Hollywood Boulevard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood Boulevard sign
Former name(s)	Prospect Avenue (1887–1910)
Maintained by	Bureau of Street Services, City of L.A. DPW
Nearest metro station	:      Hollywood/Highland      Hollywood/Vine      Hollywood/Western
West end	Sunset Plaza Drive in Hollywood Hills West
Major junctions	Highland Avenue in Hollywood Vine Avenue in Hollywood US 101 in Hollywood Western Avenue in Hollywood Normandie Avenue in Hollywood Vermont Avenue in Los Feliz
East end	Sunset Boulevard/Hillhurst Avenue/Virgil Avenue in Los Feliz
Other
Known for	Hollywood and Vine Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
The revamped Hollywood Boulevard as seen from the Dolby Theatre, 2005
Built	1939
NRHP reference No.	85000704
Added to NRHP	April 4, 1985

Hollywood Boulevard is a famous street in Los Angeles, California. It stretches from west to east through several neighborhoods. These include Hollywood, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Thai Town, and Los Feliz.

The western end of the boulevard is at Sunset Plaza Drive in the Hollywood Hills. Its eastern end meets Sunset Boulevard in Los Feliz. Hollywood Boulevard is well-known for its lively tourist areas. Here you can find attractions like the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Ovation Hollywood shopping and entertainment center.

Exploring Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood Boulevard starts in the Hollywood Hills at Sunset Plaza Drive. It winds through residential areas until it reaches Laurel Canyon Boulevard. From there, it becomes a main road, heading east through Hollywood's popular tourist spots.

A special part of the boulevard is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This area is called the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District. The Hollywood Walk of Fame covers fifteen blocks of the boulevard. It runs from La Brea Avenue to Gower Street.

The Ovation Hollywood complex is a major landmark. It is home to the Dolby Theatre, where the Academy Awards are held. This complex is located at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. The intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street was once a symbol of Hollywood itself.

East of Gower Street, the boulevard crosses the Hollywood Freeway (US 101). It then goes through East Hollywood. The section between the Hollywood Freeway and Vermont Avenue borders Little Armenia. The part between Western Avenue and Sunset Boulevard is near Los Feliz. Thai Town is found along six blocks of Hollywood Boulevard. It is between Western and Normandie Avenues. After Vermont Avenue, Hollywood Boulevard turns southeast and ends at Sunset Boulevard.

Three B (Red) Line Metro Rail stations are on Hollywood Boulevard. These are the Hollywood/Highland station, Hollywood/Vine station, and Hollywood/Western station.

History of the Boulevard

Early Days: 1890s to 1910

In the late 1800s, Hollywood Boulevard was known as Prospect Avenue. It was a dusty road connecting Hollywood to Los Angeles. In 1899, work began on a new railroad line. This project aimed to link Hollywood and Los Angeles.

By 1900, the railroad was finished. In 1901, Hollywood improved the road with a new surface and an electric railway. The road was made much wider, nearly 100 feet in some places.

In 1903, Hollywood became its own town. Prospect Avenue was sometimes called the Boulevard of Hollywood, but it wasn't official yet. Finally, in 1910, Hollywood joined Los Angeles. At that time, Prospect Avenue was officially renamed Hollywood Boulevard.

The Roaring Twenties

In the early 1920s, a real estate developer named Charles E. Toberman had a big dream. He wanted to create a busy theater district in Hollywood. Toberman helped build many famous places. These included the Max Factor Salon, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, and the Hollywood Masonic Temple.

He worked with Sid Grauman to open three famous movie theaters. These were the Egyptian, El Capitan, and Chinese.

Around 1920, Hollywood Boulevard also became a major shopping area. Many stores opened, selling everything from daily needs to fancy clothes. Big stores like Schwab's, Mullen & Bluett, and I. Magnin moved in. By 1930, there were over 300 stores on the boulevard.

Mid-Century Changes: 1940s to 1960s

In 1946, singer Gene Autry was in the Hollywood Christmas Parade. He heard kids shouting, "Here comes Santa Claus!" This inspired him to write the famous song "Here Comes Santa Claus."

In 1958, the Hollywood Walk of Fame was created. It honors artists in the entertainment industry. The Walk of Fame stretches from La Brea Avenue to Gower Street.

Decline and Rebirth

By the 1970s, parts of Hollywood Boulevard became less appealing. However, efforts began to clean up and improve the area.

In 1984, a section of the boulevard was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This helped protect its historical importance. In 1992, the street was repaved with a special glittery asphalt.

The El Capitan Theatre was renovated in 1991. After being damaged in an earthquake, it was fully restored in 1997. A special business district was formed to help improve the area.

The Metro Red Line subway opened in 1999. It has stops on Hollywood Boulevard at Western Avenue, Vine Street, and Highland Avenue.

In 1995, city council member Jackie Goldberg started efforts to clean up Hollywood Boulevard. A big part of this was building the Hollywood and Highland Center and the Dolby Theatre in 2001.

In 2005, the city made plans to update the boulevard for tourists. They replaced old streetlights, added new palm trees, and installed new stoplights. These changes were finished by late 2005. By 2007, over $2 billion had been spent on new projects in the neighborhood.

In 2021, the Vogue Theatre reopened as the Vogue Multicultural Museum. The Hollywood and Highland Center was also renovated and renamed Ovation Hollywood in 2022. In 2022, colorful lights were added to over 100 trees for special events like the LA Pride parade.

Future Plans for the Walk of Fame

There are plans to make Hollywood Boulevard even more friendly for people walking. Some people want to close parts of the street to cars. This would create a Pedestrian zone for visitors and events.

In 2019, the city started a plan to improve the Hollywood Walk of Fame area. This plan includes adding bike lanes, new plants, and wider sidewalks. It also suggests removing some car lanes and street parking. The goal is to make the boulevard more beautiful and easier to walk on.

The first part of this plan was finished in 2022. It removed parking lanes in some sections. Future plans might include bus-only lanes and more sidewalk space. There are also plans to improve the eastern part of Hollywood Boulevard. This includes adding safety features for pedestrians.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County.

Mile	Roads intersected	Notes
0	0.0	Sunset Plaza Drive	Western terminus
1.8	2.9	Laurel Canyon Boulevard
2.0	3.2	Fairfax Avenue
3.0	4.8	La Brea Avenue	Western end of Hollywood Walk of Fame
3.4	5.5	Highland Avenue	Serves Ovation Hollywood, Hollywood/Highland station
3.8	6.1	Wilcox Avenue
3.9	6.3	Cahuenga Boulevard
4.1	6.6	Vine Street	Hollywood and Vine intersection; serves Hollywood/Vine station
4.3	6.9	Gower Street	Eastern end of Hollywood Walk of Fame
4.6	7.4	US 101 (Hollywood Freeway)
5.0	8.0	Western Avenue	Serves Hollywood/Western station
5.5	8.9	Normandie Avenue
6.1	9.8	Vermont Avenue
6.4	10.3	Sunset Boulevard/Hillhurst Avenue/Virgil Avenue	Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Gallery

Events

One popular event on the boulevard is its transformation for Christmas. Shops and department stores decorate with lights and Christmas trees. The street becomes known as "Santa Claus Lane." The Hollywood Christmas Parade also travels along Hollywood Boulevard each year.

Landmarks

TCL Chinese Theatre

Images for kids

• 

  Artistic map of Hollywood Boulevard's business district in the late 1920s.

See also

In Spanish: Hollywood Boulevard para niños

• List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in Hollywood