La Puente: Home to one of the last working drive-in theaters and a drive-in donut hole!

Sid Garcia Image
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
La Puente: Drive-in theater and drive-thru donut spot.
A look at La Puente, which means bridge in Spanish, home to one of the last working drive-in theaters and drive-in donuts.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KABC) -- Let's take a stroll "in the neighborhood" to La Puente.



Once famous for the world's largest walnut packing plant, la Puente means "the bridge" in Spanish.



The San Gabriel Valley community is home to one of the only working drive-in theaters left in Southern California -- the Vineland! It's a swap meet by day, multi-plex by night.



From drive-in theater to drive-in donuts! The Donut Hole is a prime example of programmatic architecture, and has been delivering deep-fried deliciousness since 1968.



There are plenty of great places to eat in La Puente, we recommend ABC7's Sid Garcia's favorite hometown spot -- Camino Real restaurant.



And there are lots of places to play here too, like Basset Park which has a skate park and soccer fields for the kids.



And for the big kids, there's a horse arena at Avocado Heights Park!



An L.A. legend still stands in La Puente, the Star Theater has the only surviving lamella roof designed by master architect S. Charles Lee in L.A. County.



Every great hometown has a great mall. The Puente Hills Mall was featured in the 1985 film "Back to the Future" as the Twin Pines/Long Pine Mall.



"Great Scott!" Here's looking at you, La Puente!

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