Located at 5176 East Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles, the Golden Gate Theater was built in 1927, designed by William and Clifford A. Balch, whose other notable contributions include the El Rey Theater on Wilshire Boulevard and the Fox Theater in Pomona. The Golden Gate Theater was designed as a playhouse and movie theater and was built in the Spanish Baroque Revival Churrigueresque-style replicating the entrance to the University of Salamanca in Spain. Originally, the theater was accessed by entrances into the courtyard of the historic Vega Building, an L-shaped retail and apartment building, which surrounded the theater. Damage from the 1987 Whittier earthquake caused the Vega Building to be deemed unsafe and later demolished, and left the 1,500 seat Golden Gate Theater vacant. Many battles followed over the preservation and re-development of the historic site. It is one of a few neighborhood movie palaces left in Southern California and is the only building in East Los Angeles listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2012, the building was re-opened and adapted for use as a CVS retail pharmacy. Exterior of the Spanish style Golden Gate Theater. Guadalajara Jewelers and Vasquez Shoe Repair, along with other shops are also visible in a neighboring building located. Some of the signs are in Spanish.
Golden Gate Theater (East Los Angeles, Calif.) Motion picture theaters--California--East Los Angeles Pedestrians--California--East Los Angeles Automobiles--California--East Los Angeles Traffic signs and signals--California--East Los Angeles Signs and signboards--California--East Los Angeles Marquees--California--East Los Angeles Spanish language Architecture--California--East Los Angeles--Spanish influences East Los Angeles (Calif.) Balch, Clifford A Balch, William
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