Valley Haunts Is a Love Letter to the San Fernando Valley

March 11, 2021 5:52 pm Published by Very Famous

There is a certain kind of fantastical suburban architecture that exists nowhere else on earth like it does in the San Fernando Valley. It is, as one author called it, “America’s Suburb.” Alixan Gorman, a born-and-raised Valley Girl, has been documenting the region’s disappearing gems since 2016, from Hand Car Wash, the car wash with the giant hand holding up a pink Corvette (programmatic architecture!) to the many wood-paneled bars in strip malls with leather banquettes and gentle signs.

Like any good documentarian of the everyday scenery around us, her photos are both straightforward and multi-dimensional, like you’re seeing a different realm of what everyone driving by is seeing. There’s the giant hedge trimmed in the shape of a poodle, and the impossibly ’80s dental office with its logo spelled out in toothpaste and rows of glass blocks reflecting like perfect superstar teeth. There are the swimming pools, too, of course. Liberace’s piano pool shaped like a baby grand sitting in Sherman Oaks and the founder of Baskin-Robbins, Irv Robbins, and his ice cream-cone pool.

Alixan, who goes by Valley Haunts on Instagram, talked with Very Famous about how people overlook the Valley, about a lawyer and his hot-dog stand where he offered free legal advice, and about what a perfect day in America’s suburb would look like.

How would you describe Valley Haunts and what you’re documenting?

Valley Haunts is like my love letter to the San Fernando Valley. I take pictures of the architecture, signage, public art, and other oddities that make the Valley what it is.

What inspired you to start your account?

I started the account with my best friend when we realized that the places we loved and grew up with were changing or disappearing, and we wanted to document as much as we could. One of the first pictures we posted was one she took of a dental office that was shaped like a tube of toothpaste, which is gone now.

I was also inspired by how much people hate the Valley or completely overlook it. Seeing “Valley go home” graffiti at the beach and hearing people make fun of the Valley at parties over the hill or on TV drove me to show it off.

The San Fernando Valley is also never included when people talk about Los Angeles unless it’s the punchline of a joke, so I wanted to bring more attention to it.

Does the documenting you do with Valley Haunts tie into other interests/careers for you, or is it more of a hobby?

It’s a hobby.

Are you a born-and-raised Valley Girl, or are you seeing the region through the eyes of a newer resident?

Born-and-raised Valley Girl!

So I’m describing this as someone who hasn’t spent *a ton* of time in the San Fernando Valley, but it seems like there’s a certain connecting thread of whimsy to the design of its buildings. Lots of mid-century, tiki, novelty architecture, themed restaurants and bars in strip malls, things like that! Why do you feel the Valley has built and maintained (if they have) these gems? Generally speaking, do you get the sense that residents are interested in maintaining them, or are they disappearing?

I think because the Valley is so big and spread out and we spend so much time in our cars, the buildings were made that way to attract people driving by.

The gems are definitely disappearing, and it is heartbreaking! I think a lot of residents are interested in maintaining them but feel totally powerless when a business owner remodels, or when developers bulldoze a block of cool old buildings to build generic shopping centers and condos.

And of course, there are residents who would rather live in a modern grey box than a tiki apartment and would rather go to a chain restaurant than a groovy old diner.

What inspires you about the Valley?

I’m inspired by the history and all of the weird geniuses who have lived here. I recently discovered that Irv Robbins of Baskin Robbins had a house in the Encino hills with an ice cream cone shaped pool! I have arrangements to take pictures of it next week.

Just to name a few more inspirations:

— The Elvis impersonator who transformed his house into a mini Graceland.

— The lady who drove from Northridge in the middle of the night to paint a pink, 60-foot naked lady over the entrance to a tunnel in Malibu only to have it painted over the next day.

— The hairdresser from England who moved to the Valley and sculpted a giant topiary dog out of the ivy on the sidewalk.

— The fact that you can take your car to a mechanic that’s right across from the Peach Pit from 90210.

— The onion-shaped church that was the venue for one of the Merry Prankster’s acid tests.

— The lawyer who opened a hot dog stand across the street from the Van Nuys Courthouse and gave free legal advice to customers.

I could go on and on and on!

I know this is probably hard to narrow down, but what are some of your favorite, maybe lesser-known Valley spots?

I’m going to narrow it down to restaurants because I miss them so much. Beeps, a hot-pink 50’s diner with a big neon sign that has eyes as the E’s; The Safari Room, a safari-themed steakhouse; Heart’s, a romantic coffee shop, and The Horseless Carriage Restaurant on the Galpin Ford auto lot.

And lastly! What is a perfect day in the Valley for you?

The perfect day would be spent aimlessly cruising around the Valley listening to the radio. I’d stop to take pictures and go record shopping or thrifting. I’d have dinner at Beeps. And finally, I’d order a cocktail at the 94^th Aero Squadron, a restaurant located on the runway of the Van Nuys Airport and watch the planes land on the runway while the sun sets.