Street names: Are they sacred?

Brooklyn Avenue? Macy Street? Marine Avenue? Santa Barbara Avenue? Hermon Avenue? 11th Street? All are streets that have been renamed over the years. (The latest being Ventura Place in Studio City) Hit READ MORE below and look at a list The Times' Cynthia Cho wrote highlighting the history of street name changes (our favorite: "Via Marisol: In 1978, then-Councilman Art Snyder renamed Hermon Avenue -- for the biblical Mt. Hermon -- after his 3-year-old daughter, Erin-Marisol.")

What do you think? Are street names sacred? Should they change with the times? Hit COMMENT and speak out!

Olympic Boulevard: 10th Street got this new name in honor of the 1932 Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles.

Via Marisol: In 1978, then-Councilman Art Snyder renamed Hermon Avenue -- for the biblical Mt. Hermon -- after his 3-year-old daughter, Erin-Marisol.

Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard: In 1983, Santa Barbara Avenue got this moniker in honor of the slain civil rights leader.

Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Street: In 1988, one-block-long Weller Street in Little Tokyo became a tribute to the Japanese American astronaut killed in the 1986 explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.

Marine Avenue: In 1990, Redondo Beach became the last city in the South Bay to change the name of its portion of Compton Boulevard to Marine Avenue. Supporters of the change said they wanted something that reflected their geography. Skeptics wondered whether it was more about dissociating from Compton, a low-income, predominantly minority city.

Cesar E. Chavez Avenue: A seven-mile stretch was renamed after the United Farm Workers union leader in 1993, erasing the name Brooklyn Avenue, which recalled the time when Boyle Heights was the heart of Los Angeles' Jewish community. Macy Street and part of Sunset Boulevard also were renamed for Chavez.

L. Ron Hubbard Way: In 1996, a one-block stretch of Hollywood's Berendo Street got a new appellation to honor the late Scientology founder.

Chick Hearn Court: In 2002, 11th Street in front of Staples Center's main entrance was renamed for the late Francis Dayle "Chick" Hearn, the longtime play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Frederick K.C. Price Square: The Los Angeles City Council in 2005 approved naming the intersection of 79th Street and Vermont Avenue after the televangelist and founder of the Crenshaw Christian Center. But, because of Price's outspoken opposition to same-sex marriage, the city refused to pick up the $1,000 tab for the dedication ceremony.

And some that hit a roadblock ...

Rue de Vallee: The L.A. City Council rejected famed crooner Rudy Vallee's 1971 attempt to have a section of the Hollywood Hills street on which he lived renamed for himself. When neighbors objected, Vallee called them "disgruntled pukes" and said they were jealous. He then put up a sign with his favored name at the entrance to his long driveway.

Tom Bradley Boulevard: In 2003, residents and merchants blocked the renaming of a long stretch of Crenshaw Boulevard after the five-term mayor, who died in 1998. Opponents argued against the loss of a historic name and cited inconvenience to business owners in defeating what was to have been a tribute to L.A.'s only African American mayor.

Comments

[anon]

To learn why the "Church" of $cientology wanted to change Berendo's name, go to http://www.XENU.NET of just Wikipedia Scientology or Dianetics.

[fitch20]

Now that some of the truth is finally starting to come out about the "church" of scientology, I wonder if Hubbard Blvd. will be renamed any time soon?

Couldn't happen soon enough IMO.

[Kilia]

Considering that LRON Hubbard did absolutely nothing positive for humanity except perhaps take peoples money, the street should revert back to it's original name of "Berendo".

[Jim Weyant]

I'm attempting to ascertain if Los Angeles' Hope Street is named after Dr. Alexander Hope?

[Shelly Donovan]

Crenshaw Blvd was named after George L. Crenshaw. He was my great-great uncle-my Grandfather Chester Crenshaw's uncle. He moved from Missouri, left his entire family to be able to "farm" year round. He moved to CA alone and then became a prominent city land developer and philanthropist. Crenshaw Blvd should remain named after this great man who did so much to make Los Angeles what it is today. There are people all over the country related to this fine man and we are proud of the fact that he still has a street named after him, as he should. Thank you to those of you who care!

[bg mendell]

Gangbusters! Yes, whatever happened to the Evangelene billboards?
Who goofed; I gotta know! (cruisin' Jim Healy Blvd.)
Did her Asian clientele dry up?
How many pollution credits were traded when these boards came down?

[Mike G]

I think that street names should almost never be changed. It is confusing and also is expensive for the businesses on the affected streets.

Also, if we are going to change streets to honor the dead, they should be people that were part of the fabric of our city. Yes to Tom Bradley and Chick Hearn. No to ML King and Cesar Chavez.

Likewise, can we get rid of that stupid Beethoven statue in Pershing Square? We could replace it with Mullholland or Pio Pico or Evangelene.

[Paul Fallavollita]

Street names should not be changed since some streets tend to have a history (even at the individual level, say for childhood nostalgia), and that continuity can be an important part of our culture. At the same time, it can be exciting to learn that what you thought was always Street A was really once known as Street B. So there should be some balance.

[Benjamin Brown]

Street names are not needed at all. Nor are clocks or calenders. In Grants Pass, Oregon the subterranean clandestine psycho-subliminal science facility runs everything. Every bodily function, every thought, every movement and all social & financial interactions are controlled by these science thugs. These poor unfortunate souls, many of them purchased from secret Los Angeles labs, are being reduced to a near-catatonic zombie-like state and their bodies are deteriorating via biological and neuro-impulse attacks. Without question it is one of the most egregious affronts to the most basic notions of Civil Rights and Human Dignity. Shame on you Los Angeles for allowing this depraved & secret trafficking in Human Souls.

[bg mendell]

Santa Barbara Blvd. = Martin Luther King Blvd.
Brooklyn Ave. = Caesar Chavez Ave.
What next? Who Cares Lane

[Richard H]

The City needs revenue.

If the City can sell “air” rights to imaginary downtown skyscrapers, why not sell the names of streets to top bidders? These could be businesses or individuals. Just like the names of arenas and sports stadiums are sold. Buyers of new street names would have to pay for all the sign changes that would be needed with the name change.

All the mapmakers would love it because everyone would have to buy new maps every year. Sales of street maps would skyrocket!

Who originally named these streets anyway? Mostly real estate developers, right? I mean, who was Wilshire? Does anybody know or care other than somebody foolish enough to want to know the history of the City of Los Angeles?

But people have to know who the big cheeses in L.A. are NOW. TODAY. Not a hundred years ago. What better way than the renaming of an Avenue or Boulevard.

Eli Broad already has a downtown street named after him and he didn’t have to pay a red cent. I’m sure there are other L.A. bigshots that would be tickled pink to have their own Street named after them. Geffen. Even Spielberg maybe. Avenues and Boulevards would be appropriately priced at a scale commensurate to their status.

[anonymous]

I think that street names should not be changed. We have better things that the money can be used for such as improving schools, streets, healthcare programs etc. We are in desparate need to improve other programs. Renaming street names are frivolous and a waste.