Welcome to L.A. Street Names, the origin stories of street names across Los Angeles County, from the shortest cul-de-sacs to the longest boulevards. Mysteries solved, myths debunked, scandals exposed, history revealed. This is an ongoing project with more than 1,700 streets – and growing. See FAQ for more information.
Featured Major Street
Broadway
Back in 1888, Broadway went by two names. West of Alamitos, it was called W. 2nd Street. East of Alamitos: Railway Street. And it was indeed a railway street in those pre-car days, with trolley tracks running alongside pedestrian walkways. The road was opened up to automobile traffic in 1910, which is when Railway Street was extended east of Obispo – and said extension was christened Anser Street! It got to be confusing, so on January 10th, 1912, Long Beach’s mayor and city council passed an ordinance to just call the whole thing Broadway.