Second stop on the GPS Tour of April 2008 was the Hollywood Sign. Our first stop was the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale and the final stop is the Greystone Mansion. Followed by dinner at Versailles.
The Hollywood Sign was originally built in 1923 as a real estate beacon by LA Times Publisher Harry Chandler, the $21,000 Hollywoodland Sign was only supposed to last a year and a half. However, more than eight decades later it still represents all the magic of an industry that still draws millions of hopefuls every year.
It measures 450 feet long and each letter is 45 feet tall. It fell into disrepair in the 1960s and 70s as Hollywood lost its luster and its occupants and studios fled to the Valley. As the old theaters started to be restored, so was the sign. Overhauled in the 1990s, now with monument status, it made its world debut ringing in Y2K. In the early 00s state-of-the-art lights and surveillance brought this relic up to date and made it ready to last another 80+ years.
I have seen the sign from the 10 fwy, Hollywood and Highland and the Hollywood Bowl but the view from Beachwood Canyon Drive at Glen Holly is one of, if not the best. If you keep driving up Beachwood Canyon you'll find the entrance to the subdivision that started it all, Hollywoodland. Want to find other great places to see the sign? Click here
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
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