America and the automobile grew up together in the 20th century. The car influenced a lot of how the country grew, dictating where and how people lived. There’s likely no place as impacted by the car as Los Angeles and its surrounding communities, and a new video highlights the remnants of the car culture that influenced so much.
One-third of LA is paved, making the car an essential tool to life there. The famous Route 66 passes through the city, which is dotted with roadside attractions. The Wigwam Motel sits just outside of it, providing patrons with a unique overnight experience.
Another automotive icon is The Donut Hole, a drive-through bakery, and it’s next on the video’s itinerary. Nearby is California’s first drive-through – an In-N-Out Burger joint that opened in October 1948. That was a year after Red’s Giant Hamburger started slinging sliders. It was located on Route 66 in Missouri, closing in 1984.
Driving through things would also come for the convenience store, which still exist today. This allows people to drive into the store for their goods, often with an attendant grabbing the customer’s requested products before they pay and drive out the other side.
Another car-centric feature that dots LA’s landscape is the dingbat apartment. They provide a ground-level carport with the living space above, maximizing the use of the limited real estate in a world that has to live with cars. Drive-in movie theaters also populate the area, merging the area’s massive TV and movie business with the automobile’s ability to provide freedom and privacy.
LA isn’t the only city in America to cater to the car, as many places have surrendered the land to the pavement. It makes owning a vehicle vital to living in many areas, and cars aren’t cheap. They require insurance, maintenance, and registration – all of which cost money. Cars provide freedom, which fueled its ability to influence LA and other towns, but they also have a cost that’s not always easy to overcome.
