I have the chance to move to northern Los Angeles and was wondering where are the places to play? Burbank is where I'll have to go to school. What games do people favor, action, etc. Any help here Az would be appreciated. Thanks Az'ers.
L.A. Area Pool
- Thread starter staygoldponyboy
- Start date
I think House of Billiards on Ventura Blvd is your best bet, they have weekly tournaments and I think some action. Melissa Herdon use to play there, not sure if she still does.
Hollywood Billiards is not bad and I belived has a monthly memebership that is reasonable and allows you unlimited table time at non peak times.
Hollywood Billiards is not bad and I belived has a monthly memebership that is reasonable and allows you unlimited table time at non peak times.
PoolSleuth
Banned
Burbank use to be a GREAT TOWN, but like all of the L.A. Area ALMOST it too sadly has gone DOWNHILL in the last 20-25 or so years thank to GANGS, DRUGS, the other Social Problems of CALIFORNIA, their elected officials in Sacramento refuse to address.
Years ago there was Bakers Billiards on Hollywood Way, near Magnolia in Burbank, and North Hollywood Billiards, on Magnolia near Lankershim that were both GREAT POOL PLACES.
PM Tate as he is in BURBANK.....
Years ago there was Bakers Billiards on Hollywood Way, near Magnolia in Burbank, and North Hollywood Billiards, on Magnolia near Lankershim that were both GREAT POOL PLACES.
PM Tate as he is in BURBANK.....
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Thanks
Thanks Poolsleuth and cuechick. Appreciated.
Thanks Poolsleuth and cuechick. Appreciated.
PoolSleuth said:
Wow! What Burbank are you talking about? In actual fact Burbank was like a dump about 15 years ago and now it is about 1000 times better. All of downtown has been renovated and modernized and it has great restaurants, numerous movie theaters that are state of the art and it is a very popular area. There is a poolhall right in the center of downtown but it is not an action place but it is a good place if you just want to practice or socialize.
You can join the USPPA www.usppa.com and there are tournaments on Monday (all members) and Wednesday (lower rated members) at House of Billiards at 7pm and Saturday at 1pm at Hollywood Billiards (all members). Both places are about 15 minutes drive from Burbank.
If you play 3 cushion there is North Hollywood Billiards which is about a 10 minute drive.
If you like 1 pocket action the best place is House of Billiards in Santa Monica but it is a 1/2 hr to 1 1/2 hour drive from Burbank depending on traffic.
Wayne
Burbank has gone down to the dumpsters so bad, homes there are being sold at discount rates.wayne said:
Burbank and Glendale area ain't too shabby.
You can still walk at night to the renovated downtown, see a movie or go to the large bookstore and take your pick of restaurants. It's midnight and you only have 5 bucks? In N Out is right there. You want Mexican food, you're in heaven. Rubios and some are there.
The downtown poolhall is a good place for social players like Wayne said. Not Simonis cloth and the pockets are buckets but the place is nice. Food is alright.
Hollywood Billiards is a player's dream pool hall. Gold Crown tables covered with Simonis. Shimmed pockets by Ernesto and have Artemis cushions.
I wish they still have the big billiard table upstairs but no longer there.
Across the street from HB is a very good Thai restaurant. 10 dollars gets you a nice dinner.
Make sure you drive down to Hard Times, Bellflower on the first Sunday of the month. Monsters like Wayne are there for the 1000 added 9-ball tourney.
Day before that is the one-holers' tourney.
PoolSleuth said:
My office is in Burbank. Burbank is it's own city in the San Fernando Valley alongside Glendale bordering Universal Studios and running all the way to the foothills.
Burbank is one of the safest, lowest crime cities in California and would rank among the safest in the US. It is also now upscale. The Burbank Police and Fire department are among the finest in the country.
The danger in Burbank is being choked by high rents, long lines for popular shows and restaurants, and affording million dollar homes. Think of Burbank as the entertainment capital of the world, what Hollywood should be but isn't.
A decent two bedroom apartment here averages $1500 per month. Median home price is $573,000 and climbing. That gets you a 1200 square foot 3 bedroom house with a small lot.
As far as shooting pool, for cheap or heavy action if you can tolerate smoke and are 21, go to the Plush Pocket in North Hills, about 15 miles away, but bring a big game too. The House of Billiards in Sherman Oaks is about 10 miles away and is a nice environment. Fantasia in Burbank is an upscale pool room, not much for real players.
For upscale, I like Hollywood Billiards in Hollywood, about 10 miles away. Lots of friendly games here - get their "member plan" for unlimited monthly daytime pool.
There are a lot of good players in this area.
Chris
Thanks
To JoeyInCali, TATE, and wayne as well, I hope we can meet sometime. I've been a member for a while, just don't post that much. Want to play as much as I can while I am out, just as long as I get through school as well. I would like to join a league and play a lot of one hole, straight, and some 3 cushion. Nine ball and Eight ball are all that is played around here. I like banks as well. Thanks Az.
To JoeyInCali, TATE, and wayne as well, I hope we can meet sometime. I've been a member for a while, just don't post that much. Want to play as much as I can while I am out, just as long as I get through school as well. I would like to join a league and play a lot of one hole, straight, and some 3 cushion. Nine ball and Eight ball are all that is played around here. I like banks as well. Thanks Az.
PoolSleuth
Banned
wayne said:
I moved to California in 1958 at age 11, my first home was on Magnolia Boulevard slam across from North Hollywood High School.
In approx. 1961 we moved to Burbank, and it was Beautiful downtown Burbank back than. Stayed in that general area from 58-83. Burbank, Glendale and North Hollywood.
You must realize in my generation a DRUGGIE was a GLUE Sniffer, Hard Core USER were Marijuana*users.
We did not have Graffiti, Gangs, Drive By Shooting, and the social problems of the 1990’s and beyond.
Our generation grew up with the life style portrayed in the movie American Graffiti. Plus we spent a lot of time Surfing the California Coast.
North Hollywood was most Middle Class Jewish area, downtown North Hollywood had the El Portal Movie Theater, and Bob’s Big Boy Restaurant catty corner from it.
Burbank had the Famous Dip Drive in Restaurant were Victory & Burbank Blvd. come together. The BEST Pastrami Sandwich could be had at the Dip for 39 CENTS.
Yes I know about housing prices in Burbank as my home in Magnolia Park that I bought in 1972 for 35.5K Recently sold for over 600++++K.
Call me old fashion but I wish I could return to the 1960’s & 1970’s even if it meant reliving the Viet Nam Experience...
staygoldponyboy said:
House of Billiards in Santa Monica specializes in those games. Each month there is a running 3C and straight pool tourny plus twice a month there is a one hole tourny. Plus you can get a game in any of the above disciplines almost any time you walk in the door.
Northside Greasers
The movie is a classic as well. Never read the novel. Probably better as most books are. Burbank sounds arlright and hopefully I can visit in a few months to check things out.The San Gabriel Mts. look amazing.Thanks for the screenname praise cuechick.
The movie is a classic as well. Never read the novel. Probably better as most books are. Burbank sounds arlright and hopefully I can visit in a few months to check things out.The San Gabriel Mts. look amazing.Thanks for the screenname praise cuechick.
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Sounds Good
I hope I can visit while I'm there. I would like to get good at any of those games right now. I 've also mainly played on bar boxes for a few years. should be quite a change. I play on bigger tables about every other week in a bigger city north of here. Very seldom though. I play about six or seven speed. Depending on the day and table. Haven't ever really found a gear on the nine footers yet, 8 footers are my favorite at the present time.
demonrho said:
I hope I can visit while I'm there. I would like to get good at any of those games right now. I 've also mainly played on bar boxes for a few years. should be quite a change. I play on bigger tables about every other week in a bigger city north of here. Very seldom though. I play about six or seven speed. Depending on the day and table. Haven't ever really found a gear on the nine footers yet, 8 footers are my favorite at the present time.
Sounds like a setup.staygoldponyboy said:
You're tipping your finger.
Wayne, is North Hollywood Billiards still on Magnolia near Lankershim? I used to go there years back when Tiff Payne still owned it. Pool and snooker in front. All billiards in the back. Al Gilbert, Frank Torres, all the top west coast 3C players hung out there.wayne said:
Doc
gulfportdoc said:
Yes it is still in the same location and there are still great 3 cushion players that go in there. It is only a 3 minute walk from where my business is. Unfortunately, it is only a place for 3 cushion players and I don't play 3C, the pool tables are badly kept and have cheap cloth on them. They allow smoking and the place is pretty grungy looking so I only stop in about once a year to watch a little.
The best 3 cushion tables are in Santa Monica at the House of Billiards, they are kept perfect and are heated. It seems like some good 3C players go in there but I don't pay a lot of attention because I usually get a one-pocket game right when I walk in the door.
Wayne
PoolSleuth
Banned
gulfportdoc said:
Bert Schreger use to sell his early Cue out of the place, and Bob's Big Boy resturant was just a short walk if you wanted a Sucide, Berger, and Fries.......