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Sunset Boulevard (officially known as West Sunset Boulevard, except in Beverly Hills) is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades.
Approximately 22 miles in length, the famous boulevard passes through or near Echo Park, Silver Lake, Los
Feliz, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, Brentwood and Pacific Palisades. Other than West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, which are independent incorporated cities, the places named above are all districts and neighborhoods in the City of Los Angeles. In the
Bel-Air/Brentwood area, Sunset Boulevard runs along the northern boundary of the UCLA Westwood campus.
Over much of its course, the boulevard runs through very rugged terrain and is very winding and treacherous. It is at least four lanes in width for all of its route. Car accidents are common due to its numerous hairpin curves and blind crests, and the lack of a center divider on most sections. Sunset (along with Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards) is frequently congested with traffic loads far beyond its design capacity. As a result, it is also notorious for cracks and potholes. This is a relative notoriousness, as the Los Angeles area is famous for the care taken in roads and Sunset is no exception.
Sunset Boulevard used to extend farther east, starting at Alameda Street near Union Station and beside Olvera Street in the historic section of Downtown, but the portion of Sunset Boulevard east of Interstate 110 was renamed César E. Chávez Avenue, along with Macy Street and Brooklyn Avenue, in honor of the late Mexican-American union leader.
Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood has also gained notoriety as a red-light district, due to its relatively high share of prostitution, drag queens and other such activity, especially at night. This type of activity was common for many years, especially around Western Avenue. In the 1970s the area between Gardner Street and La Brea Avenue became seedy and afflicted with street prostitution that continues to a lesser extent to the present day. It was at the corner of
Sunset and Courtney Avenue that actor Hugh Grant pulled over and picked up prostitute Divine Brown in the early morning of June 27, 1995. He then drove a few blocks east and parked at the corner of Curson and Hawthorn Avenues. Police arrested him and the prostitute for lewd conduct in a public place and he was later fined $1,200. Shortly after this police raids drove out the majority of prostitutes in this area and the majority of those turned to on-line escort services, thus
diminishing the long held red-light district.
Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood is also sometimes called "Guitar Row" due to the large number of guitar stores and music industry-related businesses, including the legendary recording studios Sunset Sound Studios and United Western Recorders. Also, many young, struggling actors, musicians, and other artists continue to live in the area.
The best-known section of Sunset Boulevard is probably the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, which is a center for nightlife in the Los Angeles area.
The portion of Sunset Boulevard from the western city limits of Beverly Hills to its western end was at one time named Beverly Boulevard.
Traffic on Sunset is often slow-moving, with bumper to bumper traffic not infrequent during rush hour in both directions. However, when traffic is mild or nonexistent, Sunset is an extremely fast thoroughfare as it encounters few (and short timed) traffic lights west of Doheny Drive. Even at rush hours, traffic generally flows well through the Holmby Hills and Bel Air, west of Whittier in Beverly Hills, as the lights are very well spaced and timed.
The name Sunset Boulevard has become part of Hollywood legend,
the inspiration for songs, movies & TV shows. "Sunset
Boulevard" was of course, the name of the famous 1950 movie starring
William Holden & Gloria Swanson. That movie inspired the 1993 Andrew
Lloyd Webber musical of the same name. Sunset Boulevard is a long, winding boulevard which begins in downtown
Los Angeles, and runs westward over 20 miles to the Pacific Ocean.
Along the way Sunset Boulevard passes through Hollywood, then becomes
the Sunset Strip, passes through West Hollywood, through Beverly Hills
and Bel Air, finally ending at the Pacific Ocean near Malibu.
There are dozens of Hollywood attractions located along the 20
miles of Sunset Boulevard. Here are some of those attractions, beginning
on east Sunset , near the Hollywood Freeway, we will head west towards
the Pacific. Even numbers are on the south side and odd numbers on the
north side of Sunset Boulevard.
sunset boulevard
Corner of Sunset Boulevard & Courtney
Ave,
Hollywood this is the spot where Hugh Grant picked up prostitute
Divine Brown and drove around the corner to park (at the corner of
Hawthorne & Carson). Police arrested him and the prostitute for lewd conduct in a public place. Later fined $1200.
Sunset Boulevard
KCET Studios.
4401 Sunset Blvd.(323) 953-5289
Offers free guided tours of its studio lot. Official
website www.kcet.org
Sunset Boulevard
Fox Network
/ KTTV Studios.5746
Sunset Boulevard (323)
856-1000
SE
corner of Van Ness. The home of channel 11 in Los Angeles.
www.fox.com
Sunset Boulevard
KTLA
Studios 5800
W. Sunset Boulevard.
(323) 460-5500
SW corner of Van Ness; it's the oldest TV station in Los Angeles, and
was formerly the old Warner Bros Studio, where the first
talking picture "The Jazz Singer" was filmed in
1927. Official website www.ktla.com
Sunset Boulevard
Sunset
Gower Studios.
1438 Gower
Street. (323) 467-1001.
The original studios of Columbia Pictures, and now an
independent studio where TV shows are filmed.
Sunset Boulevard
"Gower Gulch,"
6098 Sunset Boulevard.
At the corner of Gower & Sunset (across from the Sunset
Gower Studios) is a small western themed shopping center
named "Gower Gulch," This center took its name from
the history of this Hollywood intersection. So
many movie extras used to hang out here in search of work, dressed
in cowboy costumes, that the area was nicknamed "Gower Gulch."
Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood
Palladium. 6215 Sunset Boulevard. (323)
962-7600.
Built
in 1940 with the largest dance floor in the world
- the giant dance floor played host to the big bands of the 40's &
50's. The auditorium has hosted countless Hollywood awards ceremonies,
including the Grammys, the Emmys, and the Golden Globes.
| Cinerama Dome
Theatre.
6360 Sunset Boulevard. (323) 466-3401 The cinerama movie - in which movies were seen on 3 screens giving the illusion of being amongst the action is no more. This cinema built exclusively for those films now shows conventional films. |
 |
Blessed
Sacrament Church.
6657 Sunset
Boulevard
This is where Bing Crosby was married.
| Crossroads
of the World.
6671 Sunset Boulevard. (323) 463-5611. LA's first outdoor shopping mall which opened in 1936 and features shops of Spanish, French & Italian styling. Hence the name. |
|
| Denny's
Diner. 7373
Sunset Boulevard. (323) 876-6660 . Which seems to attract a celebrity/rock & roll crowd in the early hours. Maybe it's the fact that Denny's never closes, more plausible is because it is near the nearby recording studios. |
 |
| Guitar Center.
7425
Sunset Boulevard.
(323) 874-1060. Its "Rock Walk" features the handprints of world famous guitarists such as Chuck Berry immortalized in cement Official website www.rockwalk.com |
 |
As you pass over Crescent Heights, you enter West Hollywood and the stretch
of Sunset Boulevard known as
"The Sunset Strip." This world famous stretch has its own
article, to view now click here :- The Strip.
or carry
on to the Pacific and view Sunset Strip from there.
The Strip runs for about 1˝ miles West until you reach Doheny Drive.
You are now entering Beverly
Hills.
Sunset Boulevard
At this point you will notice the sudden
change to open space, beautiful mansions and manicured lawns. Welcome to
Beverly Hills! Many Celebrities have made their homes here over
the years in the roads either side of this stretch of Sunset Boulevard. So to view these
fabulous mansions just turn into a road of your choice. For specific
addresses of the stars in Beverly Hills visit Celebrity Homes
Beverly Hills.
| Beverly Hills Hotel.
9641 Sunset Boulevard.(310) 276-2251 The "Pink Palace," with its fabled Polo Lounge is on your right as you head west. Official website www.thebeverlyhillshotel.com |
 |
Will
Rogers Memorial Park.
Sunset Boulevard. (310) 285-2536.
Opposite the Beverly Hills Hotel. This is the park which made the
headlines due to the antics of George Michael. It was here on April 7th. 1998 that
George was arrested for performing a lewd act in the public restrooms.
Rodeo Drive is next on the left you are now in the center of Beverly Hills. |
 |
Celebrity homes are in roads on either side as you drive along Sunset Boulevard.
Haderway Hall. 10000 Sunset Boulevard
is on your right side.
Look out for the many life size statue's at the front of this house.
Completely lifelike from a tramp sleeping on a park bench, a cop giving a
trespasser a ticket at the front gate, to a couple peering through binoculars into the
house. These statue's are a real novelty and well worth a look.
|
"The Pink Palace" 10100
Sunset Boulevard is on your left. |
 |
You will not notice any differences but by now you are in Bel Air. see Celebrity Homes Bel Air
10398 Sunset Boulevard.
former home one
of Charlie's Angels, Jaclyn Smith is on your left.
Look to your right and there are the famous Bel Air
gates.
Hotel
Bel-Air. 701 Stone
Canyon Road. (310) 472-1211.(just off Sunset Blvd)
Home from home for Presidents, stars and royalty.
Once past Stone Canyon Road and UCLA you enter
Brentwood, an area loved by the stars for mansions which appear grandeur here than the more
famous area of Beverly Hills.
see Celebrity Homes Brentwood.
Bundy Drive where the Nicole Simpson murder took place is on your left.
|
Carmelina Avenue is next on the left take this avenue to visit Marilyn Monroe's last home, which is on the left at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive. |
|
Rockingham Avenue is on your left former home of O. J. Simpson is at 360 N. Rockingham Avenue.
Still heading west you now arrive in Pacific Palisades the area favored by many of to-days celebrities who have homes in this area. see Celebrities Homes Pacific Palisades.
Will
Rogers State Historic Park. 14523 Sunset Boulevard. (310) 454-8212. |
 |
Evans Rd. 14209-14215 Sunset Boulevard
This private road is on your right. Arnold Schwarzenegger now owns the three mansions here after buying out
his two neighbors actors John Forsythe and Daniel J Travanti.
The
Lake Shrine.
17190
Sunset Boulevard, (310) 454-4114. |
 |
Continue west on Sunset Boulevard and you'll
finally reach the Pacific Ocean.
Turn right on Pacific Coast Highway for Malibu, or left for Santa Monica &
Venice Beach.
Continue
your tour of Sunset Boulevard with a detailed look at :-
"The Sunset Strip"
