August 28, 2011 - 701 S. Grammercy Drive

In a recent haul of postcards from a Cape Cod estate sale I came across this one sent in 1952. Flora and her husband were settling into a corner apartment with maid service at the Ancelle Apartment Hotel at 701 South Grammercy Drive in Los Angeles. They seemed happy enough, they wrote a card to friends back in Newton, Mass. to tell them: “Thought we would let you know that we were in Calif. It got to hot for us in Fla, sold our home and came here to be near our Daughter & Family, guess it is better for year round living. We will try it any way. Have a very pleasant apt and like it so far.” Curiosity had me searching the building online. The exterior has not changed much in 60 years. It’s in Koreatown now and like many urban neighborhoods this building has seen its ups and downs. The neighborhood has been gentrifying and there are scathing reviews online regarding the condition of the building. There is also a “boudoir” photography studio located somewhere in the building nowadays. I am not sure what Flora would think of that.