| Namesake | Isaac Lankershim |
|---|---|
| Maintained by | Local jurisdictions |
| Length | 7.5 mi (12.1 km) |
| Nearest metro station |  : |
| South end | Fredonia Drive inStudio City |
| Major junctions |  US 101 inStudio City SR 134 inToluca Lake I-5 inSun Valley |
| North end | San Fernando Road inSun Valley |
Lankershim Boulevard is a major north-southarterial road the runs for 7.5 miles (12.1 km) in the easternSan Fernando Valley in theLos Angeles,California.
Lankershim Boulevard was named after the town of Lankershim, now known asNorth Hollywood, the town named afterIsaac Lankershim whose Lankershim Ranch accounted for a large portion of the town.[1]
Lankershim Boulevard's northern terminus is atSan Fernando Road inSun Valley. South of Sun Valley, Lankershim runs throughNorth Hollywood (including theNoHo Arts District,Toluca Lake, and ends south ofVentura Boulevard at Fredonia Drive inStudio City. Lankershim also marks the east-west border betweenLos Angeles andUniversal City inStudio City.
Lankershim crosses and intersects withInterstate 5,State Route 134, andUS Route 101. South of a five-way intersection atVictory Boulevard, Lankershim runs diagonally to the southeast, creating two six-way intersections, the first atBurbank Boulevard and Tujunga Avenue, and the second atVineland Avenue and Camarillo Street. Finally, at Lankershim's busy southern end, it crosses theLos Angeles River as it briefly merges withCahuenga Boulevard before passingCampo de Cahuenga, theUniversal City/Studio City Metro Station,Universal Studios Hollywood, and10 Universal City Plaza, then crosses theHollywood Freeway andVentura Boulevard, all within about 0.5 miles (0.80 km).[2]
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Lankershim Boulevard was named afterIsaac Lankershim, one of the area's founding families, and is one of the oldest streets in what is nowNorth Hollywood. The boulevard was a major thoroughfare for the town of Toluca (which was renamed Lankershim in 1896 and North Hollywood in 1927), connecting it to Los Angeles by way of theCahuenga Pass. In the center of Toluca, Lankershim crossed theSouthern Pacific Railroad, with a depot near the current location of theNorth Hollywood station at Chandler Boulevard.[3]
Lankershim Boulevard aroundMagnolia Boulevard was the heart of the town of Lankershim/North Hollywood and until the mid-1950s boasted the largest concentration of retail stores, banks, restaurants, and entertainment in theSan Fernando Valley. In 1953 for example, the shopping strip included three full-line department stores:J.C. Penney, Yeakel & Goss, andRathbun's. The street also featured branches ofHarris & Frank,J. J. Newberry, andSafeway.[4] However, the nearbyValley Plaza shopping center, designed for accessibility by car and featuring plenty of free parking, opened in 1951 and by 1956 it claimed to be the third-largest shopping center in the United States.[5] Lankershim's retail district had difficulty competing and by 1980, most of its stores had closed.[6] One of the most notable closures wasDonte's, one of the West Coast's best-known jazz clubs in the 1970s and 1980s. It opened in 1966, closed in 1988, and is now the site of aBMW auto dealership.[7][8]
In 2000, theSan Fernando Valley was connected to theLos Angeles Metro via twoB Line stops on Lankershim:North Hollywood andUniversal City/Studio City stations. During construction,Campo de Cahuenga's foundations were unearthed and preserved as an exhibit, with the foundation's footprint marked by decorative pavement on the sidewalk and street.
In 2005, theG Line opened, connecting to the B Line at North Hollywood station on Lankershim.
In 2015, Lankershim andVentura Boulevards were the site ofCicLAvia, aLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority sponsored event in which major roads are temporarily closed to motorized vehicles and used for recreationalhuman-powered transport.[9]
Metro Local line 224 serves Lankershim Boulevard.
TwoMetro stations are located on Lankershim:North Hollywood andUniversal City/Studio City. Both stations are served by theB Line and the former is also served by theG Line.
ThreeLos Angeles Cultural-Historic Monuments are located on Lankershim:Campo de Cahuenga,El Portal Theater, and theDepartment of Water and Power Building.[10] Other notable landmarks on Lankershim include (from south to north):Yitzak Rabin Square,10 Universal City Plaza,Universal Studios Hollywood,South Weddington Park,St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church,Bob and Delores Hope Square,The Comedy Chateau,HAHA Comedy Club,NoHo Gateway Sign,Lankershim Arts Center,Toluca Southern Pacific Depot,Tiara Street Park, andSikh Gurdwara of Los Angeles.
