Hollywood, Los Angeles

Hollywood sign
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hollywood_Sign_PB050006.jpg
Author: Oreos


Hollywood is the famous district of Los Angeles closely associated with the movie industry. It covers 24.96 sq mi (64.6 sq km) and has a population of 123,000 (2011 estimate).

The history of Hollywood goes back to 1887, when Harvey Henderson Wilcox and his wife Daeida bought a ranch in the area to establish a Christian settlement, which they wanted to be free from vices. The name Hollywood was originally suggested by H.J. Whitley, and the Wilcoxes decided to keep it.

In the late 19th century, Hollywood was a farming community where the people grew oranges and barley. Meanwhile, H.J. Whitley appears to have a different plan for the area. In 1902 he opened the Hollywood Hotel. With it he attracted other land buyers into the area.

The motion picture industry had its start in Hollywood with the making of a short film called A Daring Hold-Up in 1906. This led to the making of the first motion picture there, a 17-minute feature called In Old California, released in 1910. Within five years, Los Angeles has surpassed New York City as the main center for movie production, with major film companies such as Paramount, Warner Brothers, RKO and Columbia all setting up their studios in the area.

El Capitan Theater, Hollywood
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El_Capitan%28Hollywood%29.JPG
Author: The American Eagle of LA


As early as the 1920s Hollywood has carved a name as the world-famous center for US film industry. One of the first neighborhoods in Hollywood was Whitley Heights, designed by architect A.S. Barnes for H.J. Whitley in 1918. It soon became the home of many celebrities such as Rudolph Valentino, Barbara Stanwyck, Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich and others. The first Academy Awards was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in 1929.

Modern Hollywood began to take share in the post war era, with the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi opening in Hollywood in 1947. Many tourist attractions and landmarks were added to the area, but by the 1980s and 90s Hollywood was suffering from a decline. This caused some of the older landmarks to be threatened with demolition.

Today Hollywood is in the process of gentrification and redevelopment. It remains a tourist destination drawing a continuous stream of visitors from around the United States and all around the world.

How to go to Hollywood

The Los Angeles Metro Red Line is a subway line that serves the Hollywood/Western Station, Hollywood/Vine Station and Hollywood/Highland Station in Hollywood.

Neighborhoods of Hollywood

Places of Interest in Hollywood

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

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