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
Main Street
It’s unusual for a Main Street to start out with a different name. Alhambra’s Main Street was originally Boabdil Avenue. You can guess why a moniker like that would be changed, but why “Boabdil” in the first place? Well, since Alhambra’s namesake is the famous 13th century palace/fortress in Granada, Spain (see Alhambra Road for some background), its first five streets were given relevant names: Alhambra Road, Granada Avenue, Vega Street, Almansor Street, and Boabdil Avenue, which became Main Street around 1890. “Boabdil” was the Spanish name for Muhammad XII of Granada (c. 1460-1533), the last Moorish ruler of the region. He was overthrown in 1492 by Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, who took over the Alhambra, told Christopher Columbus to ship out, and the rest is history.