In total, L.A. County consists of 86 cities. The city of Los Angeles stands out with its beauty, grandeur, skyscrapers and business centers. Numerous streets and boulevards intersect the metropolis. Today we will talk about the famous Hollywood Boulevard located in the Hollywood area. More information about this attraction you can find on the pages of the la-future.com website.
The history of creation
Until 1910, Hollywood Boulevard was called Prospect Avenue. Major changes took place once Hollywood was connected to the city.
In the 20s of the last century, Charles Toberman began to develop the street. He ran numerous projects, including building theaters, hotels, temples, etc. In 1939, the street became a boulevard, which started its active growth, becoming the district center.
The Boulevard is known for its Walk of Fame, which appeared in 1958. In 1985, this street was included in the NRHP of the US.
Such famous venues as TCL Chinese Theatre, The Dolby Theatre, El Capitan and Pantages as well as Hollywood Masonic Temple, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and Hollywood Wax Museum are located here and can be visited by everyone.
A popular attraction on Hollywood Boulevard, The Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is indisputably a highlight of the alley. More than 2,600 stars carved with the names of famous personalities and fictional characters are scattered on the sidewalk. All these honored people significantly contributed to the development of cinema and the entertainment industry.
Its history began in the 50s when the Hollywood district experienced its golden years. The idea of creating the alley belongs to E.M. Stuart. Initially, 1,558 names of prominent figures of cinema, television, radio and sound recording were chosen to be inscribed on the Walk of Fame. It should be noted that this period was marked by the active development of the film industry. The construction of the alley lasted from 1958 to 1960.
However, in the 1960s, the Walk of Fame became a covert for women of easy virtue and drug addicts. Consequently, The Alley was fading into oblivion. Moreover, not a single name had appeared there in a decade.
In 1980, a campaign was created to revitalize the Walk of Fame. According to the new adjustments, celebrities had to be present on the alley when awarding and embedding a star with their name. Also, the owners of the stars had to pay for their maintenance. The original sum comprised $2,500, then it was increased to $25,000.
New stars started actively appearing on the Walk of Fame, and more than two thousand stars were added by 1994.
In 2008, over 4 million dollars were spent on the reconstruction of this attraction. 778 stars had to be removed due to their wear and tear.
It should be noted that the stars from the alley were repeatedly filched. For example, in 2000, during the renovation, the stars belonging to James Stewart and Kirk Douglas were stolen but found later. It is important to mention that each star weighs more than 136 kilograms. In 2005, thieves used special equipment to pluck out Gregory Peck’s star. Neither bandits nor the star were ever found. All missing stars were replaced with duplicates.
The stars also often became the subject of acts of vandalism. That is why the alley is equipped with CCTV cameras.
Hollywood Boulevard is just a small part of Los Angeles. However, particularly this place has notable buildings and sights that attract tourists and local residents. We hope this article was informative for you so you could learn more about the history of your native city.
