Comments on: Ghost Restaurant of Union Station: Harvey House

By: Classic Eats #2: Downtown Delights Did Not Disappoint! | Los Angeles Metblogs

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:58:09 +0000

[...] ooh’d and aah’d at the actual spot where the “Harvey House” used to be wishing we could be in [...]

By: shainla

shainla — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:21:22 +0000

you don’t need to break in or get hitched to see the harvey house. just go on a los angeles conservancy walking tour of the station (every 3rd saturday morning)

you’ll get access along with some schooling on the history of the last great american train station built.

http://www.laconservancy.org/tours/tours_docent.php4

By: aldesmadre

aldesmadre — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:16:34 +0000

Hey Lucinda, I’ve got a source for some AMAZING photos and film showing the original Chinatown location
(now Union Station). I’m a big silent film and Hollywood film history buff, and a couple of years ago I picked up a book titled: Silent Traces: Discovering Early Hollywood Through the Films of Charlie Chaplin. (John Bengtson)
This photo book includes images and maps of film locations Chaplin used in L.A. back in the 1910′s including Old Chinatown. Have a look, better yet, pick it up, I highly recommend it for a unique look at our then “young” city.
I also have most of the films depicted in my personal collection. I’m hoping to present a few at an upcoming
“Chaplin Films shot in Echo Park” film festival to be screened at the park itself later this year. :)
Cheers!

By: Franklin Avenue

Franklin Avenue — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 06:18:49 +0000

We held our wedding reception at the old Union Station Fred Harvey restaurant in 2002. Worked out perfect — there’s a bar on the side for the pre-reception cocktails; and the place is so wonderfully designed that we didn’t have to spend much on decorations. Highly recommend it for events!

By: frazgo

frazgo — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 05:03:25 +0000

Yes LM, lived in Furnace Creek for a year.

By: lucindamichele

lucindamichele — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:26:18 +0000

@frazgo, you mean Furnace Creek in Death Valley? I love that place!

By: Julia Frey

Julia Frey — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:43:08 +0000

LM, I think you won the free drink from me already!

See you there!

By: frazgo

frazgo — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:34:53 +0000

Fred Harvey pretty much had the station accomodations wrapped up for years along the various rail routes. He even had most of the National Park concessions. All with exclusive contracts. Quite the monopoly, but many turned out to be quite elegant.

Of course those of us who had the displeasure of being in a Fred Harvey company town such as Furnace Creek had another name for him “frakking fred harvey” is the cleanest I can give you. Those of us there despised the man and his monopoly making life so expensive.

By: angelcityart

angelcityart — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:07:42 +0000

What a cool discovery! Do they have a little museum there? Good luck on your spy mission, can’t wait to see your pix!

Dave, I think he’s saying part of Chinatown was on the land under the station before it was built.

By: Dave Bullock / eecue

Dave Bullock / eecue — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 21:44:20 +0000

Haha I don’t think any Chinese ever occupied union station, but I know what you’re trying to say there! =]