The Original Gold's Gym with a Original Member of the Gym

[Humble Narcissist]

Actually, that Venice area is very hot real estate.  Gentrification.

Techies were buying it right and left and the prices were soaring.

It must have changed a lot in recent years.  It used to be a shithole.

[honest]

To sum it up properly its an expensive shitehole like most of Venice close to the beach.

[IroNat]

It's still not so hot but the tech companies are moving in and likewise their employees who are buying it up.

[oldgolds]

It looked different back in 73 when I trained there, there WERE windows in front looking out onto the sidewalks and street, locker rooms in back.  It was by far the best gym I had ever seen, back in those days very few guys weightrained, and no Women did. Grouchy Ken Waller was working the front counter.
All the top guys used to joke and laugh there way through the workouts like it was a big party and in the afternoon hit the beach.
Good Swedish smorgasborg up the street with all you could eat for $1.65...

[Humble Narcissist]

It looked different back in 73 when I trained there, there WERE windows in front looking out onto the sidewalks and street, locker rooms in back.  It was by far the best gym I had ever seen, back in those days very few guys weightrained, and no Women did. Grouchy Ken Waller was working the front counter.
All the top guys used to joke and laugh there way through the workouts like it was a big party and in the afternoon hit the beach.
Good Swedish smorgasborg up the street with all you could eat for $1.65...

Bodybuilders enjoyed being there.  That's probably part of the reason for 2 and 3 hour workouts.

[stuntmovie]

OLDGOLDS, I think I also recall that Smorgasboard place.... but the specific one I recall was in Santa Monica about 3 bocks from Gold's Gym when Sprague owned it.

Sad to say that it was the only buffet type restaurant within the vicinity of Gold's was destined to failure as most of the members would fill up way beyond the owner's expectations.

I think that this was the same buffet that  you mentioned above.

And i bet you had a few meals at THE GERMAN'S and also ZUCKY's back in them good old days. And also at the world famous (the name of which I have forgotten) which served BBQ Baby Back Ribs and the best onion rings worldwide served on tables with white table cloths, a live piano player, and Joe Nazario at the serving as a greeter or something.

If I recall right a Gold's Gym membership was $24 a year and Joe was always in the back welding something together.

Are any of the following names familiar...... Wyn Paris ... he was in the process of setting up Jack Lalanne's fitness facilites , Doug Strohl, Americn Health studios, Gene Mozee, George Eifferman, Reg and Jon-Jon, Art Zeller, Joe Valdaz,  tc., etc.?

Good old days .... never to be repeated.

[oldgolds]

I wasn't there that long....Me and some friends  drove out from Philly, joined Gold's and trained for awhile. Weather got cold in Dec. so we decided to go to Hawaii and try out for the World Football League, drove to the airport, abandoned  the car in the lot and flew to the islands.

[Taffin]

I treated myself to a nice big new monitor recently, and as a result, now one of my new time-wasting activities is using Google street view to zap round places

This thread made me take a look at the Venice beach front and general area... two things I noticed a lot of - homeless people (it looked like it had been 'Googled' early in the morning) and what looked like abandoned electric scooters of some sort..? 

Oh, and some disturbing 'street-art'...