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Encore Motel
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out the roadside marquee at the Encore Motel in Los Angeles. This Washington Boulevard stop offers a familiar motel greeting near Venice and Marina del Rey, giving passing motorists something to watch for above the driveway. 04-06

The rooms follow the practical motor-court arrangement, with exterior entrances and parking close at hand. After a day behind the wheel, guests could unload without a long trip through a hotel lobby or an elevator ride with the luggage.

The location put travelers within reach of the Westside and nearby coastal communities. The marquee handled the introduction from the street, marking a small overnight stop among the businesses along Washington Boulevard.

UPDATE: The Encore Motel remains open at 13432 Washington Boulevard, with its roadside sign still standing. Another independent lodging stop carrying on near the coast. 10-26

Rick's Motel (Rem.)
Downey, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Rick’s Motel sign was once a familiar sight along busy Firestone Boulevard in Downey. By the time of the original entry, the old marquee had already been removed, leaving this view to recall its earlier roadside appearance. 04-06

Firestone Boulevard offered plenty for motorists to notice, and a distinctive motel sign could help an overnight stop stand out among the businesses. For sign hunters, Rick’s supplied another reason to cruise the older commercial route.

The accommodations continued beyond the marquee’s removal, though the view from the road lost some of its personality.

UPDATE: Rick’s Motel remains in operation at 9415 Firestone Boulevard with a remodeled frontage. Its vintage freestanding sign has been gone for a couple of decades. 10-26

All Nations Motel
Inglewood, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

How about this old marquee for the All Nations Motel in Inglewood? The retro lettering and faded paint give the sign a well-traveled appearance, recalling the days when small motor courts advertised with a style of their own. 04-06

The weathering adds to the effect, revealing a sign that had spent plenty of time out in the Southern California sun. A fresh coat of paint might have brightened the lettering, though the old finish gives photographers another detail to check out.

UPDATE: This view captures the All Nations marquee and its faded mid-century lettering, a reminder of Inglewood’s older roadside lodging scene. 10-26

Jai Lai Motel
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Jai Alai Motel in Los Angeles carried its old marquee right on the side of the building. No separate tower needed here when the wall could provide a place to advertise rooms to passing traffic. 04-06

The attached sign made the building itself part of the roadside greeting. Rather than standing out by the curb, the motel name drew attention toward the frontage, giving motorists a landmark to watch for as they approached.

It’s another reminder that older motel signs came in more than one arrangement. Some rose above the driveway on tall poles, while others worked their lettering into the walls and rooflines. The Jai Alai took the latter approach, with its marquee close to the accommodations it advertised.

For roadside photographers, a sign like this could make an otherwise modest building worth stopping to check out. Sometimes the interesting part of the drive was tucked along the side rather than towering overhead.

UPDATE: This old view preserves the Jai Alai’s wall-mounted marquee, another bit of Los Angeles motel scenery from the earlier drive through town. 10-26

Star Light Motel
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out the sign and angular frontage at the Star Light Motel in Los Angeles. Metal stars, zigzag details, and substantial stucco walls give this roadside stop a look of its own, with the marquee attached right to the building. 04-06

Built in 1966, the motel stands along San Pedro Street in South Los Angeles, away from the better-known highway lodging strips. Its central entrance sits between tall privacy walls, making the frontage look almost like a small roadside fortress.

The stars add a little decoration above those solid walls. Between the lettering and sharp architectural lines, there’s plenty to notice even without pulling in for a room.

UPDATE: The Star Light Motel remains open at 10112 S. San Pedro Street, with its street-facing marquee intact. This is a separate property from the former Star Light in Inglewood, correcting the earlier location mix-up. 10-26

Palms Apartments
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

A huge palm tops the marquee at the Palms Apartments in Los Angeles. The sign gives these residences a distinctly roadside appearance, with the layout suggesting an earlier life as a motel. Apparently the palm stayed on duty after the overnight guests moved along. 04-06

The tree is the detail to check out, carrying the name above the frontage without needing much explanation. Its size gives the sign a little tropical flair, even with city traffic passing below instead of an ocean breeze.

Older motor courts sometimes found another purpose as apartments, keeping the rooms in use while changing the lettering out front. Here, the marquee helps preserve that roadside feeling, offering a glimpse of what may have greeted travelers before longer-term residents took their place.

UPDATE: The property took on residential use as the Palms Apartments. This view captures its palm-topped marquee, a memorable greeting above the old motor-court frontage. 10-26

Atlantic Boulevard Motel (Demolished)
Long Beach, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here’s the faded sign for the Atlantic Boulevard Motel in Long Beach. The weathered lettering gives this roadside stop an appearance from another era, when independent motor courts were familiar sights along the city’s commercial streets. 04-06

Old matchbooks promised “Courteous & Friendly Service,” accompanied by the short local telephone number 2-6496. Small pieces of advertising like these preserve another view of the motel, beyond the worn marquee seen here.

The property stood at 6141 Atlantic Boulevard, offering travelers an overnight stop before redevelopment changed the frontage.

UPDATE: The Atlantic Boulevard Motel and its roadside sign have been demolished. The old photograph and advertising pieces remain as reminders of the lodging stop that once stood here. 10-26

Sunny Cal Motel (Demolished)
San Gabriel, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out the former Sunny Cal Motel in San Gabriel. Once part of the old highway scenery along Valley Boulevard, this roadside stop had already disappeared for a Hilton development by the time of the original entry. 05-06

Vintage postcards advertised kitchen apartments, a heated swimming pool, television, and air conditioning. Those comforts gave families a reason to settle in while visiting Santa Anita, Hollywood, or Disneyland.

UPDATE: The Sunny Cal Motel at 225 W. Valley Boulevard was demolished for the Hilton hotel property. The old motor court and its marquee disappeared as a much larger building took their place. 10-26