Mom and Pop

Meanwhile, the park’s mom-and-pop charms have struggled to keep up with the slick thrills offered by today’s corporate megaparks.

Daniel Yukelson, executive director of the Apartment Assn. of Greater Los Angeles, said the prospect that vacancy control could return is a major threat for the small mom-and-pop landlords he represents.

“I’m interested in any single-screen or just independently owned mom-and-pop theaters,” Baker enthuses as he looks around the empty 800-seat venue, which in keeping with the spooky season, would be featuring upcoming revival screenings of “The Silence of the Lambs” and “The Lost Boys.”

“Their mall was emptied out. Their downtown was pretty sparse. And if you go there now, it’s bars, restaurants, mom-and-pop shops.”

From the star-studded stadium to the soulful mom-and-pop joints, there’s a reason it’s called the City of Champions.