Conan Used to Live Here
And by “here,” I mean Cochran Avenue in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles.
If you’re standing next to the plaque right now, you’ve unlocked the bonus content. If you’re reading this from somewhere else, welcome to the very unnecessary internet rabbit hole.
The Origin Story
Why is there a Conan O’Brien plaque zip-tied to a stop sign?
Good question. Here’s the honest answer.
Conan O’Brien once mentioned on an episode of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend that he lived on Cochran Avenue when he first moved to Los Angeles. At the time, I also lived on Cochran. This made me, a Conan O’Brien fan (not a superfan. Just a totally normal Conan fan), extremely excited.
Naturally, I wanted to tell my neighbors this very important information. Then I remembered that would require talking to strangers.
So instead, I did the much easier thing and created a monument.
But the only tools available to me were a Canva Premium account I kept forgetting to cancel, the print shop at the Staples on Wilshire Boulevard between Ralphs and the SAG-AFTRA building, several zip ties, and an abundance of free time after being laid off from my job.
And thus, an icon was born.
The Part Where I Prove I’m Not Making This Up
In the January 20, 2025 episode of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Conan mentions living on Cochran Avenue when he first moved to Los Angeles.
In November 2015, The Hollywood Reporter published a feature titled “Before They Were Famous: Where Stars First Lived in LA,” including Conan’s early days at Cochran and Third in the mid-1980s.
“I furnished it with stuff I found in the neighborhood, which actually looked fine. I lived off ramen noodles and tuna. Mixed the tuna with Miracle Whip.”
What’s on the plaque?
Full text of the plaque:
Conan Christopher O’Brien is an Emmy-winning writer, comedian, and host who redefined late-night television. From Saturday Night Live to The Simpsons to his own groundbreaking shows, he has brought laughter to millions. In 2025, he added another milestone—hosting the Academy Awards. In the 1980s, Conan lived right here on Cochran Avenue, furnishing his apartment with street finds and surviving on ramen noodles and tuna mixed with Miracle Whip. It was a time of struggle, ingenuity, and questionable mayonnaise-based decisions. From these humble beginnings, this street witnessed the rise of a comedy icon. May this monument (a poster affixed with zipties) inspire Cochran Avenue residents to chase their dreams, embrace their originality, and, one day, upgrade to a home with more than one bathroom.
Dedicated on Feb. 27, 2025, by the Cochran Committee of Conan Connoisseurs—actually just one guy who lives on Cochran Avenue, occasionally listens to Conan’s podcast, had some free time, and no real authority to put up a monument but did it anyway.
Things people keep asking
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On the corner of South Cochran Avenue and Fourth Street in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. I just learned how to do coordinates, so if you need a more precise location, here you go: (34.0669447, -118.3470762)
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No. It is a poster attached with zip ties. I have no authority to put up a plaque, but I did it anyways.
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Because sometimes it rains in Los Angeles and it’s a just poster not an actual plaque. It will likely get ruined in the rain. So we take it down and put it back up.
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No. Conan has not said which building on Cochran Avenue, just that it was on the 300 block. That’s all I got.
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Absolutely not. Like all great art, it is temporary. And like all questionable art, it may disappear at any moment.
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The Cochran Committee of Conan Connoisseurs—actually just one guy. And that one guy is me, Tim. You can read more about me below.
About the guy who made this
Hi, I’m Tim. That’s me, standing proudly in front of my creation. Thanks for scrolling all the way to the bottom of this very unnecessary website about a very silly thing I spent way too much time making.
If you’re here because you found the plaque on the street, thank you for indulging me. If you’re here because Conan talked about it, thank you for indulging him indulging me.
Since you’re already here, I might as well tell you a little about myself. Not too much though. That’s how passwords get stolen.
I live in Los Angeles by way of Bridgeport, Connecticut. I lived on Cochran Avenue from 2022 to 2025 before making my way to South LA. I am now technically in a long-distance relationship with the plaque. Thankfully, between a very lively neighborhood WhatsApp chat and an awesome neighbor who has taken it upon herself to be the Keeper of Conan, the plaque lives on.
When I’m not making fake plaques or websites about fake plaques, you can usually find me writing on my Substack, Some Stuff Happened, about unemployment, life in LA, and whatever else seems like a good idea at the time.
If you take a photo of the plaque, I’d love to see it. You can tag me on Instagram @timhammill or TikTok @timisinlosangeles. And if you’d really like to commit to this journey, I’m also on LinkedIn, but don’t worry, I’ve never written a post that starts with “What living on the same street as Conan O’Brien taught me about B2B marketing.”