Once Upon a Time in West Hollywood: L.A. Through the Lens of a Teenager in the '70s

Once Upon a Time in West Hollywood is a personal journey, a portrait of '70s Los Angeles based on different chapters of my life, and the photographs I took along the way, starting when I was only 10 years old. People have asked me what it was like growing up in Hollywood. Apartment living is tough, especially coming from the Midwest suburbs and having to share a bedroom but when you are seven you don't know what you don't have anymore. Personal memories like ditching Bancroft Junior High School, walking up Highland past Sunset to Hollywood Boulevard, playing pinball for hours at long-forgotten arcades that were popular then. Hanging out at the rooftop pool at the legendary Hyatt (Riot) House on Sunset or hanging out at Tower Records during the memorable summer of 1974, too young at 14 to appreciate the classic rock n' roll scene that was The Strip in the '70s. Working in my father's hardware store in East Los Angeles, a boy of 15, or riding the bus to Dodger Stadium alone at night, no fear. I hope the book brings back memories for the reader, wherever you grew up.

About the Author :
In the 1970s, I grew up in West Hollywood, California and worked in our family business in East Los Angeles, getting my education in the Street. Many people look back on the '70s as the Glory Days of the Sunset Strip, and it was a fun place for an adventurous teenager. The Hyatt House and Tower Records were THE places to hang out on the Strip. The sounds of Joni Mitchell, and The Eagles, and Crosby, Stills & Nash were heard from the Hollywood Hills in 1974. The photographs capture personal moments in L.A. history from 1970 to 1984. Ordinary photos look interesting decades later when the hand-painted billboards on the Sunset Strip didn't get lost in the shadow of tall buildings and construction cranes. Growing up in L.A. in the '70s gave me a lifetime of interesting stories, and taking the way-back machine four decades gives me an appreciation for growing up during a period of time that I took for granted as a teenager. Thank you for sharing the journey. Jeff is married, the father of twin daughters and currently resides in the Bay Area. He is open to speaking engagements. E-mail: jeff@ladetroit59.com