I have lived here in the Valley forever, and I've been here at least a hundred times to see various punk rock shows over the years. Hollywood Alley is definitely a classic venue.
I went here last night to see a friend's band play. It had been probably a decade since my last visit. Walking in was a very familiar feeling - passing by the cloud of cigarette smoke in front of the door (yack) and past the door security. I recognized the high-back booths and the layout hasn't changed much at all.
Something was different though. It's clean now. It's actually decorated thoughtfully rather than just decorated with random band stickers. It's certainly not as legit as it once was, but it's nice now. It seems like it's more for grown-ups. Most dive bars seem to end up getting shittier and grosser over time, but this place is miles away from the dumpiness of the days of yore.
I probably wouldn't make a point to go here unless there was a band I wanted to see. That's mostly because of the location. As a bar, I think it's nice. Strong drinks, cool layout, comfy booths. I can't picture this place booking a solid band I would want to see, so it's gonna be a rare occasion that I'll come back. I do like it though and I'm glad to see it still around. Brought back some memories.