Echo Park's Gold Room gets polished up

The Gold Room was one of a string of Sunset Boulevard dive bars – such as El Prado, Little Joy Jr., New Hollway and The Short Stop – that attracted the loyalty – and ire – of Echo Park residents. Those bars have either closed or been transformed into havens for hipsters. Locals have debated whether The Gold Room, which was popular with Latino immigrants and working class drinkers, lost its dive bar status long ago. The bar’s owners insist it’s still a dive bar despite a recent renovation that left it with more of a lounge-like look, complete with a glowing wall of gold, a new banquette and furniture, sound system and digital jukebox. But what about the free peanuts, tacos and the $4 beer with a shot? Read more in Eastsider on the Go