Silverlake Classics discussion

Does anyone know what happened to a store called Black Cat Books? I have an old reference from a CD liner note listing it as being on Griffith Park Blvd.

Thanks - JW

I think Skylight Books might've been Black Cat Books. I know it used to be something else in the 80's. But that would put it on Vermont in Los Feliz. Otherwise, there's some sort of spiritual center where Griffith Park Blvd. meets Los Feliz Blvd. Maybe it's the book store for the Center? My only other thought is that it's run out of someone's house.

Skylight used to be called Chatterton's.

I've never heard of Black Cat Books, but there was a gay bar called Black Cat on Sunset near Hyperion, where Le Barcito is now -- so that's about a block from the corner of Sunset and Griffith Park Blvd. The Black Cat was one of five gay bars raided by LAPD in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, 1967. (Two of the others were Faces, at Sunset and Sanborn, and Ramms Head, on Sunset near Parkman.) This led to organized demonstrations against LAPD brutality and harassment, which was one of the milestones in LA history. One good source of info. about the raid and the demos is Lillian Faderman and Stuart Timmons' Gay L.A.

How old is the reference to Black Cat Books?

There's that one block of store fronts on Griffith Park Blvd. right where it hits Sunset. Across from the little park where the Farmer's Marker is held. That's my updated guess for the Black Cat's former abode. And, yes, Chatterton's! I need to brush up on my Silverlake history.

There was a bookstore (as of about a year ago, I haven't been recently) that was next to a coffeeshop on glendale blvd in between gingergrass and panty raid, and across from the silverlake wine shop and designers circle and music store. I can't remember the cross street, but it was past the grocery store/bank of america/starbucks on the way down glendale blvd connecting with sunset blvd in echo park. Before Red Lion, across from Cha Chas...you know the area. Is that bookstore still there? I remember it being mainly used books and it had a name like "black " something -- like there was a crow in the logo

It's still there, right next door to the Silverlake Coffeehouse.

Seven Crows Bookshop
2388 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90039
323-913-9677

Funny enough, a friend of mine actually designed that crow logo. But what of this elusive Black Cat...?

Thanks for all of your posts. "Black Cat" was mentioned as a home of Beat Poetry etc, so it may have been decades ago. But, you never know, there are still a few LA natives out there.
Thanks again-JW