Hollywood Boulevard

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article does not cite any references or sources. (May 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
For uses other than the original street, see Hollywood Boulevard (disambiguation).
Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District
(U.S. Registered Historic District)
Hollywood Boulevard as taken from the Kodak Theatre
Hollywood Boulevard as taken from the Kodak Theatre
Location: 6200-7000 Hollywood Blvd., N. Vine St., N. Highland Ave. and N. Ivar St
Los Angeles, CA
Coordinates: 34°6′5″N 118°19′36″W / 34.10139, -118.32667Coordinates: 34°6′5″N 118°19′36″W / 34.10139, -118.32667
Built/Founded: 1939
Added to NRHP: April 4, 1985
NRHP Reference#: 85000704
Hollywood Blvd in Hollywood & Highland
Hollywood Blvd in Hollywood & Highland

Hollywood Boulevard is a boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States, beginning at Sunset Boulevard in the east and running northwest to Vermont Avenue, where it straightens out and runs due west to Laurel Canyon Boulevard. West of Laurel Canyon it continues as a small residential street in the hills, finally ending at Sunset Plaza Drive. On the East side of Hollywood Boulevard it passes through the neighborhoods of Little Armenia and Thai Town.

The famous street was named Prospect Avenue from 1887 to 1910, when the town of Hollywood was annexed to the City of Los Angeles. After annexation, the street numbers changed from 100 Prospect Avenue, at Vermont Avenue, to 6400 Hollywood Boulevard.

In 1958, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which runs from Gower Street to La Brea Avenue, was created. The first star was placed in 1960 as a tribute to artists working in the entertainment industry. (The walk was later extended onto Vine Street.)

The Hollywood extension of the Metro Red Line subway was opened in June 1999 . Running from Downtown to the Valley, it has stops on Hollywood Boulevard at Western Avenue, at Vine Street and at Highland Avenue.Metro Local 217 and Metro Rapid 780 serve most of Hollywood Boulevard.

Contents

[edit] Revitalization

Black Dahlia shooting on Hollywood Boulevard, June 2005.
Black Dahlia shooting on Hollywood Boulevard, June 2005.

In recent years efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001. With many housing and lofts conversions and a future entertainment complex on the corner of Hollywood and Vine owned by W Hotels. Also various nightclubs have opened up with many celebrities and Hollywood Starletts coming in to party such as Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Jamie Foxx including a new Tex-Mex restaurant on the corner of Hollywood and Ivar by Eva Longoria called De-Nada. The street remains one of the major tourist draws in Los Angeles.

In February 2006, it was announced that the clothier H&M is opening a location just across the street from Hollywood and Highland, and in May 2007, it was announced that the Spanish retail chain Zara will be opening nearby the new Madame Tussauds scheduled to open in 2009. [1]

[edit] Landmarks include

Grauman's Chinese Theater
Grauman's Chinese Theater
The intersection of Hollywood and Highland, 1907
The intersection of Hollywood and Highland, 1907

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • Beginning in 2010, a new Cirque du Soleil show, will debut at the Kodak Theater with a Movie themed show for the millions of tourist who flock to the Hollywood area. The Show will run for 10 years and will take a six week break during L.A.'s Oscar season.[2]
  • The Famous Hollywood Christmas Parade, passes down Hollywood Boulevard every Sunday after Thanksgiving.
  • In 1946 Gene Autry rode his horse in the Hollywood Christmas parade and was inspired by the children yelling "Here comes Santa Claus, Here comes Santa Claus," to write the song "Here Comes Santa Claus" along with Oaklely Haldeman. Then, the boulevard was nicknamed "Santa Clause Lane".
  • The Kinks' song "Celluloid Heroes" is about Hollywood Boulevard and the personalities engraved therein. A number of landmarks are referred to.
  • It is illegal to drive more than two thousand sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at one time.[2]
  • An anti-cruising ordinance prohibits driving on part of the boulevard more than twice in four hours.
  • The 1984 film Angel is about a child prostitute who works on Hollywood Boulevard at night, while attending high school by day.
  • In the film, "Pretty Woman", Richard Gere "picked up" Julia Roberts on Hollywood Boulevard.
  • The Alcatrazz song Lost in Hollywood references Hollywood Boulevard and the unscrupulous nature of Hollywood itself.
  • Hollywood boulevard is mentioned in the song Rockstar by Nickelback.
  • Ryan Adams has a song titled Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd on the album Gold.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hollywood & Highland Center - Press Releases
  2. ^ California Fun Facts. Retrieved on 2007-01-05.