Imagine a Los Angeles where all the main thoroughfares were as wide open as Sunset Blvd was when this photo was taken in 1931. We’re looking east from Serrano Ave and not a single car is in the eastbound lane. Not that there are any lanes, as such. Just a line of those little bumps in the road telling you that you’ve veered too far to the left. As we can see, this stretch of Sunset was still a residential area. I don’t know when it changed to a commercial strip but I would imagine not long after WWII.
**UPDATE** – The little bumps are called Botts Dots, named after Elbert Botts, who was an engineer at CalTrans.
That same view December 2020. Ironically, Sunset Blvd is equally empty. That doesn’t happen often so I assume this image was taken on a Sunday morning.
Just… paradise on Earth. The leisurely spacing of the apt buildings and houses would have made for a such lovely relaxing quality of life.
It would have made for a nice, relaxing Sunday drive!
Pretty close to home for the first six years of my life. Walk-about everywhere in this sector. Don’t recall any of the primary streets looking this serene by then. The will-to-whack was strong with developers. Like the sandpeople, they come back and in even greater numbers.