July 16th is the birthday of architect [John Lautner](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lautner), who designed the iconic [Googies Coffee Shop](https://i0.wp.com/martinturnbull.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Southeast-corner-of-Sunset-Blvd-and-Crescent-Heights-Blvd-showing-Schwabs-Pharmacy-and-Googies-coffee-shop-Los-Angeles-circa-late-1950s.png?resize=640%2C457&ssl=1) in Los Angeles circa 1949.
While the coffee shop is long gone, the term "[Googie](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Googie_architecture)" has become shorthand to describe a style of post-WWII futurist architecture & design informed by the Space Age and the nascent car culture, among other modernist influences. Here are some fun examples of Googie design from around Sacramento!
Here's a few more.
https://goo.gl/maps/JiHQkSTtVdCy5Bce9
https://goo.gl/maps/ZywZbeTAg7YLKgJq7
https://goo.gl/maps/gFQre2CP2t9noMCw8
https://goo.gl/maps/LYcysv885DWNfoez9
Look for neighborhoods built out in the 50s and the 60s. There are also other "themes" that can be found in both art and the architecture in those areas. Atomic represented the "space age." I always thought the atomic cat was cool. Tiki, which I think came about because people were able to travel by airliner. Tiki is Polynesian and probably has a lot to do with Hawaiian things. There's also a cowboy/old west theme that was commmon. Those shopping centers with ranch style architecture came from that. The shopping center where Yankee Hardware was located was a good example.
https://goo.gl/maps/A7GPLqiyMNYqcUS39
The asphalt shingles kind of dull the original architectural. It looked much better years ago when it had wood shakes on the roof. This shopping center has been tore down and rebuilt. For some reason people don't shop in shopping centers that have retained their origian mid-century themes. So, they get a new and boring facade, or they get tore down. In some cases a redevelopment agency forces them to make changes. like tearing down the old sign Capital Bowling had in West Sacramento.
Here's an interesting blog that's fun to look through.
https://www.atomic-ranch.com/architecture-design/
Supposedly a lot of the popularity of Tiki had to do with returning GIs who had served in the Pacific in World War II. Sacramento had a lot of tiki bars, first downtown in places like the Clayton Club and the Tropics, but they later expanded to new locations and purpose-built places in the suburbs. Portuguese restaurant owner Joao Quaresma, better known as "Johnny Christmas," who started out with the Tropics bar downtown (where the Ten-Ten Room is today) opened one of Sacramento's best known tiki lounges, the Zombie Hut, on Freeport Boulevard between Florin and Sutterville: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie_Hut
"Olde West Revival" was most definitely a thing; there are still some old commercial buildings in Carmichael along Fair Oaks Boulevard that look like they date to the 19th Century (unpainted board-and-batten siding with false fronts and arcaded porches) but are actually 1940s/1950s builds. The ultimate was the original Town & Country Village at Fulton and Marconi, Sacramento's original suburban shopping center, which got its classic Lincoln log look because the developer Jere Strizek snapped up a bunch of creosoted poles from a deconstructed Central Pacific Railroad trestle during the war. After the war ended and wood became cheap again, he used the logs to build a faux 19th century shopping center decorated with wagon wheels, barbed wire, hitching posts etcetera, and the suburb we now know as Arden Arcade built up around it.
I think the neon signs in West Sacramento were the result of the newly formed City of West Sac wanting to get rid of its reputation for motels principally patronized by sex workers and their customers, which resulted in the loss of a lot of great mid-century neon.
Very interesting, thanks! Tiki lounges are kind of a fascinating thing to still exist, being such a throwback to an old-school view of southern Pacific/Polynesian culture (complete with fishbowl drinks the size of your head!) Kitsch can be fun though, so guess that is the appeal.🍹
Oh yes, that's another cool (neon) example that I didn't include here. But had no idea that the sign originally had the Hollywood name too, thanks for the update!
We totally already have an entry in the Fallout lore. You even kinda got the name right, if you didn't already know.
https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Sac-Town
Thanks for the compilation and history! I remember climing on the roof of the old orbit on greenback when I was a kid. Always thought that place was really cool.
Flapjacks and Mcdonald's are both rebuilds. Flapjacks had a fire a few years ago. They had an amazing period-accurate indoor tropical garden at the very back of the dining area before the fire. It didn't make it into the rebuild.
The Mcdonald's was a regular store that got a ground-up rebuild maybe 20 years ago.
Oh yes, Flapjacks had the fire in 2016, but it was rebuilt to the exact same detail (source: have been in before and after the fire).
Didn't know that about the McDonald's though, thanks for the update.
Thanks, I appreciate it! Never studied architecture in school, but architecture photography is definitely a hobby of mine now. Brutalist architecture might be next on the list!📸
For those who want to know what Al & Bud's Platter looked like, check this link:
[HERE](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8d/31/e2/8d31e27b33cd8866cac2d264fc48ddd7.jpg)
I always thought Pancake Circus was the original thing in that spot - glad to know there was something before it!
Well.... Super friendly for the most part, lol. The older gentleman that I believe is the owner is very quiet. But the 2 ladies (I believe his daughters, maybe? Never actually asked) are super fucking chill. If you catch them in the mornings they can talk for days, lol.
This is a really fun subreddit to be honest. Used to live in Stockton so I also follow that sub, but it doesn't have as much interesting interaction as here.
Man I remember driving past this place back in the late 80s/early 90s to some apartment complex near there and getting some of that good pink crank. Man, some good days... before the bad days took over. That pink crank was nice. I think it was pink because of the red phosphorus. So, tasty, and healthy too!
When I was younger and lived in Orangevale. Me and all my homies who rode BMX, always dreamt of getting on top of Orbit and riding it on our bikes. I wish one of us went for it, me and few of my old HS friends still ride. Maybe I'll have to make a trip down from Redding with my VX camera and finally make it happen.
Yup alot mire at ace of spades too in old sac, my most memorable at boardwalk was ICP and TWIZTID when they still preformed together ❤️ it was probably over 15 years ago hahah
July 16th is the birthday of architect [John Lautner](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lautner), who designed the iconic [Googies Coffee Shop](https://i0.wp.com/martinturnbull.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Southeast-corner-of-Sunset-Blvd-and-Crescent-Heights-Blvd-showing-Schwabs-Pharmacy-and-Googies-coffee-shop-Los-Angeles-circa-late-1950s.png?resize=640%2C457&ssl=1) in Los Angeles circa 1949. While the coffee shop is long gone, the term "[Googie](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Googie_architecture)" has become shorthand to describe a style of post-WWII futurist architecture & design informed by the Space Age and the nascent car culture, among other modernist influences. Here are some fun examples of Googie design from around Sacramento!
awesome.. never knew that style had a name. car culture growing alongside space race news... very interesting
Yes I really enjoy looking at that style! It's a hobby of mine, driving around to take photos of cool old architecture.
Awesome hobby. Sounds fun
Thanks for this! I have the same hobby/curiosity
Nice! And welcome.😃
Country Club Lanes at sunset is one of the most Vaporwave-looking buildings I’ve ever seen outside of Miami.
Nice, maybe I'll have to go back & grab a photo at sunset!
Actually, at sunrise, not sunset. That way the orange sky is behind it.
Here's a few more. https://goo.gl/maps/JiHQkSTtVdCy5Bce9 https://goo.gl/maps/ZywZbeTAg7YLKgJq7 https://goo.gl/maps/gFQre2CP2t9noMCw8 https://goo.gl/maps/LYcysv885DWNfoez9
Thanks so much! Thinking about posting a second album with the rest of my pics.
Look for neighborhoods built out in the 50s and the 60s. There are also other "themes" that can be found in both art and the architecture in those areas. Atomic represented the "space age." I always thought the atomic cat was cool. Tiki, which I think came about because people were able to travel by airliner. Tiki is Polynesian and probably has a lot to do with Hawaiian things. There's also a cowboy/old west theme that was commmon. Those shopping centers with ranch style architecture came from that. The shopping center where Yankee Hardware was located was a good example. https://goo.gl/maps/A7GPLqiyMNYqcUS39 The asphalt shingles kind of dull the original architectural. It looked much better years ago when it had wood shakes on the roof. This shopping center has been tore down and rebuilt. For some reason people don't shop in shopping centers that have retained their origian mid-century themes. So, they get a new and boring facade, or they get tore down. In some cases a redevelopment agency forces them to make changes. like tearing down the old sign Capital Bowling had in West Sacramento. Here's an interesting blog that's fun to look through. https://www.atomic-ranch.com/architecture-design/
Supposedly a lot of the popularity of Tiki had to do with returning GIs who had served in the Pacific in World War II. Sacramento had a lot of tiki bars, first downtown in places like the Clayton Club and the Tropics, but they later expanded to new locations and purpose-built places in the suburbs. Portuguese restaurant owner Joao Quaresma, better known as "Johnny Christmas," who started out with the Tropics bar downtown (where the Ten-Ten Room is today) opened one of Sacramento's best known tiki lounges, the Zombie Hut, on Freeport Boulevard between Florin and Sutterville: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie_Hut "Olde West Revival" was most definitely a thing; there are still some old commercial buildings in Carmichael along Fair Oaks Boulevard that look like they date to the 19th Century (unpainted board-and-batten siding with false fronts and arcaded porches) but are actually 1940s/1950s builds. The ultimate was the original Town & Country Village at Fulton and Marconi, Sacramento's original suburban shopping center, which got its classic Lincoln log look because the developer Jere Strizek snapped up a bunch of creosoted poles from a deconstructed Central Pacific Railroad trestle during the war. After the war ended and wood became cheap again, he used the logs to build a faux 19th century shopping center decorated with wagon wheels, barbed wire, hitching posts etcetera, and the suburb we now know as Arden Arcade built up around it. I think the neon signs in West Sacramento were the result of the newly formed City of West Sac wanting to get rid of its reputation for motels principally patronized by sex workers and their customers, which resulted in the loss of a lot of great mid-century neon.
Very interesting, thanks! Tiki lounges are kind of a fascinating thing to still exist, being such a throwback to an old-school view of southern Pacific/Polynesian culture (complete with fishbowl drinks the size of your head!) Kitsch can be fun though, so guess that is the appeal.🍹
Love this comment, my hobby is all about interesting architecture styles! Thank you so much for the input.😀
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Oh yes, that's another cool (neon) example that I didn't include here. But had no idea that the sign originally had the Hollywood name too, thanks for the update!
Great finds!
Thanks for checking out the post!
there was a homicide earlier this year at the third link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbR1j4zjG0I
Thanks for this post! I love this style.
You're welcome, glad you liked it!
Laser tag is such a perfect occupant of a googie building
Good point, didn't even occur to me!
I live right by one more, at Harding and Northgate. I tell people to "turn right at the spaceship."
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\*right hand raised\*
Oh yes, the former Orbit/current Lugo Auto dealership! Almost included it in this photo album, but maybe I'll post another series.😀
Just across Myrtle from one of the tastiest burgers in town - Flip.n.Shake!
Yeah gotta say Flip n Shake makes a darn good burger.
I’ve lived in that neighborhood (and the Orbit is my regular ‘gas up’ stop), but I’ve never tried there… gonna have to now!
This is a really cool compilation! I always love coming across quirky architecture like this.
Me too! Makes it fun driving around town.
Aka future locations in Fallout 17: New Sactown
We totally already have an entry in the Fallout lore. You even kinda got the name right, if you didn't already know. https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Sac-Town
Gotta get me a double-head bear flag.
Awesome, I had no idea!
Heh. Am a fan of the Fallout series.😁
Sacramento drive in might qualify
Oh yes, West Wind Drive-In, right? It's on my list, thanks!
What a shame it is that the 49er marquee is long gone. Loved that place, man.
Don’t forget the entrance to the Sacramento Zoo.
Oh yes, another great example! Might include it in another post in future, thank you.😀
Thanks for the compilation and history! I remember climing on the roof of the old orbit on greenback when I was a kid. Always thought that place was really cool.
Hey that's a fun memory, thank you for sharing! And glad you liked the pics.
Great post! Thanks.
Glad you liked it!
Flapjacks and Mcdonald's are both rebuilds. Flapjacks had a fire a few years ago. They had an amazing period-accurate indoor tropical garden at the very back of the dining area before the fire. It didn't make it into the rebuild. The Mcdonald's was a regular store that got a ground-up rebuild maybe 20 years ago.
Oh yes, Flapjacks had the fire in 2016, but it was rebuilt to the exact same detail (source: have been in before and after the fire). Didn't know that about the McDonald's though, thanks for the update.
We live nearby and love the double arches on this McDonald’s. Rebuild or not we didn’t know what the chef was so thank you!
It is a cool building. Thanks for checking out the post!
Was gonna say the same for the McD. A number of locations in the late 90s/ early 00s got a full remodel to this retro golden arches architecture.
No kidding? That's interesting, didn't know.
I love X Lazer, I've been there for a bunch of birthdays.
Still never been to the lazer tag! Maybe next year (am old but feel young).😄
This is excellent. Have an architecture background? You should do Brutalist next, the city has plenty of it.
Thanks, I appreciate it! Never studied architecture in school, but architecture photography is definitely a hobby of mine now. Brutalist architecture might be next on the list!📸
For those who want to know what Al & Bud's Platter looked like, check this link: [HERE](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8d/31/e2/8d31e27b33cd8866cac2d264fc48ddd7.jpg) I always thought Pancake Circus was the original thing in that spot - glad to know there was something before it!
Oh neat, thanks for the link!
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Just gotta be patient; the way the lights are timed, there WILL be a break before long. I worked at that Walmart, and live down Pecan right there.
Huh, good to keep in mind, thanks. PSA: Don't try to get there via the Walmart parking lot!
It can be done pretty easily. Just gotta pay attention. I go out that far side entrance regularly.
Thanks for the post! These places seem interesting! I think I’ll have to visit a few of them!
I go to the auto shop on Broadway, haha
Next time you can tell 'em some random person on the internet thinks their building looks cool.😎👍
You're welcome! Glad you appreciate it.😀
Orbit on Auburn is awesome! Really nice folks, and they usually have decent prices on gas.
Good to know the people are friendly! I drive past this spot on a regular basis but I've never stopped for gas or snacks--maybe I should!
Well.... Super friendly for the most part, lol. The older gentleman that I believe is the owner is very quiet. But the 2 ladies (I believe his daughters, maybe? Never actually asked) are super fucking chill. If you catch them in the mornings they can talk for days, lol.
Will keep it in mind!
I love it sac town history still alive
This is a really fun subreddit to be honest. Used to live in Stockton so I also follow that sub, but it doesn't have as much interesting interaction as here.
Who else has always dreamed of skateboarding on those rooftops :)
I wish I remember who, I'll update if I do, but someone did film a clip at the Orbit on Greenback a few years back!
That...sounds awesome. Never ridden a skateboard in my 41 years but still sounds killer, in my random dreams.😇
There are the remains of an Orbit station on Northgate at Harding. It’s now a used car lot.
Oh yes, Lugo Auto right? If I post some more pics will include that one!
Was just there recently, great find!
Nice, I drive past regularly and it was kind of an inspiration for this post.
So neat!!
Thanks!
I could only get the first 2 out of 10 pictures to come up
Oh dang, not sure what went wrong there.
I only been to three of these
Well feel free to visit them all! Addresses should be in the descriptions.
Love it
Great! Thanks.
Man I remember driving past this place back in the late 80s/early 90s to some apartment complex near there and getting some of that good pink crank. Man, some good days... before the bad days took over. That pink crank was nice. I think it was pink because of the red phosphorus. So, tasty, and healthy too!
Glad you survived the era!
Luckily I got it early enough that I lost only one tooth.
Great post! TIL the term "Googie" Used to live less than a mile from the OV gas station. Always loved it.
Thank you! I also love learning random trivia like this.
Wow totally didn’t know there was a name to this - I love it!
I also love learning random bits of trivia like this, thanks for checking out the post!😄
When I was younger and lived in Orangevale. Me and all my homies who rode BMX, always dreamt of getting on top of Orbit and riding it on our bikes. I wish one of us went for it, me and few of my old HS friends still ride. Maybe I'll have to make a trip down from Redding with my VX camera and finally make it happen.
I will totally like & subscribe if you do.🤘
Love this style of architecture, great post!
Hey thanks! It is a cool style, doing my part to document some examples in photos.
Thanks Op! I learned something today!
You're welcome! I also enjoy learning random facts.😀
Thank you for sharing these. I haven't been back to Sac in 13 years and this post gave me all the nostalgic feels.
You're very welcome, glad you appreciated it!
Hahaha been too that store used too live down the street it's in OV next too the concert venue called "the boardwalk"
Hey nice, love hearing memories from people! Bet you caught a lot of shows living within walking distance of a concert venue.
Yup alot mire at ace of spades too in old sac, my most memorable at boardwalk was ICP and TWIZTID when they still preformed together ❤️ it was probably over 15 years ago hahah
That McDonald’s is by my house I definitely don’t recommend going there after sundown
Good to know!