Post #303644 by tikiyaki on Wed, May 2, 2007 4:55 PM

On 2007-05-02 14:21, Tom Slick wrote:

On 2007-05-02 13:48, PremEx wrote:

I'm an adult. If after a good battle to save Trader Vic's, they decided to still close it...I could live with that. But if a historically important, still popular, and much loved restaurant like the Beverly Hills Trader Vic's was to die...they should have at the very least given it a proper burial and send-off. But to just slit its throat in the dark of the night and then place its head on a pole out by the pool and expect the public to say, "Oh...well...that's not so bad"...is just a shame.

There's a right way and a wrong way to do these kinds of things. And IMHO, the Beverly Hilton and all involved did it the totally wrong chicken-shit weasel kind of way.

:(

I couldn't have said it any better!

You know, I got to really thinking about this f'ed up situation, and I have drawn my own conclusions. First off, If Beny Alegem and his "Oasis" company would have really taken any consideration, They COULD have built the two luxury towers ABOVE the Original location of trader vic's, thus leaving this sacred establishment entact. If they would have put that into consideration, everyone would have won.

And say if Trader Vic's corporation decided at the end of their contract lease(whenever that would be), that they no longer wanted to run that facility,and pull out Trader Vic's, THEN Beny could have utilized the space as another ballroom, banquet room, convention room, conference room or even a nightclub. It would not have caused any wasted space. But Good old fashioned "Bribes" played favor. In exchange for the City of Beverly Hills "allowing" Mr. Alegem a green light to have his luxury towers built, he gives the city an extra lane on Wilshire Blvd. to "Help" alleviate traffic. How nice and thoughtful of Mr Alegem. It is only a "gift" worth on paper a measly $8 million dollars...Greased pockets is the equivalation to "RESPECT MONEY,NOT CULTURES" which I'm sure is how Beverly Hills was founded anyhow...

I have seen alot of American Mid century culture lost, mainly due to lack of understanding what American Pop Culture is, and how it has played a vital and important role in our Country. Yet, Mr.Alegem is a first generation Israelite(former tank driver for the Israeli Army), so what can he possibly understand of "American Pop Culture"....It's harsh,I know, but it's real.

Just the same fate as what happened to Harveys(Later renamed Johnnies)Broiler on Firestone Blvd. in Downey. Now I'm not about to stir a debate as to what his nationality has to do with his decision to axe the original Trader Vic's location, but it seems odd that alot of this type of "devolution" as someone would say, happens by the hand of first gen'ers...Lack of understanding pop culture would seem the root of preservation problems, hence the example of Mr. Alegems NOT being able to relate to a successful pop cultural landmark.

It's all of our roots that form this world we live in, but by destroying what the past has offered us I feel, is not the total answer. Some things do need to go away due to progress like the Commodore 64 computers, But my concern is what will we have to show any future generations 20 years from now about our pasts, what we did for fun, or for leisure when it is all gone?...A Museum dedicated to it? or a chain of "Jim's House of Mai Tais" as big as Starbucks serving watered down corn syrup infested poison claiming "Just like they used to Make"? You be the judges....

Edited for the spelling bee :wink:

[ Edited by: Tom Slick 2007-05-02 15:26 ]

I totally agree, and made a similar point here http://www.lottaliving.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5513&start=0 and got the word "Xenophobia" tossed around. :(

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2007-05-02 16:56 ]