Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It runs through the Hollywood, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Thai Town, and Los Feliz districts. Its western terminus is at Sunset Plaza Drive in the Hollywood Hills and its eastern terminus is at Sunset Boulevard in Los Feliz. Hollywood Boulevard is famous for running through the tourist areas in central Hollywood, including attractions such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Ovation Hollywood shopping and entertainment complex.
Route description Hollywood Boulevard's western terminus is at Sunset Plaza Drive in the Hollywood Hills. It then runs as a winding residential street down to Laurel Canyon Boulevard. The boulevard then proceeds due east as a major thoroughfare through Hollywood and its popular tourist areas. Part of this segment has been listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as part of Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District. The fifteen blocks between La Brea Avenue east to Gower Street is part of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Ovation Hollywood shopping and entertainment complex, the home of the Dolby Theatre, is located at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. And the intersection with Vine Street was once a symbol of Hollywood itself.
East of Gower Street, Hollywood Boulevard crosses the Hollywood Freeway (US 101) before running through East Hollywood. The portion of the boulevard between the Hollywood Freeway and Vermont Avenue forms the northern boundary of Little Armenia, while the portion between Western Avenue and Sunset Boulevard forms part of the southern boundary of Los Feliz. Thai Town is centered along the six blocks of Hollywood Boulevard between Western and Normandie Avenues. After crossing Vermont Avenue, Hollywood Boulevard heads southeast to its eastern terminus at Sunset Boulevard.
Three B (Red) Line Metro Rail stations are located on Hollywood Boulevard: Hollywood/Highland station, Hollywood/Vine station, and Hollywood/Western station.
History
1890s to 1910 Part of today's Hollywood Boulevard was called Prospect Avenue, a dusty road that ran through Hollywood towards the neighboring city of Los Angeles. In December 1899, a new railroad construction began to connect Hollywood with Los Angeles in a project that was led by Peter Beveridge, H.J. Whitley, and Griffith J. Griffith.
In May 1900, the railroad connecting Hollywood and Los Angeles was completed, and another one was under construction. In 1901, the Town of Hollywood opened the new macadamized road surface with electric railway that ran down its center between Laurel Canyon and Western. Eventually, the road was widened from 20 feet wide to almost 100 feet wide in some areas.Masters, Nathan, How Prospect Avenue Became Hollywood Boulevard (By Nathan Masters, Los Angeles Magazine)
On November 09, 1903, Hollywood became an incorporated municipality, and Prospect Avenue became sometimes known as the Boulevard of Hollywood, albeit unofficially.
On February 07, 1910, the town of Hollywood was consolidated into the City of Los Angeles, and the majority of Prospect Avenue was officially renamed to Hollywood Boulevard starting at the intersection of North Vermont Avenue.
1920s In the early 1920s, real estate developer Charles E. Toberman (the "Father of Hollywood") envisioned a thriving Hollywood theater district. Toberman was involved in 36 real estate development projects while building the Max Factor Salon, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and the Hollywood Masonic Temple. He partnered with Sid Grauman, and they opened the three themed theaters: Egyptian, El Capitan ("The Captain") (1926), and Chinese.
Regional shopping district Starting around 1920, the boulevard and adjacent streets became a major regional shopping district, both for everyday needs and appliances, but increasingly also for high-end clothing and accessories, in part because of the nearby film studios. Chains that opened includes Schwab's in 1921, Mullen & Bluett in 1922, I. Magnin in 1923, Myer Siegel in 1925, F. W. Grand and Newberry's (dime stores) in 1926–8, and Roos Brothers in 1929. The independent Robertson's department store, at and 4 stories tall, opened in 1923. In 1922, stock was sold to finance construction of a much larger department store at Hollywood and Vine, originally to have been a Boadway Bros. When Boadway's went out of business the next year, B. H. Dyas, a Downtown Los Angeles–based department store, opened in the building in March 1928, then sold their lease to The Broadway in 1931 – the building still a landmark today, known as the Broadway Hollywood Building. By 1930 the shopping district consisted of over 300 stores. The area would later face competition from areas along Wilshire Boulevard: the easternmost around Bullocks Wilshire which opened in 1929, second the Miracle Mile, and finally, the shopping district of Beverly Hills, where Saks Fifth Avenue opened a store in 1938.
Map of businesses in the shopping district at its peak c.1925–8
The following diagram, based on an artistic map by the Hollywood Boulevard Association, and on newspaper advertisements shows the major businesses along Hollywood Boulevard, from the intersection with Vine Street to the intersection with La Brea Avenue, in 1927 or 1928. There are a few relevant notes about major buildings added after 1928. Numbers from 6100–7200 are addresses on Hollywood Boulevard. Dates indicate years of opening, except dates with an asterisk indicate that the establishment was in operation that year according to the source document consulted.
Pantages Theatre 6233 Bank of Hollywood Bldg. (1929) 6253,now Equitable Bldg. of Hollywood HOLLYWOODBOULEVARD 6280 Taft Bldg. (1923, studio offices, Academy HQ in 1935) VINE VINE Van de Kamp's 6309 6315Henry's cafe 6321Guaranty Bldg. 6333 6300 B. H. Dyas dept. store (1928–31),later (1931–82) The Broadway6316 Mullen & Bluett dept. store (1922) 6320 Roos Bros. clothing (1929)As of 1934 in this photo: later Newberry's 2nd loc.6324 Oscar Balzer gifts (1928*), later Albert Sheetz candy6326 Walton & Co. jewelers6330 Oscar Balzer's annex6332 Columbia department store6334 Weatherby-Kayser shoes6340 I. Magnin dept. store (1923–39)6348 Ernest Swift IVAR COSMO Hollywood Stationers 6365Kelley Music 6367Hollywood News newspaper 6371Security Trust & Savings Bank 6385 6358 Schwab's Pharmacy (1921)6366 Hollywood Citizen newspaper6368-70 Baker-Hertzler6374 United Cigar Hollywood Pen Shop6386 Sun Drug Co. CAHUENGA CAHUENGA Liggett's Drug Store 6401Santa Fe RR ticket office 6405Wm. Stromberg jewelers 6439Joseph Miller Drug Co. 6445Carque 6418 Dr. Reed's Shoes6432 Weinberg's coats/gowns/frocks WILCOX WILCOX Innes Shoe Co. 6501Harry Cooper gowns/frocks 6511Jimmy Clinton men's 6519Fett's Palace of Flowers 6521Beller Bldg. 6513Gumbiner's menswear 6523–5Warner Bros. Theatre 6531 Nancy Hubbard Chocolates6508 Iris Theatre6540 L. A. First Natl. Bank HUDSON HUDSON Liljedahl-Bengtssonbatik dress shop 6515Wurlitzer Music Co. 6517Griffis & Mackey sporting goods 6527Hillview Apts. (1917) 6531–3Madden Millinery Shoppe 6561Roth Furniture 6549Natl. Bank of Hwd 6565Bee Drug 6565 6562 Chrisney Drug Co.6600 Armstrong's restaurant (1928*)6600–4 Newberry's variety storenow Hollywood Toys & Costumes6606 Moss Glove and Hosiery6608 Kress variety store (1934)later Frederick's of Hollywood lingerie (1947-?)6614 Platt Music Co.6624 Piggly Wiggly (1925*)6624 Hollywood Hardware (1928*)6630 Simon's Dairy LunchAll display advertisements in Hollywood Citizen, 17 December 19276634 Matthess menswear Van de Kamp's6636 Cherokee Bldg.6646 Clubb's cigar shop Buddy Squirrel's Nut Shop (1928) WHITLEY Baine Bldg. 6601–9Merchants Nat'l Trust & Savings 6601Watson & Son tailors 6605Evansmith photo studios 6605Hamilton's shoes 6607Peggy Rose Shoppe hosiery 6611Holly-Angeles Music, Hwd Toy Shop (1919–27*) 6613Frederick Winn millinery, dresses (1928–?) 6613Hollywood China Shop Player's Café 6615Hollywood Fur 6617 CHEROKEE CHEROKEE continued in next column
CHEROKEE HOLLYWOODBOULEVARD CHEROKEE Mutual B & L 6651Norman's Art Shop 6653The Arlynn Shop millinery 6663Woman's Exchange 6665Musso & Frank 6669Central Hardware Co. 6673Hwd Typewriter Shop 6681Hwd Boot Shop 6683Myer Siegel dept. store (1925) 6687 6650 Western Auto Parts (1925*)6650 H. G. Haroutunian oriental rugs (1928*)6650 Hirshfield's dresses (1931*)6652 Wood's women's apparel6654 Hertz Driv-ur-self Station (rent-a-car)6656 Hwd Electric Shop (1925*)6656 Fry's shoes (1929*)6658 Karl Shoe Store (1928) Jerome dresses6660 Brooks Clothing (1928)6664 C. H. Baker shoes6666 Clark's Dollar Store Haroutunian rugs/art6672 Young's Speedy Shoes6674 Peggy Rose Shop6676 Busy Corner Drug Co. LAS PALMAS LAS PALMAS Citrin's dress shop 6701Gerly perfumes 6703Metykos furriers 6707Outpost Bldg. 6715Florence Hartock children's 6723Gould's boy/young men's 6747 6700 Central Grocery Co. (1923)︎6700 Maison Marcell coats/frocks (1925*)6700–2 Paulais restaurant 1925–7*6702 Leighton's cafeteria (1928*)6704 Fitzpatric's shoes6712 Egyptian Theatre6714 Pig 'n Whistle cafe6720 Citizens National Trust and Savings6724 Hotel Christie6730 Burnett Bros. watches/jewelry6732 Union Pacific ticket office6738 United Cigar MCCADDEN MCCADDEN Robertson Co. dept. st. (1923–42),then J. C. Penney 6751-3Café Montmartre nightclub (1923) 6757–63C. E. Toberman real estate 67636764 Hollywood Theatre (1913–82) now site of Guiness Museum6770 Gittleson's theater ticket agency HIGHLAND HIGHLAND Hollywood Hotel 6837 6802 Ever-Ready Drug6818 I. Miller shoes6834 Barker Bros. furnitureGarwood and Johnson6838 El Capitan Theatre6812 Hollywood Book Store6908 Bess Schlank6912 Hartsook photo studios6916 The French Bootire6918 Bessie Bassett Gowns6922 Shayne's Gowns and Wraps6926 Chryson's stationers6932 Young's Market (1928*)6934 Safeway market (1928*) ORCHIDLickter's of Hwd cigarette fashion 6915Grauman's Chinese Theatrenow TCL Chinese 6925 ORANGE ORANGE 7000–6 Hwd Roosevelt Hotel7044 Professional Bldg., Grace Nolan7048 Liggett's Drug Store SYCAMORE SYCAMORE C. R. Welden real estate 7077 EL CERRITO LA BREA LA BREA
1940s to 1960s In 1946, Gene Autry, while riding his horse in the Hollywood Christmas Parade — which passes down Hollywood Boulevard each year on the Sunday after Thanksgiving — heard young parade watchers yelling, "Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus!" and was inspired to write "Here Comes Santa Claus" with Oakley Haldeman."Home – The Hollywood Christmas Parade." The Hollywood Christmas Parade. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2014.
In 1958, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which runs from La Brea Avenue east to Gower Street (and an additional three blocks on Vine Street), was created as a tribute to artists working in the entertainment industry.
Decline In the 1970s, the street became very seedy and was frequented by many odd characters as shown in pictures by photographer Ave Pildas.
Revitalization In 1984, a portion of Hollywood Boulevard was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District.
In 1992, the street was paved with glittery asphalt between Vine Street and La Brea Boulevard.
The El Capitan Theatre was refurbished in 1991 then damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The full El Capitan building was fully restored and upgraded in . The Hollywood Entertainment District, a self-taxing business improvement district, was formed for the properties from La Brea to McCadden on the boulevard.