Koopman's Furniture (Gone)
Bellflower, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Blue neon lettering still radiates from Koopman’s Furniture in this nighttime view of the longtime Bellflower store. The glowing name gave the showroom a familiar presence along Bellflower Boulevard, where generations of local shoppers came looking for something new for the living room.
Established in 1941, Koopman’s was part of downtown Bellflower’s business community for more than six decades. Its illuminated lettering recalls the years when a trip to the local furniture store meant browsing a neighborhood showroom, with the family name displayed prominently outside.
UPDATE: Koopman's Furniture closed down in June 2007 after having been open since 1941. The sign will come down and the showroom will be leased to a national furniture chain. According to the Long Beach Press Telegram, the company couldn't keep up with international retailers like Wickes and IKEA. Another mom and pop business shuts down after losing to the big box stores. 07-07
UPDATE: Koopman’s Furniture indeed closed in June 2007 after 66 years in business. The old sign was removed and the building is now home to Moto United Bellflower. 10-26
Whistle Stop (Gone)
Pasadena, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Take a peek at the neon train outside The Original Whistle Stop in Pasadena. With animated tubing suggesting a locomotive in motion, the sign offers a preview of the model railroad world waiting inside. A little movement above the sidewalk seems especially appropriate for a shop devoted to keeping the trains running.
The business and its sign date to 1951. When the shop moved along Colorado Boulevard in 1988, the neon went too, becoming a designated historic sign in the process. For decades, its locomotive helped guide hobbyists toward shelves of engines, rolling stock, and miniature railroad supplies.
UPDATE: The Original Whistle Stop moved to nearby North Altadena Drive in 2026. The historic sign could not accompany the business, and owner Fred Hill proposed donating it to the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale. Preservation review began in June 2026 to allow its removal and continued display. 10-26
5 Points Liquor (Demolished)
Anaheim, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here’s the neon at 5 Points Liquor in Anaheim, lighting up the roadside near Lincoln Avenue. The marquee gave the neighborhood store a presence after dark, catching passing attention as the surrounding buildings began to fade into the background. Even a quick trip for a few things offered a chance to enjoy some neon along the way.
Liquor stores have supplied plenty of memorable signs around Southern California, often making an ordinary shopping stop worth photographing. This one was part of Anaheim’s older commercial scenery, away from the theme park marquees and larger tourist attractions. A neighborhood business could put on a nighttime display of its own, with the sign doing much of the advertising above the storefront.
UPDATE: The 5 Points Liquor building and sign have been demolished. This nighttime photograph preserves a look at another Anaheim neighborhood landmark that no longer greets motorists near Lincoln Avenue. 10-26
Affordable Furniture (Gone)
Long Beach, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The red neon arrow at Affordable Furniture in Long Beach leaves little doubt about where to turn. Above the storefront, the marquee lights up the night while pointing shoppers toward the showroom below. Even without plans to buy a sofa, a working neon arrow offers a good reason to take a closer look.
Furniture stores once made considerable use of prominent roadside signs, giving motorists time to spot the business before reaching the entrance. This one combines a straightforward name with a bright directional flourish, adding some nighttime character to the Atlantic Avenue shopping strip.
UPDATE: Affordable Furniture has closed, and its old neon marquee has been removed. The building has seen later changes, but this photograph preserves the red arrow from its furniture showroom days. 10-26
Jet Stream Liquor (Rem.)
Burbank, CA Photo courtesy Dan MacPherson
This beautiful neon sign the Jet Stream
Liquor was (and more or less still is) located south of the former
Lockheed Air Terminal. The sign depicts the very graceful Lockheed Constellation
4 engined triple tailed transport of WWII and airliner of the 1950's.
Unfortunately, this sign has been bastardized, and the "Connie"
altered to look like (more or less, mostly less) the single tailed Douglas
DC-3. For airplane and just "plane" people, this is a classic
sign that will be missed as the WWII Burbank terminal area gives way to
development. Many thanks to Dan MacPhersonfor info.
A little aviation history takes flight above Jet Stream Liquor, located south of the former Lockheed Air Terminal in the Burbank airport area. The neon airplane makes an especially fitting advertisement here, where aircraft manufacturing and air travel helped shape the surrounding neighborhoods.
UPDATE: Jet Stream Liquor remains in business on Vanowen Street in North Hollywood. The airplane sign survives in altered form with all of the neon gone. 10-26
Johnson's Jewelers (Gone)
Bellflower, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here’s Johnson’s Jewelers adding a little sparkle to Bellflower Boulevard after dark. The neon marquee gave the neighborhood jewelry store an identity above the sidewalk, catching the eye even when the watches and rings inside were harder to see. Its projecting design helped the name stand out down the block, a familiar greeting for customers returning to the shop.
Founded in 1954 by Reynold Johnson, the business served generations of local families. His son-in-law, Kevin Stevenson, took over in 1987 and continued the tradition of helping customers choose engagement rings, mark anniversaries, and keep treasured jewelry in good repair. By the closing sale, some families could trace four generations of engagement purchases back to the same store.
UPDATE: Johnson’s Jewelers closed in 2012 after 58 years, with Stevenson citing illness in the family. In 2016, the sign’s neon was removed and its cabinet repainted to read “Shops on Bellflower.” The old marquee received another use, although its jewelry store lettering and nighttime glow were lost. 10-26
Frolic Room
Hollywood, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
Next to the Pantages Theatre, the neon for Frolic
Room supplies its own attraction along Hollywood Boulevard. The colorful lettering catches the eye among the theater lights, offering a smaller and more intimate destination just steps from the grand entrance next door.
The bar’s history reaches back to the early 1930s, with its legal opening generally dated to 1934. Howard Hughes owned both the Pantages and Frolic Room from 1949 to 1954 and is credited with adding the familiar neon sign. During the years the Academy Awards were held at the Pantages, this little neighboring bar had a particularly convenient location for anyone seeking a drink.
Charles Bukowski is among the names associated with the stools inside. Stories connecting the bar to Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, have also circulated for years, although the claim that she was last seen alive here is not firmly established.
Frolic Room
Hollywood, CA Photo courtesy Georg Balandran
The ghost stories add another layer to the Hollywood atmosphere. Tales told about the bar include unexplained cold drafts, a jukebox starting up on its own, and an uneasy feeling near a doorway said to have connected with the Pantages. The Frolic Room was also featured in an episode of Ghost Adventures, bringing its reported hauntings to a wider audience.
UPDATE: Frolic Room remains open beside the Pantages, with its familiar neon continuing to brighten Hollywood Boulevard. The small bar carries on its mix of old Hollywood history, neighborhood nightlife, and stories that linger after closing time. 10-26
Koopman's Furniture (Gone)
Whistle Stop (Gone)
Affordable Furniture (Gone)
Johnson's Jewelers (Gone)
Frolic Room
