La Brea Avenue is a prominent north-south thoroughfare in the City of Los Angeles and in Los Angeles County, California.

La Brea Avenue
Maintained byBureau of Street Services, City of L.A. DPW
Length21 miles (34 km)
Nearest metro station:
South endCentury Boulevard
Major
junctions
I-10 in Mid-City
North endFranklin Avenue in Hollywood
1927 Los Angeles Times map shows (1) the proposed extension of a 100-foot-wide La Brea Avenue between Jefferson Street through the Baldwin Hills toward Inglewood.

La Brea is known for having diverse ethnic communities, and many shops and restaurants along its route.[1]

History

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La Brea is the Spanish phrase meaning "the tar." The La Brea Tar Pits, which the 1828 Mexican land grant Rancho La Brea was named for, are to the west of its intersection with Wilshire Boulevard in the Mid-Wilshire area.

In its early history, its northern section followed Arroyo La Brea, a former creek fed by springs in the Santa Monica Mountains that flowed south into Ballona Creek. Originally the southern section of La Brea Avenue within Inglewood was named Commercial Street.

Route

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The southern terminus of La Brea Avenue is at its intersection with Century Boulevard in Inglewood. It is a continuation of Hawthorne Boulevard in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County. It continues north through the View Park-Windsor Hills, Ladera Heights, and Baldwin Hills neighborhoods. It also passes through the eastern low Baldwin Hills mountain range, by Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area and the remnant Inglewood Oil Field.

Further north, La Brea passes through Crenshaw and the West Adams neighborhood, and then through the Central Los Angeles area with the Mid-City West, Park La Brea, and Hancock Park neighborhoods. It is the dividing border of eastern West Hollywood and the city of Los Angeles.

The northern end of the avenue is just north of Franklin Avenue, at the foot of the Hollywood Hills in central Hollywood.

At Century Boulevard, La Brea transitions southward into Hawthorne Boulevard that later includes California State Route 107 and ultimately terminates at Palos Verdes Drive West in the Rancho Palos Verdes.

Transportation

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Metro Local lines 40 and 212 operate on La Brea Avenue. Line 212 serves the majority of La Brea Avenue and Line 40 starts at Florence Avenue.

An elevated light rail station for the Metro E Line is located at the intersection with Exposition Boulevard in the West Adams neighborhood. Another light rail station for the Metro K Line at Downtown Inglewood is located nearby within Florence Avenue in the city of Inglewood.

An underground station for the Metro D Line at Wilshire Boulevard is currently under construction and is due to open in 2025.

Landmarks

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References

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  1. ^ Discover Los Angeles: La Brea Avenue Shopping
  2. ^ "Restaurants". Black Enterprise Magazine. 1974.
  3. ^ Ray Charles Station, West Adams Post Office of Los Angeles CA
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