var absrc = 'https://servedbyadbutler.com/adserve/;ID=171804;size=0x0;setID=435068;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid435068+';place='+(plc435068++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER'; .table_d2e226 { !police shutdown van nuys lowrider cruise!!! even spun donuts! This pretty much went on all night long on the big .table_d2e127 td { border: 1px solid; 62 Next to Jack-in-the-Box - 9AM - 2PM - Flyer: 14: CONTENT. Amazingly, And I will answer: ohhh I wish!!!! Reminds me of the old line about I blew most of my money on fast cars and fast women, the rest I just wasted, Gas prices. 14 Valley Girl Insults From The 1980s We Should Like, Totally. Van Nuys Boulevard, I should say, was not at all like the difficult and I was born in 1973, a year later. The cover is what I consider the most iconic car culture image of the times. Wednesday night cruising was shut down 28 years ago in 1981. var AdButler = AdButler || {}; AdButler.ads = AdButler.ads || []; This was before I was born. All in all, however, the show went on in a surprisingly amicable manner week after week. Its a nice slice of youth and automotive culture of the times. The second one totally deserves a frame around and hanged on my office, then people will ask me: Hey man, was that your Mustang? Well, I grew up in Northern California, graduated high school in 1973, but it was nothing like this. They wrote a few tickets, found some folks with open beers, reminded everyone that they were in control, and shooed everyone out at least for an hour or two. Morro Bay - Auto Hangout & Car Show - next to the PG&E stacks - 8am-11am: Every Saturday: Car Cruise: Newbury Park - Broadbeck Dr. Few delve deep into engine swaps and even fewer bother getting them running right. Required fields are marked *. THERE'S GONNA BE A CRUISE NIGHT IN THE CITY OF VAN NUYS ON VAN NUYS BLVD AN BURBANK' THERE WAS A ESTIMATED 500 CARS LAST MONTH' IT WILL BE HELD EVERY 2ND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH' COME EARLY BECAUSE PARKING GETS TAKEN FAST' ALSO A REMINDER DURING THE THREE WEEKS WILL BE POSTED ON TACO'S MEXICO IN. There have been allegations that the Van Nuys protests are an LAPD setup. Generations have grown up unaware of that special night in the . The initial picture looks like it could have been taken of a group of kids I went to school withparticularly the girl in the center and all of the guys. 43.8k Followers, 385 Following, 629 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Los Angeles Cruise Night (@losangelescruisenight) Yes, pushing or past typical retirement age, like me. good times. The odds are quite good that some of his music was playing over the car radios or on 8 track tape as these were taken. The cruise nights became popular in the 1950s as the cruising culture emerged in Van Nuys, spurred by low-priced cars and gasoline. } width: 100%; Times had really changed in L.A. by the early 1970s from just a few years earlier in the mid 1960s. Green said he used to come with his friends all the way from the Westside to join the cruising. It seems so strange looking at these pictures and thinking of the recent passing of David Crosby. Of course, you realize that all those hot chicks are grandmothers now. No more replacing the old pump and oddly shaped giant gas station sign because of the last companys obvious shapes. Windstar Cruises. The Van Nuys Cruising Association meets every second Wednesday in the parking lot of Rydell Chevorlet at 6001 Van Nuys Blvd. Del Monte, our street. . . Cruising returned to Van Nuys Blvd on Wednesday, June 17th,2015 Cruises are the third Wednesday of every month. Its true that hardly anybody ever walks in Los Angeles. border: 1px solid; the only one on the block like it. I was going to say, having done some home-brew film photography and printing myself: Night photography this good took real skill given what was available in 1972. It was possibly created as a spontaneous opportunity for something to do, a cool place to be, in the middle of the week. to be on stage, to perform and to be photographed. push the button. 32 cents a gallon, adjusted for inflation would equal out to $1.87 today, so it really wasnt as cheap as it sounds. saved. Everyone on the boulevard new about this turnaround. Since I had just completed several years of photography in the Art Department of California State University at Northridge, it was an easy step to assign myself the task of capturing what I could of the essence of the boulevard scene. . var plc439655 = window.plc439655 || 0; Have to admit I like the times better in the mid-60s than the 70s. .table_d2e42 { I read a letter to the editor in a mechanics magazine. In the mid 1960s I remember the local bargain gas station at the intersection of Rt. Ah, come on now, that camper is awesome! Nonetheless, Im cruising up PCH tomorrow, all the way to Big Sur. Even the gas pumps were more fun to look at in the 70s love that classic Mobil pump! Youll also find more crime in Van Nuys than the rest of the valley, including Sherman Oaks and Sun Valley. No doubt not everyone in the pictures are still here either. . Yeah, those were a bit more work to replace. I find production designs far more interesting as ala carte actually provided more variety than the customizations applied to them later. They in fact just look like the older siblings of many of my friends. I also told him I would make a longer video the next time I went to one of his cruise nights. Back then in NY we still had fun street racing on Francis Lewis Blvd with our GTOs,SS 396, Mustangs and the like. border-color: #000000; People on the other side of the hill always made fun of it and in the mid 70s I was hearing about how awful and gang infested it was. By. Those were the days my friend. Golden time.my Dad was in California in early seventies,going to UCLA.He had the time of his life.if only the seventyNine revolution had never happend,we could have stay friends forever.Hopefully someday we will be close friends again. One could images of the people more than images of their cars. Music blares from car to car, food trucks are available for those in attendance, and some even set up chairs along the sidewalk as if it were the 4th of July. Most dont get past fart cans, hot air intakes, wings, spray bombing the interior, bolting on some cheesy eBay HID LED light housings, and maybe some Chinese Enkie wheel knockoffs before moving onto a newer faster car after realizing they ruined their last one. Magnolia Boulevard, you would officially be in Van Nuys. Of course, most of the businesses would have preferred that this parade of young Americans and their cars would find a hangout elsewhere, and the police did descend on the lot in force at least one night while I was there. everyone hit the gas as they spun left in the dirt and dust section, some And there are definitely trade offs in skills or lack there of between generations. Van Nuys Blvd, paved by Isaac Van Nuys in the early 1920's over farm land. ? I lived through the era and watched, while driving my 1973 Dodge Dart Custom sedan and 1978 Dodge Aspen station wagon (loaded) but certainly not cool. These pictures brought back some fun memories. Do you have to attend formal night on a cruise? My folks were just thrilled. var pid439655 = window.pid439655 || rnd; Overview Plans and pricing Premium Access Assignments. border: 1px solid; I highly recommend it. Forums. But I still sent it to him. I was at a car show last weekend.A friend of mine told me Van Nuys blvd cruise nights were back. In the San Fernando Valley, Bob's Big Boy drive-in restaurant opened along Van Nuys Boulevard in the early-'50s and quickly became the center attraction and collection point, the place to be and be seen. For this community feature, take the opportunity to get to know Jairo and check out some of his work. The other side of the alley had a line of single garages Van Nuys Cruise Night is shaping up to be a long term event, every 3rd wednesday of the month it's happening! Northridge, I now had the photographic skills I would need. shutter times. .table_d2e127 { Cruising Van Nuys Boulevard in the Summer of 1972 April 30, 2020 1970s, California, life & culture, people, street, vehicles In the Los Angeles suburb of San Fernando Valley, Wednesday night was cruise night. border: 1px solid; We hope you enjoy these images as much as we have. Although I personally had not participated in the boulevard scene since 1966, I knew it well and it was remarkably easy to feel right at home again on the street. The Van Nuys cruise night has been going on and off since the 60s and currently become popular again. Go wrap yourself in bubble wrap wuss. var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6); Assuming theyre still alive, of course. I recall telling my wife I sure wish we were in our car. At least it gave me bragging rights with my car buddy friends. Very cool. } I too was there in 1971, I had a battered old VW Beetle with the canvas sun roof, Either with my XYL or filled with three buddies . Made even better by that woman staring out the window. .table_d2e14 td { Hollywood in 1957. Van Nuys Cruise Night. Everyone has an accent, however. .table_d2e23 td { It was a jam-packed car show. Far cry from todays plasti-dip craze. Ive just spent the past hour scrolling through an album on his photography site: Scroll down there to click on one of the gallery photos and youll get launched into an album of 180-some pictures, and a real 1972 rabbit hole. Van Nuys Boulevard is a major north-south arterial road that runs through the central San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County, California. The sprawling territory makes traveling by motor vehicle (both private and public) a near prerequisite to live here. (Photo by David Crane/Los Angeles Daily News-SCNG, After cruising Van Nuys Blvd, vintage car enthusiasts gather near new car lots along the Blvd to talk cars. So its no surprise that cruising along Van Nuys Boulevard has been a thing as early as the 1930s (largely due to the fact that Van Nuys Boulevard was one of the first streets in the city to get outfitted with street lights). The photographer is still around, and has a pretty interesting story related to both cars and photography. border-color: #000000; I sold Sunoco 190 for 24 cents a gallon, and 260 for about 35. So in theory we got better value for our money. Perhaps it was more akin to shooting pictures Endeavor to discover something new everyday, no matter how big or small. Those were the days. border-color: #000000; border: 1px solid; an even quicker left turn onto Vista Del Monte, brought you to our alley Friday and Saturday nights also found a large number of people and their cars out on the boulevard, but Wednesday was the big night. Additional terms may apply. Too bad Youth is wasted on the Young! On the gasoline front,, a truly feulish thing was me piloting a 1950 Buick Super in 1980! "Every town in America had a strip where kids would take their cars and go hang out whether it was only a block long - big towns, little towns, cities. width: 100%; June Ellens was also a favored stop for bikers. Fueled by sweat, hard work, and creativity, Van Nuys Blvd became the catwalk for custom cars. The writer stated that modern cars were all the same and not as good or as interesting as the older cars. were made on 35mm Kodak Tri-X black and white film, ASA 400, which I pushed out, and returned north to Magnolia Boulevard via the short end of Vista For one night a month, Van Nuys Cruise Night is a celebration of community, family tradition, and artistic self-expression that can, and should be, appreciated by all. Rick McCloskey spent the summer of 1972 chronicling the vibrant and bustling cruising scene on Van Nuys Boulevard, a part of the booming suburban San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles. Do I have to dress up for dinner on a cruise? Apr 4, 2013 - This last June Cruise Night returned to Van Nuys Blvd. border: 1px solid; United States. At a $1.87 that works out to 46 cents an litre. On a recent night, Green parked his car on a lot near a car dealership on Van Nuys Boulevard and sat in a camping chair to witness the parade on wheels. People riding in the back of a pickup truck without getting arrested. Some of these images were exhibited at the Cal State Northridge Art Department Gallery in 1973, but most were not presented publicly until recent years with the publication of my book, Van Nuys Boulevard 1972, in addition to showcases at the Joseph Bellows Gallery in La Jolla, California, and in print and online media. they are not at all bothered by it. Van Nuys, CA 91407-3118 [email protected] Subscribe to our agendas on city notification system. border: 1px solid; (first posted 1/28/2017) CC reader Michael M. sent me a link to a gallery of photos shot on Van Nuys Blvd. From Van Nuys to Whittier, Crenshaw to Laurel Canyon, the scene is alive and well, and if you love custom cars then the right night on any of those Blvds could change your life. People riding in the back of a pickup truck without getting arrested. Cruising Van Nuys Boulevard of photography in the Art Department of California State University at This comment, in a nutshell, tells us why things were better and more fun back then ; a little personal responsibility and lots of freedom. Theres a very American Graffiti vibe to these photos which is interesting because the film was set in 1962, but was produced closer to the time these photos were made. No! border: 1px solid; In 1992, the City Council cracked down on cruising at all the hotspots in L.A. County; and on four consecutive Sundays in early January, they came down hard, issuing 214 citations, towing 30 cars, and arresting six people. Plus not everyone in their 20s with a modified car is buzzing around in a 80s-90s Honda (raises hand!). Makes an H2 seem like a Chevette! One could feel a great lightening of spirit, and this was nowhere more evident than on Van Nuys Boulevard at night. To celebratewhat would have been Arman Jerejians 22nd birthday, Individuals CC and Armans foundation, Young Legend, orchestrated a cruise to celebrate his life and there was no better name way to name it than by calling it, A Legendary Cruise Night. The evening produced a strong showing of the finest lowriders as well as a small, but significant showing of exotics. . They need their small businesses to survive. Van Nuys Boulevard during the warm summer nights of 1972. } Until the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 airlines were heavily regulated. Hypermiling before it was a thing, I made it home with $10. Van Nuys Blvd Cruise Night On Saturday, March 20th, we hit the Van Nuys Blvd Cruise Night, and it didn't disappoint. var pid435068 = window.pid435068 || rnd; Some probably still do this today, but Bobs is long gone, a Gas here was 48c in 1973 it went up dramatically from there it hit $1 a few weeks after I bought a 6 cylinder car now its around $2.50 per litre 1/4 of a gallon and thats for el cheapo 91 octane 95 or 98 are more, border: 1px solid; What night is cruise night on Van Nuys Boulevard? Cruising does not happen anymore, it is gone, probably Yeah, People copied the successful customs, making them ironically LESS custom ?. Home. As with most accents, the vowels are what really set Californians apart. I was there in 72, got my license on my 16th birthday on Jan 28th, totaled my 66 Beetle that summer and replaced it with the 63 a few days later, along with switching the 66 1300 with the 63 40 horse engine and 71 high back seats and removing the Clarion stereo with its 12 volt converter. - See Flyer for Time: 2nd Sat. For women, dresses, or skirts or slacks with sweaters or blouses are recommended. border-color: #000000; 109 and the main road to town was .27 cents / gallon . I get to see old car friends and cars that I havent seen before, said the 37-year-old resident of Panorama City, adding that he has been attending the event for the last five years. At only 32 cents a gallon, that car was eating me alive. a second floor, kind of like a mezzanine with two bedrooms and a bath, Was 18 in 1972 down in San Diego. I love how people wait breathlessly for the newest cellphone and make ridiculous unboxing videos as if were going to see something AWESOME.., No its a black rectangle. 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