Electronic City
A record announcing the opening of Electronic City on Burbank Boulevard (1957)
DONALD O'CONNOR presents you an exciting message on this
ELECTRONIC CITY BURBANK CA OPENING
7" Advertising PICTURE RECORD
Grand Opening of Donald O'Coonor's Electronic City
TV and HIFI Headquarters
Opening September 13th/ Hours 9 am to 9 pm daily - Sunday Noon to 5 pm
DONALD O'CONNOR's Electronic City 4001 Burbank Blvd TH 205275 (at corner of Burbank and Maple)
SAVE $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ by Building or Fixing it yourself.
Free Tube Testers
THE LARGEST ELECTRONIC DISCOUNT HOUSE IN THE VALLEY - AIR CONDITIONED - PLENTY OF PARKING
From North Hollywood Patch (patch.com)
Burbank's Electronic City Closing After 5 Decades
By Arin Mikailian (Patch Staff) - December 18, 2013
When Electronic City in Burbank first opened in 1957, hi-fi stereo didn’t exist yet and EICO do-it-yourself kits were all the rage.
There have been countless technological advances since then to be stocked on the store's shelves, but one constant at the business all this time was Howard Pollyea.
“I was 21 years old when I built this building with my dad, we were partners,” he said.
Now in his mid-70s, Pollyea decided it’s time to close up shop and move on. Electronic City, located at 4001 W. Burbank Blvd. Just outside of North Hollywood, is having its last day in business on Dec. 30.
Over the years the store evolved to meet various needs, including electronic parts, especially those for the movie industry, and surveillance equipment.
And one of the best parts of his job has always been showing patrons how to use those devices.
“The people in Burbank are just wonderful,” he said. “They come in daily in shock saying, ‘you can’t leave us, you can’t go, where are we going to go to for parts? We don’t want to go to the Internet, we don’t want to wait for days and find out what we ordered is not what we wanted.’”
Pollyea said his favorite device he ever came across was the first integrated circuit, one of the earliest computer parts, and that one of his fondest memories was right after the Northridge Earthquake in 1994.
He had just pulled up to Electronic City with his family in the car and saw that several people had broken the store’s windows and were stealing parts.
Pollyea parked his car behind the thieves’ vehicles in an attempt to block them. That’s when they approached him.
“They said to me, ‘hey, don’t be such a pig, we’ll let you take some, too,’” he said.
Maybe the memory wouldn’t be as fond if Pollyea wasn’t able to get his merchandise back.
As for life post-Electronic City, retirement is not in the cards. Instead, he plans on opening a much smaller store in Burbank devoted solely to video surveillance equipment.
His old business is going to be repurposed as an office complex. Until then, everything at the store is 40-70 percent off.
Pollyea said his new effort could be up and running in six months.
“I love people too much... I don’t have a plan to retire,” he said. “As long as you have your health, there really is no reason to retire.”
From the website electroniccity.com:
The Metamorphosis of Howard Pollyea’s Electronic City
By Viollette Doloricon
Howard Pollyea is a man that thrives on activity. After 58 years of NEVER sitting at his desk while manning the helm of Burbank’s infamous Electronic City, he “retired” for two weeks, and during that time, decided to bring his storefront directly to the customers. Today, Electronic City is a surveillance specialty firm for residential and commercial properties.
“I loved working directly with my customers and employees in the store. Technological advancements have made it possible for me to continue the surveillance aspect of my business. Now I can concentrate on customizing each location based on individual needs.”
Howard utilizes the most cutting-edge, high-definition video surveillance equivalent with the resolution of today’s flat screen televisions. “These systems are so unbelievably clear on the screen that you can capture and zoom images with three times magnification easily to make for undeniable identification. This is remarkable for substantiating these cases to police authorities as well as insurance carriers.”
Even with how advanced these technologies have become, they have become equally as user-friendly to operate, even for the most technologically intimidated. “Most, if not all, of these systems can be controlled/monitored via your iPhone/iPad. My favorite system is where the camera can capture an intruder and the system simultaneously emails you about the incident. It is definitely a game changer in the world of home and office protection.”
Of course Howard maintains that systems like these don’t necessarily prevent home/commercial invasions, but they can definitely deter an intruder to move onwards.
“My goal is to continue the work ethics from the store: to listen and be involved in a very one-to-one ratio with my clients and to provide them peace of mind.” Towards that goal, Howard will bring the equipment to your house and demo it at your home or business so you can see it under your own specific circumstances.
For a thorough consultation and appraisal of your home or building, give Howard a call at (818) 632-4494, or email him at howp@charter.net and get started towards the peace of mind that you deserve.