Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood Boulevard is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, in the state of California.

The now famous street did not always go by the same name and it is a little known fact that between 1887 and1910, the street was called Prospect Avenue. The street got worldwide recognition after the Hollywood Walk of Fame was created on it, in 1958.

The Walk of Fame which was made to honor performers, from the world of entertainment, initially, ran between Gower Street and La Brea Avenue. The Walk has since been extended further and at present runs another 3 blocks into Vine Street.

There are over 2,500 stars fixed on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard in honor of some of the greatest artists and personalities Hollywood has had. The first of these was placed in 1960 in recognition of all the artists from the world of entertainment.

There was a time when Hollywood Boulevard was lined with famous movie studios, but now the main attractions here are the Stars embedded on the sidewalk. Paramount is the only Studio that still stands there, while all the others have moved away.

The Hollywood Boulevard is tourist hub and the streets are always streaming with tourists, from morning until late at night. There is a lot of fanfare on the streets, with people dressed as different characters walking on the streets. The side streets are lined with souvenir shops and buzzing with tourists.

Hollywood Boulevard has a few famous landmarks and the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is one of them. Grauman’s is a Movie Theatre, and King of Kings, the Biblical movie directed by Cecil De which was the first movie to be screened here, way back in 1926. Since then, the theater has had the privilege of hosting many movie premiers.

The theatre draws a lot of crowds because the forecourt which is made of concrete blocks with almost 200 real imprints of the hands and feet, and autographs of many Hollywood celebrities. There are other variations too, in this unique tradition, such the imprint of the Magic Wands of the cast of the movie Harry Potter and the fist of actor John Wayne.

Hollywood at Highland is a famed hotel and shopping arcade built as a compliment to the history of Hollywood. The main attraction here is the walk on the premises which takes one through the pages of Hollywood. Set in mosaic along the walk are the stories of Hollywood legends. Quotes from some of the greatest personalities who made it big in the city are written on the mosaic walk. The place is also good for shopping and the opulent structure of makes a good backdrop for photography. The hotel is built on the designs of the sets of the movie ‘Intolerance’. The forty five foot tall Hollywood sign on the Hollywood hills is clearly visible from behind the theater.

If, during the day, the atmosphere at Hollywood Boulevard is flamboyant, at night, it can rightly be termed as being electrical, with bright neon lights shining down from building tops. During the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, a Christmas Parade passes through the streets of the Boulevard every Sunday, marking the beginning of the Holiday Season.