The Nastiest Place in California, Part Three

More Vernon images. Same question: Does Vernon deserve to die?

The Nastiest Place in California, Part Two

One of Vernon’s bright spots is the flamboyant 1960s signage for La Villa Basque, which at one time was the city’s only restaurant. 

It was built in 1960 by now-disgraced former Vernon Mayor Leonis Marlburg, who's the grandson of rancher and one of Vernon’s founders, John B. Leonis. 
For a city so steeped in corruption that nepotism appears to be the least of its sins, La Villa Basque originated as an astonishingly democratic hybrid. Featuring a coffee shop, a lounge, a dining room and a banquet hall, it was uniquely qualified to serve a wide public, including hungry truckers, businessmen, bridal parties and, ultimately, film crews—an episode of Mad Men, “The Suitcase,” was filmed in the Rat Pack-era bar.   

The Los Angeles Conservancy has attempted to preserve its historic character. According to the Los Angeles Times, a decorating company took over La Villa Basque’s operations and refurbishing. Discordant elements, including a faded red carpet and large banners with images of food now mar the exterior. The new name, Vivere, seems a little high falutin’ given that the nearest food alternative is probably the ampm up the street. Of course, the name “La Villa Basque,” might also be over the top, but it has has the honor of referring to a family heritage, and it sounds nothing like a fragrance marketed to tweenage girls.

For now, the cool signage is intact. It’s worth a drive-by, just to see it. 


La Villa Basque, 2801 Leonis Boulevard, Vernon, CA 90058
Los Angeles Times, “Years Catch Up with the Restaurant that Time Forgot’
LA is My Beat: “La Villa Basque”
Los Angeles Conservancy, Preservation Alerts & Issues: La Villa Basque

The Nastiest Place in California, Part One

“…Vernon may be the nastiest place in California.

The industrial city a few miles southeast of 
downtown Los Angeles is home to the region’s 
last remaining slaughterhouse, a handful of rendering plants, chemical manufacturers 
and a gas-fired power plant.” 

— Gene Maddaus, LA Weekly, May 26, 2011

The LA Weekly recently painted a vivid picture of Vernon, a five-mile city with 112 residents, and posed the question: does Vernon deserve to die?
Disclosure: I work there. Lots of people do. The city has posted outdoor signage on bus shelters all over town that feature individuals who work in Vernon to prove it. The city itself is not pretty, but the bus shelters represent some of its finest architecture. 




If you were to meet me for lunch at my workplace, you could follow an astonishingly long chain of semi-trucks down Soto until you see the guys who won’t let you into the parking lot. 
Or you could follow your nose. When general smog collides with the imaginary cloud of salami tinged with pig fat that seems to emanate from Farmer John’s mural-covered exterior, and then knocks you silly with the overwhelming aroma of coffee beans, you’ve arrived. 

As you drive, you might think:
If I breathe, will I die?
I will never eat bacon again!
I’m shaking from caffeine inhalation.
Why is that unmanned police car always parked on a dead end street next to a chain link fence facing Soto?
Do the people in the bus shelter ads ride the bus?

Does Vernon deserve to die?
You be the judge.


If you can’t get enough Vernongeddon, read “City of Vernon in Fight to Death With Assembly Speaker John Perez.”

If you have a hankering for a Beer-Broiled Brat, Breakfast Pizza or Bruschetta Dog, check out Farmer John’s recipes.