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The Alexandria

USA / California / Vernon / South Spring Street, 501
 apartment building  Add category
501 South Spring Street
Los Angeles CA 90013
(213) 626-1743

Built in 1906, from architectural renderings by John B. Parkinson of Parkinson & Bergstrom. In 1908 a twelve story annex was added to the south south-western end. This is the portion of the building housing Palm Court.

The Alexandria was for decades the most luxurious hotel in the city, hosting numerous celebrities such as Charlie Chaplin, Maurice Chevalier, and Humphrey Bogart. The owners, Albert C. Bilicke and Robert A. Rowan owned the property and commissioned the building plans from Parkinson.

Being a passenger, Bilicke died in 1915 when the Lusitania was torpedoed; he was lost when the lifeboat he and his wife occupied went vertical and he fell into the water. His body was never found. Rowen died two years later of natural causes. This, as well as the decline of the area as Los Angeles fortunes shifted west and the new financial district was built around Bunker Hill, the hotel was gradually fell into severe decline and eventual disuse. In 2004 the building was converted to single room occupancy and market rate housing.

During this time, its decaying grandeur made it a favorite location for movie shoots, including "Se7en," and "Dreamgirls."

The historically designated Palm Court ballroom: bigorangelandmarks.blogspot.com/2007/10/no-80-palm-cour...

In this building

  1. The Alexandria Ballrooms
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Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Alexandria
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   34°2'50"N   118°15'0"W

Comments

  • wjbean
    The Palm Court is in the eleven story addition, not the seven store original building.
This article was last modified 10 years ago