Earlier this month, an article appeared in the online post Preservation Nation, discussing the resurgence of neon and neon-related signage in Highland Park.
The recent restoration of the Highland Theatre and Manning's Coffee Store signage has greatly added to the largest historic neon district in Los Angeles, relinking the past with the present.
The Highland Theatre, designed by architect Lewis A. Smith, opened its doors in 1925 and is now a registered Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Landmark. Smith went on to design additional theaters in the greater Los Angeles area, including the Beverly Theater (now closed), the El Portal in North Hollywood, the Rialto in South Pasadena (currently closed) and, in the Los Feliz area, the Vista Theatre.
The Manning's Coffee Stores originally began in the Seattle area in 1908 as a coffee/tea stand. Eventually, the Manning brothers expanded their cafeteria/restaurant chain to 40 locations throughout nine western states; 19 of which were located in the Los Angeles area. The Highland Park location closed in the 1950s and today houses Las Cazuelas Restaurant (serving up Salvadorean/Mexican cuisine). After nearly a century, the last Manning Cafeteria (in San Francisco) closed its doors in 1984.
The outpouring of community support has moved this process forward in Highland Park, which is as it should be; ultimately, it is the community that will prosper from this resurgence.
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