MORE Wilshire Blvd. is arguably the most important boulevard in Los Angeles today, says Kevin Roderick, author of “Wilshire Blvd: Grand Concourse of Los Angeles.” Photo by Mike Schlitt.
There are older streets, longer streets and streets more beautiful, but no single street tells a story that better defines the city we live in than Wilshire Boulevard.
“No one could have designed Wilshire. I think you could argue that [it’s] the most important boulevard in Los Angeles. It has not just some baggage, but also … meaning behind it,” explains Kevin Roderick, author of “Wilshire Blvd: Grand Concourse of Los Angeles.”
Gaylord Wilshire was a land speculator, billboard tycoon, failed politician and inventor. He built Wilshire Boulevard, a street that became LA’s primary escape route from the horse-drawn era.