At the base of the 120 year old King Edward Hotel stand the last great dive bar of Skid Row. The King Eddy Saloon, 131 E 5th Street LA, has been a local hangout since 1933. Although the sign inside says “Where nobody gives a shit about your name”, the Saloon has served the likes of Bukowski, Fante and Chandler as well as the skid row locals.
I read some really sad news yesterday, as posted in the LA Times - the King Eddy Saloon has been sold. One of the new owners stated that he “intends to kick the dust off and bring it up to date, so that others can learn about its legacy” - sounds like a tourist attraction in the making.
The King Eddy (with LA's oldest Liquor License) will remain in its current incarnation through the end of the summer.
Time will tell! For those who have been there and for those who won’t be able to see it before the transformation. Here are some shots I took last year.
All images shoot w/ Canon 5D mkII and Zeiss & Canon lenses.
As always, all images and text are copyright Peter Politanoff, all international restrictions apply. Cannot be used for commercial purposes without expressed consent.
