Hello, In 1967-68, my wife (then college friend) usually could be found in the stacks of the UCLA library. It was one of the largest library facilities that stayed open late into the “early morning.” We were good students and knew where we could continue our studies and research activities. It helped that in between, we were a couple of young 20 somethings that could be together anywhere and have fun. Anywhere in So Cal was a drive from our Long Beach college campus. But, it was worth every minute of our road trips from those college days. During those times, it also helped that it was the phenomenon of the “summer of love,” era and it showed all over So Cal. The West Hollywood/Los Angeles Area was pumping with activity and it was the place to be for young 20 somethings. It helped that the underground shops popped up all over the area and had the best stuff to buy for us. The first edition records priced at $11.99 at Wallach’s Music City were down to $3.99- 5.99 in these little shops. It definitely was worth it to drive there and fill up our collection of LP Albums from the latest rock stars. So, guess where we went after the library finally closed around 2 a.m. of course, the 24 hour open Ships diner/restaurant in two locations, Westwood, just south of the UCLA campus. And if that was full, a short drive down the highway to Culver City and the other Ships location. Why would a diner/restaurant be full at 2:00 a.m. well, there were tons of other college kids with early hour hunger pains and the food was great to meet those necessities. So, it was a meeting place for a lot of college kids near the campus. Jnaki “Restaurateur Emmett Shipman had three Ships — one in Westwood, one in Culver City and everyone’s favorite, which was the one at Olympic and La Cienega. Each Ships was open 24 hours and it wasn’t Denny’s. In terms of cuisine, it wasn’t that much better but it felt friendlier and classier.” “If you ordered breakfast, they brought you bread instead of toast and you cooked it yourself in the toaster at your table. Every table had one, plus they were all along the counter for the folks sitting there. It was another great place to get a hot turkey sandwich.” The waitresses were all what you’d get if you put out a casting call for “friendly coffee shop waitresses.” “All three Ships Coffee shops were opened by Shipman between 1956 and 1967 and closed within a narrow window in the eighties. They were noted for their decor and the one at Olympic and La Cienega was used as a location in several movies. They may be among the “most missed” defunct eateries in all of Southern California. Here’s a look at their classic menu… A typical menu for 20 somethings with a fast metabolism allowed us to eat anything at any time, plus, we still remained thin and lively. Despite the late/early hours, the steak and eggs order was the #1 item each of us ordered, along with an order of French Fries each. Plus the usual Apple Deep Dish Pie… oh those were the days of great food without any worries about gaining weight. As fast as we ate those meals, the young 20 something bodies took over and we were hungry for the next servings in a few days… ha! Note: After we got married and continued to go to the West Los Angeles-Pico-La Cienega area, we stopped at the other Ships and we knew the food like the back of our hands. Our past experiences as college kids played into memories and great atmosphere, plus the food… yum! Only this time, the Ships was right in the exact area where we liked to hang out and visit other places along La Cienega/Olympic locations. YRMV
The Jalopy Journal
