VMD Realty

At 3:30 p.m. on the afternoon of Saturday, May 1, 1937, a newly upgraded and realigned Conejo Grade premiered after a day of celebration commencing at the ranch of Adolfo Camarillo. Camarillo, namesake of the City of Camarillo, donated the right of way to enable the grade to be realigned. Actor Leo Carrillo entertained guests at Camarillo's ranch at the bottom of the grade.

The old Conejo Grade was constructed in 1914-1915. The old route had 49 twists and turns, making it somewhat hazardous to drive. The newly aligned Conejo Grade cut the number of curves by 75%, at a cost of $550,000.

The newly aligned Conejo Grade claimed its first fatality sometime after midnight on Sunday, May 2, 1937, when an automobile plunged from the grade near the summit on the Camarillo side. The driver's car was discovered near the base of a 300-foot embankment at 5 a.m.

More on the history of the Conejo Grade at www.bit.ly/conejograde

Hollywood & Vine in December of 1932. Look at all those historic buildings and antique cars. (Obviously not antique at the time)

In the previous post you’ll see an interior photo of the CoCo Tree Cafe. Here’s how it looked from the outside as it prepared to open.

Designed by Richard Neutra. Coco Tree Cafe featured streamlined modern interior design and finishes. Glass wall frontage which was unique at the time.