Hollywood

Hollywood is a neighborhood in central Los Angeles with wide streets, film studios, theaters and residential blocks between the Hollywood Hills and Hancock Park. The district runs along major thoroughfares where retail shops stand beside historic movie palaces and modern office buildings.

The first motion picture studio opened on Sunset Boulevard in 1911, turning farmland into a center for film production. Additional studios followed over the next years, making the area synonymous with the American movie industry.

The brass stars embedded in the pavement display names of actors, directors and musicians, each marked with symbols representing film, television or radio. Tourists photograph their favorite entries while street performers dressed as recognizable characters pose for tips along the same route.

Three subway stations on the Red Line link the neighborhood to downtown Los Angeles, and many bus routes add more options. Visitors find parking in garages and along curbs, with the area busiest during late morning and early evening.

The sign on Mount Lee in the Santa Monica Mountains was originally built in 1923 to advertise a real estate development and displayed the word with four additional letters. The current letters each stand roughly 14 meters (45 feet) tall and were replaced during the 1970s.

Location: Los Angeles

Elevation above the sea: 108 m

Shares border with: Los Feliz, Hollywood Hills

GPS coordinates: 34.09800,-118.32952

Latest update: December 12, 2025 20:41