A Narrow Escape
August 3, 2005 - It looks like the famed Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles has mercifully escaped its date with the wrecking ball. The Los Angeles County school system now owns the property of this once glamorous hotel and nightclub on Wilshire Boulevard. Plans are currently in place for the hotel's demolition, which will be the site of a new school for some 4200 students. Local preservationists who tried to block the inevitable demise of this Hollywood landmark were unsuccessful. That is, except for the Cocoanut Grove. It will survive in a new, albeit totally unglamorous role as the new school's auditorium.

The Cocoanut Grove, a Hollywood show business haven since it opened in 1921, closed its doors for good when the Ambassador Hotel went out of business in 1986.  The Grove played host to Barbra Streisand's high profile engagement in 1963. Barbra's appearance at The Cocoanut Grove was one of the most important singing engagements of her early career. It showcased her extraordinary talents for the Who's Who of the Hollywood entertainment community.

The Ambassador Hotel and Cocoanut Grove were important to the culture and history of the United States. Six Academy Awards ceremonies were held at The Grove. Tragically, the most noteworthy event at The Ambassador occurred in 1968 when Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in the hotel's kitchen.