pvillage01

Despite the years of living in all over the area between El Segundo and Santa Monica, I hadn't know anything about Playa Del Rey, much even anything existed in that general area under the LAX flight path except sand and a few deaf people and birds.

The clsoest to any evidence of my ignorance was the old Sandpiper Lounge near the downtown PDR that my mom and her sister use to hang out.

Then in 1974, while I was sitting back seat as mom was taking a short cut down Pershing to Segundo, I saw it! The Playa Del Rey Polynesian Village! I've seen other tiki places before, but this one registered permanently in my skull. It was this elaborately and aggressively designed apartment was straight from the Disneyland!

Unfortunately, such sightings were rare and I usually forgot WHERE the place was to see it again. It wasn't until the early 90's that I finally made personal visits to this place and finally take some pictures.

According the great book o' Tiki called 'The Book Of Tiki' by Sven A. Kirsten, this palace was designed by those coffee shop/googie gurus, Armet & Davis. The place was quite active as it had blazing tiki torches and volcanic fires erupting with its central garden/forest. Even though they weren't used by the time I finally went there, the carved tiki and outriggers beams and other interestingly details reminded me of that moment when I was broadsided by its beauty.

As it was located near LAX, it got its fare share of the jet-set scene and it was even mentioned in one of the 'Coffee Tea or Me' books in a list of airlines stews places of residence.

I took a small batch of pictures in 2003, some of which you see on this page, and it was many months later that this palace and the adjacent Acapulco Restaurant were shut down and was torn down for the latest 'apartment living' fad. So these just might be the last photos of da Village.

that was THEN,
and click here for
(kinda) NOW...

ALL PICTURES on this page were lifted from THE BOOK OF TIKI by Sven A. Kirsten and published by TASCHEN BOOKS. It goes without saying that if anybody is, at least, curious about all things Tiki, should and better pick up a copy of this essential tomb!