Strip club near LAX to be demolished for a parking lot

The strip club advertising “Nude Nude Nudes” near Los Angeles International Airport, which has titillated, distracted or disgusted tourists driving on Century Boulevard for decades, has been shut down. It will be turned into a parking lot.

The lease for the Century Lounge strip club, best known for its psychedelic red-and-orange “Nude Nude Nudes” sign that rapidly blinked, expired at the end of August and the lights have been shut off, said John Day, general counsel for the owner of the property, Los Angeles-based L&R Group of Companies.

The club is expected to be demolished in October, and is to serve as an entrance to the existing WallyPark parking structure, which is owned by L&R, and add 700 to 800 ground-level parking spaces. The existing parking structure, which is several stories high, has an entrance on Bellanca Boulevard, a small street, but company officials have been hoping for a more high-profile entrance on Century Boulevard.

“We bought the property probably about 10 years ago, because it’s adjacent to our WallyPark facility. We had intended to buy out the lease, but the owner was fairly delusional in terms of the price,” Day said. “We waited until the lease was up and it was terminated.”

Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, who represents the district neighboring the airport, was ecstatic. “I’m thrilled. I’m delighted,” he said.

Rosendahl said the community’s longstanding opposition to the strip club was primarily with the continuously blinking sign.

“People have a right to be who they are, but for God’s sake, does it have to be in everyone’s face? This sign, ‘Nude, Nude, Nudes’ constantly blasting into your face ... It’s in your face. You can’t avoid it. It affects your sensibilities and your values. It’s basically an insult to the community,” Rosendahl said.

Gateway to LA, the business improvement district covering the LAX neighborhood, has been hoping for the closure of the strip club since the business district was created in 1998. Property owners near the airport were dismayed that the strip club was giving the neighborhood a seedy image, making it hard to attract some groups from having meetings and conventions at airport-area hotels.

“It’s just the perception of having that huge sign on Century Boulevard. Advertising nudes does not add to the area,” said Laurie Hughes, executive director of the Gateway to LA business improvement district.

She said the lights were off, but the sign was still hanging at the establishment.

Howard White, the club's owner, could not be reached for comment.

In 2005, the club was featured in a Times article when tourists and community leaders fumed at the strip club erecting an 18-foot sign screaming “Vagina’s R’ Us” on the strip club’s front.

The club had been a 24-hour bowling alley/cocktail lounge/coffee shop called Carolina Pines in the 1950s and ‘60s, when numerous factories were built in the area around LAX.

As manufacturing plants gave way to large hotels, White, a former talent agent and the son of the original proprietor, sought to boost business by staging lingerie shows.

By 1977, the place had become a nude bar and a disco called Carolina West, where alcohol was served. When White lost his liquor license after his lawyer failed to file renewal papers in time, he ditched the disco and decided to go all nude/no alcohol, he said in a 1994 Times interview.

—Rong-Gong Lin II 

Photo: A portion of the sign for the Century Lounge strip club, whose lease has expired.

Credit: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Mark]

Maybe if you don't like the "nudes" sign, you should look the other way.

Once again, L.A. is trying to act like Mayberry. Such prudes.

[Marcos El Malo]

"We had intended to buy out the lease, but the owner was fairly delusional in terms of the price,” Day said.

Great line. What I want to know, will there be a going out of business sale? I'd like to get some nude nude nudes at discount prices.

(In a way, I'll be sad to see the sign go. I always got a laugh driving by there. But I fully understand why the community and the landlord felt differently. I might feel the same if it were in my neck of the woods.)

[Julian B Duron]

Ahh end of an era. But I am willing to bet the revenue collected from this "seedy image" type business is more than City of Los Angeles will see in revenue than a Parking lot.
In this City it could have been worse. Instead of a parking lot it could have been a Political Campaign Head quarters for a Council District. Collections to Pay to Play here. Talk about Seedy Image.

[anon]

I believe the place was a bowling alley before it became an adult entertainment joint. The style the building is designed is also unique.

Too bad it's getting torn down. I gotta take pictures of it sometime (for the style, not the Nude sign)

[Peter]

Boo! Words are so harmful.

[Mark Storhaug]

What a shame. Now (that part of) Century Blvd. will be just another faceless street on the way to a big airport. I'm a Wild Goose man myself but hey, who didn't LOVE that sign?

A Wally Park entrance, please.

[RST]

C'mon--it's not “Nude Nude Nudes”. The sign reads "Live Live Nude Nudes". Which always made me wonder: those plain nudes--what were they wearing?

RST

[Frankie The Yankee]

I am sad to see this place go. Pouring some out for all the homeys from Lower Manhattan to Century Blvd. I Love LA!!!

[Rick]

I have been to the club and I can tell you, they are nudes in there. I guess that's they way it goes. The Wild Goose is down the street but, that is not nude club only topless. There was a disco next door to the strip club years ago called the Carolina West.

[save LA]

a parking lot ???

that is more disgusting that the nudes sign, the place is a landmark.

now i want a t-shirt with an image of the sign on it

it apparently didnt affect anyone negatively when it was used in many movie back drops, look at "city of angels"

if that place was in las vegas, it wouldnt negatively affect anyones values

[Benjamin Benedict]

Wasn't a scene from the movie "City of Angels" filmed in front of the nude sign?

[Paul]

I'd love to get that sign.

When I was a kid, back in the 70's and maybe early 80's, that strip club shared the lot with a bowling alley, and their business signs were set up in such a way that I thought there was "nude bowling" going on.

[Defender90CA]

Oh great. Now we're relegated to the clubs featuring only dead nudes.

[Mike]

This place has sentimental value to me - it was the first strip club I ever went to.