Every now and then, something reminds us (Mr. Makarma) of how precarious the future is for our favorite old restaurants, tourist attractions or stores. Quite often, this reminder comes by way of announcement that one of these old-time favorites is closing.
It's funny how a place that's no longer popular finds that second wind only when its closure becomes imminent. We'll never forget our trip to the famed Chasen's restaurant near Beverly Hills soon after its closing date was announced - the place was jam-packed. The same is true of Movieland Wax Museum. We admit we hadn't been there in years, but we did wait in a long line to get in on the attraction's final day. Of course, if these places were always that busy, they probably wouldn't be closing in the first place.
A recent program produced by our local PBS affiliate highlighted a couple Los Angeles area restaurants that have been around since almost forever. They're both family run places, with owners that see absolutely no reason to sell, or even make significant changes to, their beloved businesses. Fortunately, many of these places still do very well. Both of our favorite Hollywood hangouts opened prior to World War II, and they're still going strong. Many other places from that era aren't around anymore, though, and we can point out several places where - as the song goes - they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.
The lesson here? Support these places and help keep them around for years to come. The above examples are of places in Southern California, but these classics can be found almost anywhere. Seek them out when you travel. We've committed ourselves to help in this effort. When we assist our clients with their vacation plans, we make it a point to recommend places to visit while on their trip. We tend to avoid the "here today, gone tomorrow" hot spots; we'd rather point people toward those neat little classic diners that still exist right down the street.
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