Date: Sun, 21 Jun 1998 22:38:38 -0700
From: arogers
Subject: [VP] Venice Place

Yes, I've actually been to the real Venice Place.  It was a 
favorite place to eat.  I even went there with my husband (now an 
ex) and kids.  I took my parents there.  And every fan who 
visited.  It was best when we could eat in the garden because it 
was private and very European.  The marinated mushrooms were to 
die for and the wine list was very good.  Remember, this was 
country French.  The dishes were pewter and the tables were wood 
and it was the feel of the French countryside.

Alex


Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 23:42:17 -0700
From: mzelaine
Subject: Re: [VP] "net" seems appropriate

Those of you out there who've read my long account of going to 
see PMG in the play many years ago [Mom Note: this account can be 
found in the Library], might recall that in the 
course of that long weekend, we tried to see as many "S&H sites" 
as we could, and that naturally included Venice Place.  What a 
thrill it was to stand on the sidewalk in front of the very door 
that I knew Hutch had to go in and out of every single day!  I 
was only brave enough to walk about half way up the stairs (okay, 
I'm a weenie!), but others in the group went all the way up, and 
walked around in the beauty shop and pretended it was Hutch's 
apartment.

I'm glad to learn that it's still there after all these years.  
It was looking a bit seedy when we were there, but I have some 
fabulous pictures of it.  At that time, that restaurant was still 
downstairs, and there was a beauty shop in "Hutch's apartment".  
Yes, there is an elementary school directly across the street.  
From what I remember (you know, memory is the *second* thing to 
go), the town of Venice wasn't a very large place, and I don't 
think it was terribly far to the canals, where Hutch's little 
house was.  Obviously, he liked that area.  There are only a few 
blocks of houses that front on the canals, and even though we 
picked out the one we thought had been used as Hutch's house, it 
looked totally different, which we had heard the owner had done 
because he was tired of fans knocking on his door at all hours, 
and stomping through his yard to take photos.  There was nothing 
left to resemble the little house that Hutch had lived it.  But 
the 2-story building with VENICE PLACE prominently displayed on 
the front is a little harder to hide.  Thank goodness!

Flamingo asked...
>What a great memory, Elaine!  Thanks for sharing it!  Were the 
doors
>carved, like on the show, or was that a "TV" thing?

Er...um...the memory is dim, but yes, I do seem to recall that 
the doors looked exactly the way we saw them when Hutch went in 
that door.  I seem to recall that that's what was so amazing to 
us, that it looked *exactly* like we had seen on the series.  
Made us feel so close to the guys!

Elaine