Goo-Goo for Googie

So-called "Googie" architecture -- those space-age 50s diners that were once found all over Los Angeles -- has mostly disappeared, but as the LA Times mentions Thursday, a few examples remain.

That includes the old Johnie's Coffee Shop at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax, across the street from LACMA West. Johnie's has been closed since 1999, but the building is still used regularly for film shoots. And its old neon sign and flashing lights still light up at night, giving nostalga buffs a glimpse at how the restaurant once looked.

Writes the Times: Named after a now demolished Los Angeles coffee shop at Sunset and Crescent Heights boulevards, the Googie style is marked by upswept roofs, bright lights, large windows and shapes that evoke the Space Age.

The Googie style fell out of favor in the 1970s and 1980s, when many of the coffee shops, gas stations, motels and shopping centers that exemplified the look were either remodeled or torn down. It's unclear whether Johnie's might share the same fate.

"Johnie's, and the style it represents, tells us as much about that period in L.A. history as the bungalows of Pasadena told us about the 1900s or the missions told us about 19th century Southern California," said Alan Hess, author of two books on Googie architecture. "The building embodies all of the changes in L.A.: becoming suburban, auto-oriented, also becoming a city of the future."

The Johnie's building has been owned by the family behind the 99 Cents Only store (one of which resides next door, and uses the old diner's parking lot). According to the paper, the family appreciates the diner's design, but haven't yet figured out what to do with it.