Take a good look at the Broadway Leasehold Building rising up in front of you-yes, the one with the Gothic Revival style and that unmistakable wide arch arching triumphantly over three bays of deep-set windows. Imagine it’s 1914: the jazz is hot, the city’s growing faster than a Hollywood plot twist, and this brand-new seven-story beauty is the pride of the street. Down at the street level, shoppers buzz in and out, while the Leasehold Company’s offices hum with business above. If you really listen, you can almost hear the lively footsteps echoing on the tiles.
Let’s slip back to the 1920s-yes, the Roaring Twenties, when prohibition made alcohol illegal. But if you found your way downstairs to the basement, no password was needed for this story: it was speakeasy time, and laughter and jazz would drift up through cracks in the sidewalk as guests sipped their not-so-secret cocktails. Western Costume also called this place home for a while, helping Hollywood dress to impress until they moved just across the street in 1923. Guess they didn’t want to walk too far to work.
Now, for those of you with keen eyes, check out that fire escape clinging to the main bay and those decorative terra cotta colonettes-each one topped by a capital that curves gracefully into the arch. It’s almost like the building is giving you a dramatic eyebrow raise, isn’t it? The upper floors are gorgeously preserved, though the ground floor’s had a few “makeovers” thanks to signage over the years-hey, even buildings like to try new looks.
Speaking of drama, remember the world-famous stunt in Safety Last!? Yes, that’s right-Harold Lloyd dangled from a clock on this very rooftop, high above Broadway. Picture the cameras, the crowd holding its breath, and Lloyd’s shoes scuffing the brick-let’s just say, you wouldn’t catch me on that rooftop for all the coffee in L.A.!
Fast forward to 2010, and the famous-and mysterious-Banksy creates his “Girl on a Swing” mural on the southwestern face. It’s like the building itself became a canvas for LA’s ever-changing story, catching everyone by surprise during a film premiere nearby.
Across a century, this building has survived facelifts, parties, priceless stunts, and wild auctions-with a sparkle factory thrown in for good measure. Not bad for a place that once hid forbidden gin!
