SCENE ON THE STREET : Sign Language

You never owned an apartment building? You’ve saved yourself a lotta trouble. Rent control, light bulbs. But that comes later. First, what color do you paint the place? And what do you call it? Loved ones come to mind. So you’re looking at these palm trees in San Gabriel, flanking the sign, and little Cyndi used to wear her hair in braids as a kid. Bingo. Cynthia Palms. This type of apartment-namer, they’re the homebodies. They play the lottery, they use the ages of all their children, they lose and never play again.

But some are more exotic-minded. In Rosemead, there’s the Algiers; in Temple City, the Capri, on a peeling painter’s palette--hey, a 1BR with VU, wine bottles and nude models? Don’t take it literally, bub, and don’t play the stereo after 11.