Hidden in Plain Site - Palms, CA

Crapi Apartments, Overland Avenue, Palms

While driving down Overland Avenue in Palms, WLA, you might spy a certain mid-20th century apartment building and do a double-take. The Crapi Apartments name is a play on the word "Capri" Apartments.  So many "dingbat" style buildings of this era have tropical and whimsical names. 

Chee-Zee Apartments, Woodbine Ave., Palms

Around the corner from the Crapi Apartments are the Chee-Zee Apartments!  Both of these buildings are the subtle joke of the owner of NPA, National Promotions and Advertising. NPA specializes in outdoor advertising and have a sign-filled facility, just down the block. We've been lucky to attend a couple of parties at NPA. 

NPA Offices, Overland Ave., Palms. Photo from NPA Website

Vintage Neon inside NPA

The outside of the NPA is an ordinary looking warehouse space with a Greyhound bus in front. This is how you enter the building, through the bus!  Naturally, the bus driver is a greyhound dog.

This guy drives the NPA Bus!

I also noticed that NPA now sports a giant hot dog on the roof.  At one time, this plaster dog graced the top of a hot dog stand on the corner of Hollywood and Western, in East Hollywood.  Later, a Thai restaurant took over the stand but left the dog on top, until NPA rescued it.

Hot Dog @NPA Headquarters. Photo from NPA Website

Former location of hot dog, Hollywood and Western, East Hollywood

The reason we were in this special part of Palms was for an ice-cream stop at Scoops, after a particularly spicy dinner. Scoops specializes in crazy, delicious flavors for their ice cream and sorbets.

Unassuming Palms can be quite interesting and tasty.