The Short Stop Is Long on History

It seems as if hip, new owners are trying to resuscitate every dive bar in town these days. From former blue-collar barfly hangs like the Well to previously gay-only pickup joints such as the Parlour and 4100, many of L.A.’s newest hot spots aren’t new at all. But the past lives of those trendy taverns can’t rival that of the Short Stop.

Proximity to Dodger Stadium inspired the name, but the Echo Park watering hole’s reputation came from its regulars, members of the LAPD. The dark and cozy space is still adorned with cop memorabilia, from badges to gun lockers to posters for films like “The Choir Boys” (based on the book by Joseph Wambaugh, a former Short Stop regular).

Police officers stopped patronizing the bar before the new owners took over, in part because it was named as a hangout for corrupt officers involved in the Rampart division scandal. By the end of 2000, business got so bad that the original owner sold it.

The buyers were six friends and investors, all from the entertainment industry, including former Afghan Whigs frontman Greg Dulli, Grammy Award-winning album art designer Kevin Reagan and screenwriter Oliver Wilson. They’d been itching to create a low-key hang for the burgeoning artistic community on the Eastside.

Unlike other rehabbed dives, the Short Stop kept its name, even though it lost the old sign out front. The new owners made only a few changes, quickly reopening the doors with a 2001 New Year’s Eve party. The place has been packing in a mix of local bohemian types and young Hollywood heads ever since.

Maybe it’s the ghosts of cops past keeping everybody in line, but the Short Stop always seems to have a welcoming--even safe--atmosphere.

“We made an effort to make it really comfortable for women here,” says Wilson. His stretch of Sunset Boulevard may not be the swankiest, he says, but the community has a civic pride that deters problems. “Nobody gets hassled here. We’ve never even had a fight.”

On a recent Friday night, the girl-to-guy ratio seemed to be about 7 to 3. DJ Jason Mason spun a buoyant mix of punk and retro rock; the bar’s red-hued dance room was jammed with casual yet cool gals and a couple of shaggy-haired fellows.

The groovin’ area gets even more packed during Wednesday’s Dub Club, a feel-good reggae night that attracts lots of young, stylish urbanites. There’s even a guy selling $1 tamales near the door, and dub-clubbers gobble them up.

“It’s a great place to drink and dance,” says Melissa Baker, who frequents the midweek gathering with a regular group of friends. “Wednesdays are fun because the crowd is more friendly and familiar.”

Other nights here include “Girl’s Night Out” on Tuesdays, with DJ Leslie Napoles; “Evening Becomes Dyslexic,” with DJs including co-owners Dulli and Charles Gaiennie spinning obscure funk and soul; and the Saturday night residency of popular electro-duo DJ Me DJ You. On Sundays and Mondays the bar provides free play of its eclectic jukebox and free games of pool. With another newish club, the Echo, just down the street, the area seems to be flourishing, something locals appreciate but also have some trepidation about; after all, nobody wants his or her ‘hood to get too hip.

“We weren’t going for some trendy theme,” says Wilson. The Short Stop--which still has bullet holes in its front door as reminders of its intriguing past--maintains a feel of authenticity, even as it’s brimming with fashionable nymphs packing vintage Gucci bags. “It’s a real bar, in a real neighborhood, with a real history.”

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The Short Stop, 1455 W. Sunset Blvd., Echo Park, (213) 482-4942. Open nightly, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Happy hour, 5 to 8 p.m. daily. No cover. 21 and older.