Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
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
Built	1939
NRHP reference No.	85000704
Added to NRHP	April 04, 1985

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, Los Angeles 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.

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 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.

Another Hollywood Boulevard exists in both Hollywood, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Trivia

• 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.[1]

• The Famous Hollywood Christmas Parade, until 2006, passed 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.^[1]
• An anti-cruising ordinance prohibits driving on part of the boulevard more than twice in four hours.
• In the film, "Pretty Woman", Richard Gere "picked up" Julia Roberts on Hollywood Boulevard.
• The System of a Down song Lost in Hollywood references Hollywood Boulevard and the unscrupulous nature of Hollywood itself.

Landmarks include

• Bob Hope Square (Hollywood and Vine)
• Grauman's Chinese Theatre
• Grauman's Egyptian Theatre
• El Capitan Theatre
• Hollywood Sign
• Frederick's of Hollywood
• Hollywood and Highland
• Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
• Hollywood Walk of Fame
• Hollywood Wax Museum
• Janes House
• Kodak Theatre
• Masonic Temple- Home of Jimmy Kimmel Live
• Musso & Frank Grill
• Pantages Theatre
• Pig 'n Whistle [2]
• Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Odditorium
• Capitol Records Tower

References