Has Hollywood’s Walk of Fame misplaced its shine?
- The Hollywood Walk of Fame has turn into overrun with homelessness and is seeing an increase in violent crime and theft
- The as soon as glamorous boulevard is being shunned by locals and disappointing vacationers
- The native authorities is trying to rejuvenate the long-lasting strip’s sparkle with a much-needed renovation together with wider sidewalks and extra bushes
The Hollywood Walk of Fame has turn into overrun with homelessness and violent crime, leaving vacationers and locals feeling unsafe.
The iconic LA landmark, as soon as the epitome of glitz and glamour, is disappointing guests with its soiled sidewalks and repulsing locals who’ve skilled violent assaults.
It comes because the 1.3-mile stretch alongside Hollywood Boulevard, usually closed off for film premieres and different A-list occasions, is at the moment present process a much-needed renovation.
The makeover plans are being led by town authorities and can embrace wider sidewalks, extra shade bushes, a protected mobility lane, and pedestrian security enhancements.
Hollywood Boulevard’s ‘sidewalks are sometimes congested, sure items of infrastructure are outdated, and the realm lacks a cohesive, unifying design aesthetic’ the Heart of Hollywood plans learn.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame has turn into overrun with homelessness and rising violent crime
The iconic LA landmark is disappointing guests with its soiled sidewalks
Assaults with a lethal weapon, sexual assaults and incidents involving the homeless have all elevated on the boulevard
‘The purpose of the Hollywood Walk of Fame Master Plan is to maneuver this iconic hall ahead into the twenty first century, respecting its wealthy historical past, whereas establishing a holistic and long-lasting imaginative and prescient.’
However, the plans to don’t handle the rise in homelessness and violent crime, which is up considerably in recent times.
Assaults with a lethal weapon, sexual assaults and incidents involving the homeless have all elevated in line with knowledge analyzed by KTLA.
One native, Amy Michele, stated she was punched within the face when working errands on the boulevard.
‘I’ve seen folks with machetes and knives simply slicing the air in entrance of them hoping to get somebody who passes by,’ she stated in a TikTok video warning others.
‘I’ve seen folks promote medicine out of the again of a truck.
‘I’ve witnessed a hostage scenario at one of many house complexes on Hollywood Boulevard.
‘I’ve been punched behind the pinnacle by a homeless particular person’ she added.
The variety of homeless folks in LA has greater than doubled up to now decade
There are actually greater than 46,000 folks dwelling on the streets of Los Angeles
The 1.3-mile stretch alongside Hollywood Boulevard, usually closed off for film premieres and different A-list occasions, is at the moment present process a much-needed renovation
Mayor Karen Bass dedicated herself to tackling the homeless disaster as quickly as she took workplace final yr
‘It’s undoubtedly not what we anticipated it to be,’ vacationer Sarah Saryan stated.
‘It’s not clear and the whole lot prefer it seems in films’ she defined.
Footage from social media reveals rows of tents, folks sleeping tough by the well-known stars and trash strewn throughout the sidewalks.
The scenario has not be helped by a big discount of police patrols on the boulevard.
Pre-pandemic, 60 officers have been assigned to simply the Hollywood Entertainment District, now that quantity has been halved, in line with Steve Nissen, president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
‘If you sense one thing that makes you uncomfortable, you are not going to come back again,’ Nissen instructed KTLA.
‘Part of feeling protected isn’t just that the crime statistics are happening, but additionally that you just’re strolling streets that look clear and these streets should not usually clear,’ Nissen stated.
He added: ‘When you stroll down the road; you do not need to be manhandled, accosted.
‘The concept of modernizing and making Hollywood Boulevard one of the crucial stunning streets on this planet remains to be there.’
Nissen stated he hopes the rejuvenation program might be full in time for the 2028 Olympics.
‘We need the remainder of the world to see Hollywood Boulevard and return and speak about it with associates and neighbors throughout the globe somewhat than go away like they do at this time, a bit dissatisfied.’
The homeless disaster in Los Angeles has rocketed in the previous few years – a problem Mayor Karen Bass dedicated herself to tackling as quickly as she took workplace final yr.
The variety of homeless folks in LA has greater than doubled up to now decade.
There was a 9 % rise in homelessness in Los Angeles County between 2022 and 2023, with the unhoused inhabitants now totaling 75,518 folks, in line with the most recent knowledge from the LAHSA.
The metropolis of Los Angeles noticed an estimated 10 % rise to a complete of 46,260 folks.
