Broadway (Los Angeles) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
Broadway
Construction
A view of Broadway looking north from 11th Street in 2020.
Maintained by	Local jurisdictions
Length	17.75 mi (28.57 km)
Location	Los Angeles County, California, United States
South end	Main Street in Carson
Major junctions	SR 91 in Carson I-10 in Downtown US 101 in Downtown I-5 in Lincoln Heights
Northeast end	Mission Road in Lincoln Heights
Inauguration	1890


Broadway Theater and Commercial District (NRHP) Broadway Theater and Entertainment District (City of Los Angeles)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district

The famous Los Angeles Theatre on Broadway.
Location in Los Angeles
Location	300—849 S. Broadway Los Angeles, California
Architect	Multiple
Architectural style	Early Commercial, Classical Revival, Art Deco
NRHP reference No.	79000484
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	May 9, 1979
Boundary increase	April 12, 2002

Broadway is a major street that runs through Los Angeles County, California. A special part of this street, from 3rd to 9th Street, was once the main shopping and entertainment area of Los Angeles, especially in the early 1900s.

This area is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Broadway Theater and Commercial District. It was the first and largest theater district in the country to be added to this list. This means it is protected as a special part of American history.

Route of Broadway
History of Broadway
Famous Landmarks on Broadway
- Historic Theaters
- Other Famous Buildings
Public Transportation
See also
Images for kids

Route of Broadway

Broadway is a long street, stretching for almost 18 miles. It starts in the city of Carson and runs north through different neighborhoods like South Los Angeles.

It then enters the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, where you can find the famous historic theater district. After passing through the Civic Center and Chinatown, the street ends in a neighborhood called Lincoln Heights.

History of Broadway

How It All Started

Broadway is one of the oldest streets in Los Angeles. It was first planned in 1849 and was called Ford Street. In 1890, a part of the street was renamed Broadway, and it quickly became an important location.

To make the street longer, the city built the Broadway Tunnel in 1901. This tunnel went through a large hill and connected Broadway to other streets, helping the city grow. Over the years, bridges were built and other streets were renamed to become part of the long Broadway we know today.

A Center for Shopping and Fun

From the early 1900s until the 1950s, Broadway was the place to be in Los Angeles. It was the city's main center for shopping and entertainment. The street was lined with huge department stores and beautiful theaters.

Four of the biggest department stores on Broadway were so large that their combined space was massive. These stores were:

The Broadway
Bullock's
May Co.
J. W. Robinson's

These stores sold everything you could imagine and attracted shoppers from all over Southern California.

Changes Over Time

By the 1950s, things started to change. The main shopping area moved to other parts of the city, and Hollywood became the new center for theaters. Many of the grand department stores on Broadway closed down in the 1970s and 1980s.

The area then became a popular shopping district for the city's Latino community. In recent years, many new shops have opened, especially stores selling sneakers and modern clothing. This has brought new energy to the street.

Bringing Broadway Back

In 2008, the city of Los Angeles started a project called "Bringing Back Broadway." The goal was to make the historic street lively and beautiful again. The project included making sidewalks wider for people to walk, adding plants and benches, and restoring some of the old buildings.

This effort helped to preserve the street's amazing history while making it a better place for people to visit and enjoy today.

Famous Landmarks on Broadway

Broadway is famous for its incredible buildings, especially its historic theaters. Many of these were "movie palaces," which were large, fancy theaters built in the 1920s and 1930s.

Historic Theaters

The Los Angeles Theatre is known for its beautiful and fancy design.
The Palace Theatre was built in 1911 and hosted live shows and movies.
The Orpheum Theatre is still a popular place for concerts and events.
The Tower Theatre was the first theater in Los Angeles designed for movies with sound. It is now an Apple Store.
The State Theatre opened in 1921 and could seat almost 2,500 people.
Ace Hotel Los Angeles

The United Artists Theatre is now part of the Ace Hotel.

Other Famous Buildings

The Eastern Columbia Building is famous for its beautiful blue-green color and clock tower.
The May Company Building was once a huge department store.
The Homer Laughlin Building has been home to the Grand Central Market since 1917, a popular food hall.
Clifton's Cafeteria is a famous restaurant with a unique forest-themed interior.
The Herald Examiner Building was designed by famous architect Julia Morgan.
Broadway-Spring Arcade-3.jpg

The Broadway-Spring Arcade is a beautiful indoor shopping alley with a glass roof.

Public Transportation

It's easy to get to Broadway using public transportation. The Los Angeles Metro Rail has a station called Historic Broadway station, which is served by the A and E Lines. These trains can take you to places like Santa Monica, Long Beach, and Pasadena.

Several bus lines also run along or near Broadway, including the Metro J Line and Metro Local route 45. This makes it simple for people to visit the historic street without a car.

Images for kids

The southern entrance to the Broadway Tunnel in 1901. The tunnel was removed in 1941.
The East Gate to Chinatown on North Broadway.
The Ville de Paris department store in the Homer Laughlin Building, around 1905.
The west side of the 300 block of South Broadway in 1905.
The Karl's Building in 1909, which was once the J. M. Hale department store.
The Judson-Rives Building, which is now used for apartments.
The Bumiller Building is now home to the Broadway Lofts.
The corner of 5th and Broadway in the early 1920s.
The Chester Williams Building, built in 1926.
Broadway looking south from 5th Street in the 1950s, with many bright neon signs.
A postcard from 1927 showing the west side of Broadway.
Looking north on Broadway from 6th Street, around 1906.
The Schulte United Building, built in 1928.
The F. and W. Grand Silver Store Building, which later became a Hartfield's clothing store.
The Jewelry Trades Building, also known as the Title Guarantee Block.
The Pettebone Building, built in 1905.
The Roxie Theatre, a movie palace that could seat 1,600 people.
The Cameo Theater was one of the earliest movie theaters on Broadway.
The Arcade Theater, which was designed to look like an English music hall.
The Silverwood's Building, which was a men's clothing store.
A postcard of Broadway from the 1930s or 1940s.
The 600 block of Broadway at night, between 1907 and 1909.
A postcard from the 1920s showing the Central Department Store.
A 1910 postcard of the Yamato Inc. store in the Hoffman Building.
The east side of the 600 block of Broadway in 1923.
The same block in 2012, showing how the buildings have been preserved.
The Walter P. Story Building, located at the corner of 6th and Broadway.
The Desmond's Building was a large clothing store for many years.
Looking north on Broadway from 7th Street in 1917.
Looking south on Broadway from 7th Street in 1917.
A 1909 postcard of the Hotel Lankershim.
The Chapman Building in the 1910s.
The Globe Theatre, a movie palace inside the Garland Building.
The Rialto Theatre, which is now used for retail stores.
The Platt Building, built in 1927.
The Ninth and Broadway Building, at the corner of 9th Street.
The Blackstone's Department Store Building.

All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:

Broadway (Los Angeles) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.