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01/19/2007: "Another Landmark Bites The Dust"

If there's one constant in LA, it's change. All you have to do is watch old episodes of Dragnet, Adam-12 or Emergency! to see how the landscape has changed in this city in my lifetime. Now it looks like another long-time landmark, the Trader Vic's restaraunt is about to fade into oblivion. The new owner of the Beverly Hilton hotel, of which TV's is part, intends to replace the restaraunt, a parking garage and a few other outbulidings with a new Waldorf Astoria hotel.

“Bringing two legendary hotel brands together in Beverly Hills will create a new legacy of luxury for The Beverly Hilton property,” said Beny Alagem, chairman of Oasis West and owner of The Beverly Hilton. “In the future the entire property will have a whole new look transforming its urban setting into a garden environment. Together, The Waldorf-Astoria Beverly Hills and The Beverly Hilton will create a one-of-a-kind hotel property that is unmatched in its diverse offerings, services and amenities for guests and residents of Beverly Hills.”

Man - don't you just love PR speak?

TV's has been on the corner of Wilshire and Santa Monica Blvds since 1955, and in its day was quite a hangout for the movers and shakers of Beverly Hills and Hollywood. Yeah, it's past its prime, but you just hate to see landmark after landmark ground under in the name of "progress". The Brown Derby ... the Ambassador Hotel ... Trader Vic's. Where does it end?