TC to save TV

well that news christiki pretty much tears TV right out of the ground....sad :(

Not necessarily so.
It's not over 'til its over and it certainly increases the traffic argument.

With that kind of money involved kids, the would tear down the Louvre.

It may be time to consider focusing on encouraging Trader Vics to reopen elsewhere in So Cal.
In an odd twist, I wonder if they would like to be a tenant in the new retail development, built to their specs and maybe include a store.

We may lose her. And relocating -- indeed cloning -- the whole place someplace else won't make it the same exact space that the special people who've made TV 90210's special history so -- special. In the end, all that great decor is just decor; it's the fact that if you lean against a tiki post in that particular TV's, there's a good chance that James Dean may have as well. Or that table you reserve could've been where John Wayne or Natalie Wood had dinner one night. Maybe Spielberg had a straw in that Volcano Bowl last, or you're parking your fanny on the same barstool that one of the Rat Pack settled on, once upon a time.

That's the whole point of fighting the fight. It's not about saving the decor, it's about saving the history binding that special space together. That's what's irreplacable, and can never be "re-created".

We may lose her, it's true. Big bucks are tough to fight. But fighting is better than doing nothing at all. We may lose her, but she won't go down unsung.

And of course everyone is welcome to join those of us who've taken a stand to protest the callous threat to this icon of classic tiki culture, and VOTE.

Cheers and aloha,
SOK

Well put Son...I will definately be going there alot sooner than November. I'm thinking maybe around beginning of May or so.

"Doing Something is better than doing Nothing"

Ping me when, dad, and we'll tip one.

SOK

Of course, I would much rather the current TVs remain, and, like I said, the new proposed development provides an additional angle for the fight.

However, I think it prudent to have dual-pronged effort.

It would be a nice show of respect to the old Trader Vic's to assist in shaping the new Trader Vic's.

I hear ya, CT. And absolutely no offense meant toward your observation in my prior post. In fact, if it should come to be necessary, your strategy is the last, best statement to preserve TV 90210's memory. I just want to fight it to the end (plus I saw an opportunity to encourage other TC luminaries who haven't voted yet to consider adding their own celebrity presence to the campaign...).

Cheers and aloha,
SOK

Wow...Has this topic hit rock bottom? Does the loss of Trader Vic's Beverly Hills, not stir the masses here on TC? Has TVBH not provided significant cultural and historical aspects to poly pop? I dislike the fact that once it's gone, people will come out of the woodwork saying things like "Thats a shame we lost yet another original mid century polypop landmark." or worse, "I wish I could have done something about this travesty"...YOU CAN STILL DO SOMETHING... Drop an email to the BH city council, make a phone call to the media...15 minutes(OR less) out of your busy schedule is all it takes, and then you could say things like "At least I voted" or I wrote the city an email, or I called the media...All the resources you need are in this thread! Just scroll back to Page 3 in this thread to get contacts info for the media. And please for tikis sake, VOTE on the save TV petition.Save Trader Vic's That literally takes less than 5 minutes...Thanks for caring to read this thread, and let all of our efforts NOT be in vain.....
-Slick

Well, 4 days after my prior post and bad news comes...Apparently Trader Vic's has infact closed its doors forever!Apparently Sunday was their last night...I'm going over there now to see if i can get a peek and speak to someone face to face, and maybe punch "Benny" in his nose that Rat Bastard...

I am in shock. Like a thief in the night you close with out notice. Thats you driving your tank over the houses in Chavez Ravine and now over Trader Vic's.

[ Edited by: Ojaitimo 2007-04-30 18:41 ]

[ Edited by: Ojaitimo 2007-05-11 14:44 ]

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot
Dont it always seem to go
That you dont know what youve got
Till its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They took all the trees
Put em in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see em
Dont it always seem to go
That you dont know what youve got
Till its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Hey farmer farmer
Put away that d.d.t. now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees
Please!
Dont it always seem to go
That you dont know what youve got
Till its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man
Dont it always seem to go
That you dont know what youve got
Till its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Well I didn't see "Benjamin" anywhere...That sunuvabastard was hiding out from me! But since BB quoted a song, I'd figure I'd throw in my version of what happened today.(And for some reason this song did pop in my head while leaving the Hilton)...

Hit it!
This ain't no disco
It ain't no country club either
This is LA!

"All I wanna do is have a little fun before I die,"
Says the man next to me out of nowhere
It's apropos
Of nothing
He says his name's William but I'm sure,
He's Bill or Billy or Mac or Buddy
And he's plain ugly to me
And I wonder if he's ever had a day of fun in his whole
life
We are drinking Mai Tais & Budweiser on Tuesday
In a bar that faces a giant car wash
The good people of the world are washing their cars
On their lunch break, hosing and scrubbing
As best they can in skirts in suits

They drive their shiny Nissans and Buicks
Back to the phone company, the record store too
Well, they're nothing like Billy and me, cause

[Chorus]
All I wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling I'm not the only one
All I wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling I'm not the only one
All I wanna do is have some fun
Until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard

I like a good Mai Tai buzz early in the morning
And Billy likes to peel the labels
From his bottles of Bud
He shreds them on the bar
Then he lights every match in an oversized pack
Letting each one burn down to his thick fingers
before blowing and cursing them out
And he's watching the bottles of Bud as they spin on
the floor

And a happy couple enters the bar
Dangerously close to one another
The bartender looks up from his want ads

[Chorus]
All I wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling I'm not the only one
All I wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling I'm not the only one
All I wanna do is have some fun
Until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard

Otherwise the bar is ours,
The day and the night and the Mai Tai's too
The matches and the Buds and the clean and dirty
cars
The sun and the moon but

[Chorus]
All I wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling I'm not the only one
All I wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling I'm not the only one
All I wanna do is have some fun
Until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard........

Posted about The News on AtomKitty's thread,
"Trader Vic's Bev Hills Closing THIS TUESDAY?!"
-- and don't want to spam here.

Aloha all,

SOK

"Don't let it be forgot,
That once there was a Spot,
Where Blowfish all wore sunglasses,
and Tiki-times were hot..."

[ Edited by: Son-of-Kelbo 2007-05-01 15:02 ]

If I remember right, they said that :Trader Vic's had had its day". It seems that he has changed his tune, maybe our opposition brought this about. I'm pissed that its gone without warning but this is something in the right direction. Heres your chance to make amends Beny. Lets see what you do.

Quote in the latest LA Business Journal from Rose Norton, "former Beverly Hills planning commissioner and a veteran community activist"

"...There's one aspect of the project that Norton said likely won't be contested: The loss of Trader Vic's. 'I get the sense that people think Trader Vic's has had it's day,' she said. 'It's really slipped. Nobody will miss it

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 30, 2007
Media Contact:
Marie Garvey, Garvey Communications
310-689-7490
[email protected]

THE BEVERLY HILTON TRADER VIC’S TO RELOCATE

Restaurant Moves Poolside as the Final Stage of Hotel Renovation

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Trader Vic’s Restaurant Group and Oasis West Realty, LLC, owner of The Beverly Hilton, announced today the relocation of Trader Vic’s to The Beverly Hilton pool area as the new Trader Vic’s Lounge, which will open on May 3, 2007. The updated Polynesian themed indoor/outdoor Trader Vic’s finalizes the comprehensive renovation of the 570-room hotel located on the corner of Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards in Beverly Hills, California.

“This begins a new chapter for Trader Vic’s and The Beverly Hilton,” said Beny Alagem, of Oasis West Realty. “Like our entire renovation, we have taken steps to honor what people love about the hotel’s exciting past while bringing The Beverly Hilton into 21st Century. We believe that guests and residents will love Trader Vic’s new location with memorable features from the original restaurant in a new poolside island-inspired atmosphere.”

[ Edited by: Ojaitimo 2007-05-02 09:48 ]

This picture was taken of the intersection of Wilshire boulvard and Santa Monica where the Beverly Hill's raceway stood in 1922. It later became a nursery where my boss would buy fresh mint for mojitos when he was dating his fiance in the late forties. When Trader Vic's was later built he started celebrating family birthdays there in the captains section at the same table. Over the years he said they went there hundreds of times.

The stuff of legend; the stuff of memories and dreams, now...

Sad not to be allowed a fair fight to save her.

Aloha