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Capitol Records Building

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52-626: The Capitol Records Building , also known as the Capitol Records Tower , is a 13-story tower building in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles , California, United States. Designed by Louis Naidorf of Welton Becket Associates , it is one of the city's landmarks , and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Construction began soon after British music company EMI acquired Capitol Records in 1955, and

104-503: A condominium threatened it, as well as an underground parking lot by building firm Second Street Ventures would have heavy equipment working within 18 feet (5.5 m) of its renowned underground echo chambers, which are themselves over 20 feet (6.1 m) below ground level. In November 2012, Steve Barnett was announced as the new Chairman and CEO of the Capitol Music Group and the company stated his office would be in

156-564: A hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen : Csa ) or dry-summer subtropical climate . Winters are typically mild and with light rain, but there are still plenty of warm, sunny days in the winter, as well. Summers are hot, sunny and dry, with virtually no rain falling between April and October; while summer days can be warm, they are considerably cooler than in the San Fernando Valley . Spring and fall are generally warm, sunny, and pleasant. Santa Ana winds typically occur during

208-399: A shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Sony Pictures , Walt Disney Studios , Paramount Pictures , Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures , are located in or near Hollywood. Hollywood was incorporated as a municipality in 1903. The northern and eastern parts of the neighborhood were consolidated with

260-593: A campaign for the area to secede from Los Angeles and become a separate municipality. In June of that year, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors placed secession referendums for both Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley on the ballot. To pass, they required the approval of a majority of voters in the proposed new municipality as well as a majority of voters in all of Los Angeles. In the November election, both measures failed by wide margins in

312-705: A holding company changed its name to American Premier Underwriters in March 1994. It in turn was absorbed by the American Financial Group . On December 6, 2006, the United States Department of Transportation announced Midtown TDR Ventures LLC had purchased the rights from American Financial. As part of the transaction the lease with the MTA was renegotiated through February 28, 2274. The New York Post reported in 2007 that Midtown TDR

364-535: A prominent businessman in the area. Daeida Wilcox , who donated land to help in the development of Hollywood, learned of the name Hollywood from an acquaintance who owned an estate by that name in Illinois. Wilcox is quoted as saying, "I chose the name Hollywood simply because it sounds nice and because I'm superstitious and holly brings good luck." She recommended the same name to her husband, Harvey H. Wilcox , who had purchased 120 acres on February 1, 1887. It

416-417: Is 112 °F (44 °C) on June 26, 1990, and the all-time record low temperature is 24 °F (−4 °C) on both December 8, 1978, and December 23, 1990. The 2000 U.S. census counted 77,818 residents in the 3.51-square-mile (9.1 km ) Hollywood neighborhood—an average of 22,193 people per square mile (8,569 people/km ), the seventh- densest neighborhood in all of Los Angeles County . In 2008

468-663: Is a privately held real estate company based in New York City that most notably owned the land under Grand Central Terminal and the land around 156 miles (251 km) of Metro-North Railroad railway tracks in the New York City metropolitan area from 1994 to 2018. Among other high-profile buildings currently owned are: The company was spun off in 1996 by Andrew Penson from Amroc Investments, which specializes in turning around distressed properties. Two of its earlier properties that have since been sold included: In

520-794: Is part of the ongoing rebirth of Hollywood. The Art Deco-style studio complex, completed in 1938, was once the Hollywood headquarters for CBS . It became home to a new generation of broadcasters when cable television networks MTV , Comedy Central , BET and Spike TV consolidated their offices there in 2014 as part of a $ 420 million office, residential and retail complex. Since 2000, Hollywood has been increasingly gentrified due to revitalization by private enterprise and public planners. Over 1,200 hotel rooms have been added in Hollywood area between 2001 and 2016. Four thousand new apartments and over thirty low to mid-rise development projects were approved in 2019. In 2002, some Hollywood voters began

572-676: Is responsible for police services. The Hollywood police station is at 1358 N. Wilcox Avenue. Los Angeles Fire Department operates four fire stations, 27, 41, 52, and 82 in the area. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Hollywood-Wilshire Health Center in Hollywood. The United States Postal Service operates the Hollywood Post Office , the Hollywood Pavilion Post Office, and

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624-444: Is there, often used and maintained for studio sessions. The first album recorded in the tower was Frank Sinatra Conducts Tone Poems of Color . In 2012, Studio A received a new AMS Neve 88R mixing console, designed and built for Al Schmitt and Paul McCartney . In September 2006, EMI sold the tower and adjacent properties for US$ 50 million to New York developer Argent Ventures . The studio claimed that noise from construction of

676-435: The "world's first circular office building." The building is known as "The House That Nat Built" due to the vast number of records and amount of merchandise Nat King Cole sold for the company. The building's design is based on the graduate school drawings of Lou Naidorf who, as the primary architect, designed the first circular office building when he was 24 years old. The wide curved awnings over windows on each story and

728-428: The 1920s, Hollywood was the fifth-largest industry in the nation. By the 1930s, Hollywood studios became fully vertically integrated , as production, distribution and exhibition was controlled by these companies, enabling Hollywood to produce 600 films per year. Hollywood became known as Tinseltown and the "dream factory" because of the glittering image of the movie industry. A large sign reading HOLLYWOODLAND

780-458: The 53.8% of the residents who were born abroad, a figure that was considered high for the city as a whole. The median household income in 2008 was $ 33,694, considered low for Los Angeles. The average household size of 2.1 people was also lower than the city norm. Renters occupied 92.4% of the housing units, and home- or apartment owners the rest. The percentages of never-married men (55.1%), never-married women (39.8%) and widows (9.6%) were among

832-599: The City of Los Angeles in 1910. Soon thereafter a prominent film industry emerged, having developed first on the East Coast. Eventually it became the most recognizable in the world. H. J. Whitley , a real estate developer, arranged to buy the 480-acre (1.9 km ) E.C. Hurd ranch. Whitley shared his plans for the new town with General Harrison Gray Otis , publisher of the Los Angeles Times , and Ivar Weid,

884-575: The Kodak Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center mall, is the site of the annual Academy Awards programs. The mall is located where the Hollywood Hotel once stood. After the neighborhood underwent years of serious decline in the 1980s, with crime, drugs and increasing poverty among some residents, many landmarks were threatened with demolition. Columbia Square , at the northwest corner of Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street ,

936-501: The L.A. sewer system. With annexation, the name of Prospect Avenue was changed to Hollywood Boulevard and all the street numbers in the new district changed. For example, 100 Prospect Avenue, at Vermont Avenue, became 6400 Hollywood Boulevard; and 100 Cahuenga Boulevard, at Hollywood Boulevard, changed to 1700 Cahuenga Boulevard. By 1912, major motion-picture companies had come West to set up production near or in Los Angeles. In

988-737: The Sunset Post Office. Hollywood is included within the Hollywood United Neighborhood Council (HUNC), Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council, and the Hollywood Studio District Neighborhood Council. Neighborhood Councils cast advisory votes on such issues as zoning, planning, and other community issues. The council members are voted in by stakeholders, generally defined as anyone living, working, owning property, or belonging to an organization within

1040-561: The boundaries of the council. Hollywood residents aged 25 and older holding a four-year degree amounted to 28% of the population in 2000, about the same as in the county at large. The Will and Ariel Durant Branch, John C. Fremont Branch, and the Frances Howard Goldwyn – Hollywood Regional Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library are in Hollywood. Argent Ventures Argent Ventures, LLC.

1092-639: The breakup of the Penn Central Railroad in 1976, the land under Midtown Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal and its associated tracks continued to be owned by Penn Central Corporation but leased to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority 's Metro-North Railroad . The railroad's Hudson Line and Harlem Line was also owned by the Penn Central holding company and leased to Metro-North. Penn Central as

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1144-411: The building. This coincided with Capitol Music Group becoming part of Universal Music Group , assuring its new parent company two Los Angeles headquarters. Hollywood, Los Angeles Hollywood , sometimes informally called Tinseltown , is a neighborhood and district in the central region of Los Angeles County, California , mostly within the city of Los Angeles . Its name has come to be

1196-675: The capital of the film industry in the United States. The mountains, plains and low land prices made Hollywood a good place to establish film studios. Director D. W. Griffith was the first to make a motion picture in Hollywood. His 17-minute short film In Old California (1910) was filmed for the Biograph Company . Although Hollywood banned movie theaters—of which it had none—before annexation that year, Los Angeles had no such restriction. The first studio in Hollywood opened in early 1913, on Formosa Avenue down

1248-415: The city estimated that the population had increased to 85,489. The median age for residents was 31, about the city's average. Hollywood was said to be "highly diverse" when compared to the city at large. The ethnic breakdown in 2000 was 42.2% Latino or Hispanic , 41% Non-Hispanic White , 7.1% Asian , 5.2% Black , and 4.5% other. Mexico (21.3%) and Guatemala (13%) were the most common places of birth for

1300-533: The citywide vote. According to the Mapping L.A. project of The Los Angeles Times , Hollywood is flanked by Hollywood Hills to the north, Los Feliz to the northeast, East Hollywood or Virgil Village to the east, Larchmont and Hancock Park to the south, Fairfax to the southwest, West Hollywood to the west, and Hollywood Hills West to the northwest. Street limits of the Hollywood neighborhood are: north, Hollywood Boulevard from La Brea Avenue to

1352-512: The county's highest. There were 2,640 families headed by single parents, about average for Los Angeles. In 2000, there were 2,828 military veterans, or 4.5%, a low rate for the city as a whole. These were the ten neighborhoods or cities in Los Angeles County with the highest population densities, according to the 2000 census, with the population per square mile: In 2022, there were 1,374 homeless individuals in Hollywood. KNX

1404-493: The early 1900s, most motion picture camera and equipment patents were held by Thomas Edison 's Motion Picture Patents Company in New Jersey , which often sued filmmakers to stop their productions. To escape this, filmmakers began moving to Los Angeles, where attempts to enforce Edison's patents were easier to evade. Also, the weather was ideal for filmmaking and there was quick access to various settings. Los Angeles became

1456-597: The early 1950s, the State of California constructed the Hollywood Freeway through the northeast corner of Hollywood. The Capitol Records Building on Vine Street , just north of Hollywood Boulevard, was built in 1956. The Hollywood Walk of Fame was created in 1958 as a tribute to artists and other significant contributors to the entertainment industry. The official opening was on February 8, 1960. The Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District

1508-549: The early residential areas, the Ocean View Tract. Whitley did much to promote the area. He paid thousands of dollars to install electricity and arrange for electric lighting, and he built both a bank and a road into the Cahuenga Pass . The lighting ran for several blocks down Prospect Avenue. Whitley's land was centered on Highland Avenue . His 1918 development, Whitley Heights , was named for him. Hollywood

1560-522: The east boundary of Wattles Garden Park and Franklin Avenue between Bonita and Western avenues; east, Western Avenue ; south, Melrose Avenue , and west, La Brea Avenue or the West Hollywood city line . In 1918, H. J. Whitley commissioned architect A. S. Barnes to design Whitley Heights as a Mediterranean-style village on the hills above Hollywood Boulevard. It became

1612-459: The fall and winter months, although they can occur during any month; Santa Ana winds bring heavy winds, higher temperatures and lower humidity levels, which increases the risk of wildfires , especially in dry years. Smog can sometimes occur during the summer months. May and June can be foggy and cloudy in Hollywood, a phenomenon known by southern California residents as "May Gray" or " June Gloom ". The all-time record high temperature in Hollywood

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1664-553: The first celebrity community. Other areas within Hollywood are Franklin Village , Little Armenia , Spaulding Square , Thai Town , and Yucca Corridor . In 1994, Hollywood, Alabama , and ten other towns named Hollywood successfully fought an attempt by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to trademark the name and force same-named communities to pay royalties to it. Like the rest of Los Angeles , Hollywood has

1716-406: The hotel to attract land buyers. Flanking the west side of Highland Avenue , the structure fronted on Prospect Avenue (later Hollywood Boulevard ). Although it was still a dusty, unpaved road, it was regularly graded and graveled. The hotel became internationally known and was the center of the civic and social life and home of movie stars for many years. Whitley's company developed and sold one of

1768-661: The last broadcasters (television or radio) with Hollywood addresses, but KCET has since sold its studios to the Church of Scientology on Sunset, and plans to move to another location. KNBC moved in 1962 from the former NBC Radio City Studios at the northeast corner of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street to NBC Studios in Burbank. KTTV moved in 1996 from its former home at Metromedia Square on Sunset Boulevard to West Los Angeles, and KCOP left its home on La Brea Avenue to join KTTV at

1820-601: The light blinked "Capitol 50," in honor of the label's fiftieth anniversary. A black-and-white graphic of the building appeared on the albums of many Capitol recording artists, with the phrase, "From the Sound Capitol of the World". In April 2011, Capitol Records and artist Richard Wyatt Jr. restored his Hollywood Jazz Mural on the south wall of the Capitol Records building. Restored in hand-glazed ceramic tile,

1872-541: The middle of Prospect Avenue from it, but service was infrequent and the trip took two hours. The old citrus fruit-packing house was converted into a livery stable , improving transportation for the inhabitants of Hollywood. The Hollywood Hotel was opened in 1902 by Whitley, president of the Los Pacific Boulevard and Development Company. Having finally acquired the Hurd ranch and subdivided it, Whitley built

1924-678: The modern-day Fox Television Center. KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV moved from their longtime home at CBS Columbia Square on Sunset Boulevard to a new facility at CBS Studio Center in Studio City . As a neighborhood within the Los Angeles city limits, Hollywood does not have its own municipal government. A person was appointed by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to serve as an honorary " Mayor of Hollywood " for ceremonial purposes. Johnny Grant held this position from 1980 until his death on January 9, 2008. The Los Angeles Police Department

1976-590: The mural spans 26 by 88 feet (7.9 by 26.8 m) Entitled "Hollywood Jazz: 1945-1972", it presents "larger than life" images of a number of notable jazz musicians. The building houses the Capitol Studios, a recording facility which includes eight echo chambers engineered by guitarist Les Paul and three main studios, A, B, and C. Frank Sinatra had a close association with the studios, and the Georg Neumann U 47 microphone he carried around with him

2028-490: The option were exercised, the closing of the sale was not proposed to occur until at least April 2020. The MTA's finance committee approved the proposed purchase on November 13, 2018, and the purchase was approved by the full board two days later. Under the terms of the deal, the MTA purchased Grand Central Terminal, as well as the Hudson Line from Grand Central to a point 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Poughkeepsie , and

2080-420: The round design would attract attention, which would make it easier to lease. Wallichs conceded, choosing Naidorf's initial round design. The rectangular ground floor is a separate structure, joined to the tower after completion. The 13-story building conforms to the 150-foot (46 m) zoning height limit in place at the time of its construction. Height restrictions were lifted in 1956. The thirteenth floor of

2132-615: The section of track north of Dover Plains on the Harlem Line, which was owned by the MTA. In November 2018, the MTA proposed purchasing the Hudson and Harlem Lines as well as the Grand Central Terminal for up to $ 35.065 million, plus a discount rate of 6.25%. The purchase would include all inventory, operations, improvements, and maintenance associated with each asset, except for the air rights over Grand Central. At

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2184-686: The street from Helen Muir's home. Her father John Muir returned from his tour of Europe and East Africa a few months later and continued work on Yosemite and his book, The Yosemite . The Nestor Film Company was the first studio, established in October 1911 by the New Jersey–based Centaur Film Company in a roadhouse at 6121 Sunset Boulevard (the corner of Gower ). Four major film companies – Paramount , Warner Bros. , RKO , and Columbia – had studios in Hollywood, as did several minor companies and rental studios. In

2236-435: The tall spike emerging from the top of the building resembles a stack of records on a turntable with the spindle pointing skyward. This resemblance, however, was coincidental, as Welton Becket kept the client's identity secret. Upon first seeing the design, Capitol Records' president Glen Wallichs insisted on a rectangular building, so Naidorf provided Wallichs with both. Wallichs presented both designs to his lender, who felt

2288-424: The time, the Hudson and Harlem Lines were owned by the Penn Central holding company, while the Grand Central Terminal was owned by Midtown TDR Ventures. Under the terms of the leases for each asset, the MTA would only be able to exercise an option to purchase the three assets before October 2019. The MTA wanted to purchase the assets in order to avoid future double-payments on its existing leases for these assets. If

2340-518: The tower is the "Executive Level" and is represented by an "E" in the building's two elevators. The blinking light atop the tower spells out the word "Hollywood" in Morse code . (.... --- .-.. .-.. -.-- .-- --- --- -..) This was an idea of Capitol's then-president, Alan Livingston , who wanted to advertise Capitol's status as the first record label with a base on the west coast. It was switched on by Leila Morse, granddaughter of Samuel Morse . During 1992,

2392-635: Was completed in April 1956. Located just north of the Hollywood and Vine intersection, the Capitol Records Tower houses the consolidation of Capitol Records ' West Coast operations and is home to the recording studios and echo chambers of Capitol Studios . The building is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument and sits in the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District . It has been described as

2444-417: Was controlled by Penson and Venture. The Post noted that the MTA would pay $ 2.24 million in rent in 2007, but had an option to buy the station and tracks in 2017, although Argent was able to extend the option date another 15 years to 2032. Venture had desired the air rights for possible future development above the tracks. At the time, Argent still owned the Hudson Line and most of the Harlem Line, except for

2496-475: Was erected in the Hollywood Hills in 1923 to advertise real estate developers Woodruff's and Shoults' housing development. In 1949, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce entered a contract with the City of Los Angeles to repair and rebuild the sign. The agreement stipulated that LAND be removed to spell HOLLYWOOD so the sign would now refer to the district, rather than the housing development. During

2548-455: Was incorporated as a municipality on November 14, 1903, by a vote of 88 for and 77 against. On January 30, 1904, the voters in Hollywood decided, 113 to 96, to banish the sale of liquor within the city, except for medicinal purposes. Neither hotels nor restaurants were allowed to serve wine or liquor before or after meals. In 1910, the city voted for a merger with Los Angeles in order to secure an adequate water supply and to gain access to

2600-558: Was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. In June 1999, the Hollywood extension of the Los Angeles Metro Rail Red Line subway opened from Downtown Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley , with stops along Hollywood Boulevard at Western Avenue ( Hollywood/Western Metro station ), Vine Street ( Hollywood/Vine Metro station ), and Highland Avenue ( Hollywood/Highland Metro station ). The Dolby Theatre , which opened in 2001 as

2652-493: Was not until August 1887 that Wilcox decided to use that name and filed with the Los Angeles County Recorder's office on a deed and parcel map of the property. By 1900, the region had a post office, newspaper, hotel, and two markets. Los Angeles, with a population of 102,479, lay 10 miles (16 km) east through the vineyards , barley fields, and citrus groves. A single-track streetcar line ran down

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2704-586: Was the last radio station to broadcast from Hollywood before it left CBS Columbia Square for a studio in the Miracle Mile in 2005. On January 22, 1947, the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River , KTLA , began operating in Hollywood. In December of that year, The Public Prosecutor became the first network television series to be filmed in Hollywood. Television stations KTLA and KCET , both on Sunset Boulevard, are

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