What to Know
- Googie World Expo
- Valley Relics Museum in Van Nuys
- Saturday, Nov. 16
- 2-7 p.m.
- $17.85
- A Nov. 23 bowling alley tour, helmed by Chris Nichols, is also ahead; find ticket and tour information here
Los Angeles has certainly changed over the decades, as all thrumming and humming megalopolises tend to do, but it has never fully lost its architectural adherence to a certain midcentury moxie.
The diner that inspired the way we describe this particular style of outlandish architecture may be long gone — you're much missed, Googie Coffee Shop — but Googie-fied gems still dot the Southern California landscape.
A Googie-themed gathering will glow at the Valley Relics Museum Nov. 16, all to celebrate this snazzy slice of oh-so-SoCal style.
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Call it the ideal illuminated setting for this moxie-filled meet-up: The Van Nuys-based repository for San Fernando Valley's spunkiest signage is full of neon treasures, a perfectly "buzzy" place for the Googie World Expo.
Several stalwarts of the SoCal architecture and style scene will share their lively local insights about our region's glorious Googie history and where we can celebrate those structures that still endure.
Guests include Los Angeles Magazine's own Chris Nichols, the expert source for all things Southern-California-iana, and the LA-championing chatelaine of Vintage LA, Alison Martino, who is bringing scintillating snapshots of our city's cinematic streets.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
More architectural awesomeness will add pizzazz to the expo: Kathy Kikkert, the author of the excellent "Hollywood Signs," architectural historian Carrie Chasteen, and a 3-D presentation with Eric Kurland are also on the rollicking roster.
Call it the architecturally amazing assemblage of a Googie dream team, these spirited supporters of a space-age vibe that still pluckily powers on in all corners of our vast city.
Book signings are part of the vibrant afternoon, meaning that anyone who adores the roofline zigzags, extremely large windows, and eye-popping signage associated with the iconic architecture can take a bit of Googie magic home, should they purchase a book.
