Plaza Hotel , built in the 50s must have once been so full of life and activity. Located right by the now-defunct Greyhound Station and Caravan Lounge, so you could grab a good night’s sleep ( and a cocktail) to break up long travels across the country.

But San Jose downtown, like so many cities around the country, saw residents move to the suburbs through the 50s and 60s and was desolate by the 70s and the hotel slowly fell into disrepair, although it limped on for a couple of decades more…

After lying defunct for a long time, the Plaza now has a new lease of life as temporary housing for the homeless. When I sketched this mid-century modern sign, a crew was hard at work readying the space for it’s new residents.

And what of the sign outside the hotel? It remains to be seen how it fares: plastic signs like this one are particularly fragile, and need expert handling so they don’t crumble (like The Bold Knight sign which fell apart in handling)

 

Location: 96 South Almaden Ave.