This is 99% invisible.

I'm Roman Mars.

Even if you've never been to L.A.'s Chinatown, you've probably seen it.

Although it doesn't get as much attention as New York or San Francisco's Chinatown it is a

regular shooting location for TV and film so you may recognize it from movies like

Rush Hour or Freaky Friday or you know Chinatown.

The most recognizable feature of L.A.'s Chinatown is its Central Plaza.

It's an outdoor pedestrian mall that's almost overwhelmingly colourful. Producer Vivian Lay and with fluorescent neon neon lacing. For decades Chinatown Central Plaza was a thriving tourist area,

but by the late 1970s it had fallen on hard times. The neighborhood's

neon lights still glowed over the shops and restaurants, but there was no one there to take it all in.

Things had taken a significant nose dive.

It really wasn't anyone on the street or going anywhere and you know

downtown was dead. It was this deserted Chinatown in 1978 that captured the

interest of Paul Greenstein. Back then Paul was a 20-something. He liked music

and hoped to run his own club as a promoter. Instead he did a lot of odd jobs around

the city for money. You know, restoring jukeboxes, fixing toys, designing ads for a local cafe.

Paul would sometimes spend nights wandering around Los Angeles with a friend and

one night he found himself in Central Plaza.

The streets of Chinatown were quiet as always,

but a sound caught his attention.

We can hear this really wild party going on.

So we kind of gravitated to where all the noise is coming from, and there's this place called Madam Wong's.

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