speedway.

Lots of gilt around here, even if the place is a tad short on guilt –

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All text and photos unless otherwise noted, Copyright © 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 - Alan M. Pavlik 

[December 2009] [Mysterious Alley] [Simple Colors] [You Are] [Working Hollywood] [The Berlin Wall] [Hello Girls] [Museum Light] [Christmas Dislocation] [A Dark Garden] [Rainy Day Deco] [Blue Christmas] [Will Farrell] [Demanding Attention] [Hollywood 1926-1928] [Graffiti Trio] [North of Pink's] [The Neighborhood] [Heavy Rain] [The La Brea Wall] [Workers] [In the Alley] [Lighting Hollywood] [Old and New] [Chinese Christmas] [Certain Danger] [Above It All] [Observatory Sky] [For Christmas] [A Rich Christmas] [Uncertainty] [Clouds Over Sunset] [Almost Here] [Winter Shadows] [Nutmeg Christmas] [California Poppy] [Year End Images] [Late Afternoon] [That's a Wrap]