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Melrose Avenue (sometimes referred to simply as "Melrose") is a shopping, dining and entertainment destination inLos Angeles,California, starting atSanta Monica Boulevard at the border betweenBeverly Hills andWest Hollywood, and ending at Lucile Avenue inSilver Lake. To the south of Melrose Avenue isBeverly Boulevard and to the north isSanta Monica Boulevard. Paved in 1909, Melrose Avenue's namesake comes from theMassachusetts town ofthe same name.[1]
Its most famous section, known as the Melrose District, is the West End throughWest Hollywood and theFairfax District. At the corner of Fairfax and Melrose isFairfax High School, home of the Melrose Trading Post swap meet. One of the most famous landmarks located on Melrose Avenue isParamount Pictures.Metro Localline 10 operates on Melrose Avenue. Cosmo Lombino, aNew York-born designer known as the "Queen of Melrose", owns threeboutiques located on Melrose Avenue.
A petition signed by voters in the Melrose addition was presented to the city council of Los Angeles in February 1922, requestingannexation to the city. The Melrose Annexation was effective June 16, 1922. The area was 0.67 square miles, generally along Melrose Avenue, from Sweetzer Avenue to the west, east to June Street.[2][3]
The eastern end of the district, which runs fromFairfax toHighland Avenue, became a popularunderground andnew wave shopping area in the early1980s and a centerpoint for the new wave andpunk subcultures.[citation needed] The avenue has appeared in various films and television shows, includingEntourage,LA Ink,Melrose Place and the "Jaywalking" public interaction segments ofThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Many stores and businesses have made their homes in the district, includingRetail Slut and a large outdoorflea market called the Melrose Trading Post.[4] At the corner of Highland and Melrose is what has been described by theLos Angeles Times as the "boss of LA'sItalian dining scene", Osteria Mozza,[5][6] which marks the eastern end of the Fairfax District. Much of the area is managed by the Melrose AvenueBusiness Improvement District.[7]
The Western End, popularly referred to asMelroseHeights, runs fromLa Cienega Blvd. to Fairfax Avenue and features a variety of upscale establishments, such as various hair salons and wellness spas (such as Elixir), The Bodhi Tree (metaphysical andNew Age bookstore),Fred Segal,Plush Home and the comedy clubThe Improv. Most famously the area is known for its high-end designer stores and boutiques, includingAlexander McQueen,Balenciaga,BCBG Max Azria,Carolina Herrera,Diane von Fürstenberg,Diesel, Homa Bridal,John Varvatos,Marc Jacobs,Mulberry,Oscar de la Renta,Paul Smith,Sergio Rossi,Temperley London,Vera Wang andVivienne Westwood, amongst others.[citation needed]
Near its intersection withLa Cienega Boulevard isMelrose Place, a branch of the main avenue made famous thanks to the soap opera of thesame name. In reality, Melrose Place features no residences and has, historically, been home toantique shops, smaller boutiques, and hair and nail salons. Melrose Place runs entirely within the Los Angelescity limits, just outside of the West Hollywood city limits.
The area of Melrose Avenue that intersects La Cienega Boulevard and its satellite streets is part of the La Cienega Design Quarter. Its businesses feature many antique and furniture stores, rug sellers, accessories and artisans.
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