Pink Elephant Liquor
Hollywood, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Check out the colorful character advertising Pink Elephant Liquor on North Western Avenue. A pink elephant is a fitting choice for a liquor-store sign, borrowing an old expression for seeing things after a few too many drinks. Fortunately, this one can be appreciated without opening a bottle.

The elephant gives an everyday neighborhood business a roadside personality all its own. Large lettering gets the practical message across, while the animal supplies the part that passing motorists are more likely to remember.

Signs like this are worth watching for between Hollywood’s better-known destinations. A theater or nightclub might get the crowds, but a neighborhood liquor store can contribute just as much character to the drive.

UPDATE: Pink Elephant Liquor remains listed at 1836 North Western Avenue, rather than the Cahuenga Boulevard address supplied in the earlier notes. The familiar elephant is associated with this Western Avenue storefront. 10-26

Pig'N Whistle (Closed)
Hollywood, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Beside the Egyptian Theatre, the Pig'N Whistle offered Hollywood visitors a place to eat before or after the show. Opened in 1927, the restaurant became associated with stars including Shirley Temple, while its whistle-playing pig supplied a celebrity of a different sort outside.

The original restaurant closed after World War II, and some of its distinctive furniture found another home at nearby Miceli’s. Fortunately, the pig wasn’t entirely finished with Hollywood Boulevard. A restoration brought the restaurant name and much of its old atmosphere back in 2001.

For a while, diners could once again combine a visit to the Egyptian with a stop next door. The restored sign added another welcome bit of character above the sidewalk.

UPDATE: The revived Pig ’N Whistle closed during the pandemic, and alterations in 2021 prompted preservation concerns over historic features. Its successor, Mr. Tempo, was also reported closed in June 2026. The old restaurant’s story has taken another uncertain turn. 10-26

Gil Turner's
Hollywood, CA
Photo courtesy Kirk Maillet

At the western end of the Sunset Strip, check out the neon lettering for Gil Turner's. This longtime liquor store has been part of the boulevard since 1953, giving motorists something to look at between the nightclubs and restaurants. No concert ticket needed for this bit of nighttime scenery.

Located at Sunset and Doheny, the store has watched generations of traffic pass its corner. While the evening crowds headed toward the Strip’s entertainment spots, the familiar lettering had a little show of its own going on outside.

UPDATE: Gil Turner’s continues at its longtime Sunset Boulevard location in West Hollywood. More than seventy years after opening, the name remains a familiar part of the drive along the Strip. 10-26

Hustler
Hollywood, CA
Photo courtesy Kirk Maillet

There wasn’t much mistaking the name outside Hustler Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. The prominent neon lettering made sure passing motorists knew which storefront they were looking at, adding another bright commercial announcement to a boulevard already well supplied with them.

Larry Flynt opened the flagship store in 1998, bringing the publishing name into a retail setting. For roadside photographers, the attraction could remain entirely outside. No shopping bag needed to appreciate another piece of Sunset Strip neon.

UPDATE: The original store at 8920 Sunset Boulevard relocated to Hollywood Boulevard in 2016. This view records its earlier Sunset Strip home, rather than a shop still operating at that address. 10-26

Crossroads of the World (Closed)
Hollywood, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

An ocean liner appears to have taken a wrong turn onto Sunset Boulevard at Crossroads of the World. The central Streamline Moderne building, topped by its familiar globe, makes an unusual introduction to this former shopping complex. No harbor required for this particular voyage.

Opened in 1936 and designed by Robert V. Derrah, Crossroads offered shoppers a collection of buildings inspired by architecture from around the world. The idea was a little international sightseeing while browsing the shops, with Hollywood supplying the scenery.

Retail gradually gave way to offices during the 1940s and 1950s. Entertainment businesses and other creative tenants later found homes here, giving the complex another purpose after its early shopping-center years.

UPDATE: Crossroads survives as a historic landmark. Plans for the larger Crossroads Hollywood development include retaining and rehabilitating the complex, rather than clearing it away. 10-26

Capitol Records
Hollywood, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Look up Vine Street and check out the Capitol Records Building, a Hollywood landmark since 1956. Designed by Louis Naidorf of Welton Becket & Associates, the circular tower resembles a stack of records, though the resemblance wasn’t intentional. A fitting coincidence for a record company.

Known as “The House That Nat Built” in recognition of Nat King Cole’s success, the building houses studios associated with Cole, Frank Sinatra, and the Beach Boys. Below ground, eight echo chambers helped give recordings their rich sound.

After dark, the light atop the spire blinks “Hollywood” in Morse code. Apparently the Capitol lettering wasn’t the only way to get a message across.

UPDATE: The Capitol tower remains part of Hollywood’s skyline, seventy years after opening. Records have changed formats, but this familiar stack is still here. 10-26