Beverly Center facts for kids
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| Location | 8500 Beverly Blvd Los Angeles, California, U.S. 90048 |
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| Coordinates | 34°04′30″N 118°22′37″W / 34.075°N 118.377°W |
| Opening date | February 4, 1982 |
| Developer | A. Alfred Taubman, Sheldon Gordon & E. Phillip Lyon |
| Management | Taubman Centers |
| Owner | Taubman Centers |
| Architect | Lou Nardorf of Welton Becket and Associates (original), Massimiliano Fuksas and Doriana O. Mandrelli (2018 renovation) |
| No. of stores and services | 100+ |
| No. of anchor tenants | 2 |
| Total retail floor area | 883,000 sq ft (82,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 8 |
| Website | https://beverlycenter.com/ |
The Beverly Center is a huge shopping mall in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is an eight-story building located near the West Hollywood area. The mall sits between Beverly Boulevard, La Cienega Boulevard, 3rd Street, and San Vicente Boulevard. Its main stores are Bloomingdale's and Macy's. The mall has amazing escalators that offer visitors great views of the Hollywood Hills, Downtown Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Westside.
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The Beverly Center's Story
From Amusement Park to Shopping Fun
Before the Beverly Center was built, this spot was home to Beverly Park. This was a small amusement park with a Ferris wheel, a merry-go-round, and even a mini roller-coaster. There was also a pony ride called "Ponyland." Imagine riding ponies where you now shop!
Opening Day and Early Years
The Beverly Center first opened its doors on February 4, 1982. It cost about $100 million to build. Developers A. Alfred Taubman, Sheldon Gordon, and E. Phillip Lyon created it. When it first opened, the mall had two big department stores: Bullock's and The Broadway. Because the land area was small, the entire mall was built on top of its own multi-story parking garage.
The mall is also in a special location. Its northeast corner is the exact center of the city's studio zone. This zone is important for the movie and TV industry in Los Angeles.
Built Over an Oil Field
The Beverly Center has an interesting shape. This is partly because of the way the streets meet around it. It's also because the mall is built over the Salt Lake Oil Field. As of 2020, there were still many oil wells on the western part of the mall property. These wells were operated by Freeport-McMoRan.
Movie Theaters and Famous Restaurants
On July 16, 1982, the Cineplex Beverly Center 14 opened. It had 14 screens, making it the largest movie theater in the US at that time. Its opening was a big deal and was even reported in The New York Times. Later, some screens were changed to make room for bigger movie rooms on the roof.
A very famous restaurant, the Hard Rock Cafe, opened its second location in the world here. It started on October 24, 1982, on the ground floor of the mall. It was a popular spot for many years before it closed on December 31, 2006.
Changes in Stores and Ownership
In 1989, a fancy British furniture store called Habitat opened. It closed in 1993. Later, the Bullock's store became Macy's in 1996. The Broadway store also closed in 1996. After some updates, it reopened in 1997 as Bloomingdale's.
In 2004, Taubman Centers, which is a company that owns many shopping centers, bought out its partners. This made them the full owner of the Beverly Center.
Movie Theater Closures and Reopenings
The movie theater at the mall closed in January 2006. It reopened in February 2006, run by Mann Theatres. It closed again in August 2009, then reopened in September 2009, operated by Rave Motion Pictures. The theater finally closed for good on June 3, 2010.
Modern Updates and Renovations
The Beverly Center has had several big updates over the years. From 2006 to 2008, it went through a renovation that rebuilt the escalators you can see from outside.
There used to be a food court at the mall, but it closed in 2014. A clothing store called Uniqlo opened one of its first Southern California stores in that space.
Starting in March 2016, the mall began a huge renovation project that cost $500 million. This project added a new food hall and several new restaurants at street level. They also added a skylight to let in more natural light. The outside of the building got a new metal design. The parking garage was also improved with technology to help drivers remember where they parked.
Around 2021, the Macy's Men's Store closed. That space was then turned into a Gold's Gym and a Lucky Strike Lanes bowling alley.
More to Explore
- Studio zone—The Beverly Center is right at the center of this important area for the entertainment industry.
- Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, a restaurant located inside the Beverly Center.
- List of largest shopping malls in the United States
