"We think Wilshire will be the New York of the West Coast," said this building's developer, Norman Tishman.
Claud Beelman
3440-3450-3460 Wilshire Blvd.
Tishman Plaza
Curating the City: Modern Architecture in L.A.
In 1950, New York developer Norman Tishman stopped in Los Angeles on the way to a Palm Springs vacation and stayed overnight at the Ambassador Hotel. When he looked out his window, he saw a golf driving range west of the hotel and considered it a waste of prime Wilshire Boulevard frontage.
Tishman Realty and Construction bought the driving range and by 1958 had constructed five major office buildings on the boulevard. The first entries in 'Tishmanville' were the three small towers built at Mariposa Avenue. These buildings heralded Wilshire Center's transition into a home for Fortune 500 companies.
When asked to explain why his company invested so heavily in postwar Wilshire Boulevard, Tishman explained: "We think Wilshire will be the New York of the West Coast."
Period night view of Tishman Plaza.
Papa Cristo's. Photo by Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. Conservancy.
Papa Cristo's
The family-owned business remains a Pico-Union institution.
Photo courtesy 27th Street Bakery.
27th Street Bakery Shop
Customers flock to this South Los Angeles bakery for their sweet potato pies.
Photo by Larry Underhill
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