Hollywood Boulevard has seen little other than hardship and degradation in the past five years. In June of 1992, the area fell victim to much destruction and fear during the civil disturbances surrounding the Rodney King verdicts. Several buildings, including at least one listed on the National Register, were destroyed by arson fire. These incidents also discouraged many potential investors.

A year and a half later, the January 17, 1994 Northridge Earthquake took its toll on several more historic buildings within the National Register-listed district. Several damaged buildings of landmark quality were demolished. Vine Street was more or less destroyed; it will suffice to say that there is now ample parking, but very few businesses or attractions for which people would need to park

The Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant, owned by parking lot interests, was one of the casualties, and one can't help but feel sorry for any celebrity whose star on the "Walk of Fame" now lies in front of a chain-link-fenced square of tarmac.

Several damaged buildings still remain unrepaired, wrapped in chain link to prevent their pitching pieces of themselves down on to tourists.

Meanwhile, a project that is expected to bring many more residents and tourists in and out of Hollywood with speed and efficiency caused Hollywood Boulevard to sink even further; literally, this time. The tunnel being dug by Metrorail for the Red Line beneath Hollywood Boulevard allegedly caused the street and sidewalks to sink several inches in the course of one day.

The triple threat of social, natural, and infrastructural disasters only dragged an area already suffering from general poverty and decline down even further from the public image of glamour and excitement which it holds worldwide.

Many of the old property owners have moved on. Businesses that occupied its storefronts such as C. C. Brown's ice cream parlor, Barker Bros. Furniture Company, a Southern Pacific rail ticket office, men's and women's clothing stores (sans sequins), and department stores are gone. Without a formal survey, one could probably estimate that more storefronts than not are currently filled by cheap electronics stores, t-shirt and tacky souvenir shops, and trashy lingerie emporia (though Frederick's of Hollywood, the comparatively-venerable queen of the genre, is headquartered in a well-maintained Art Deco building built by retailer C.H. Kress). There is no longer a single bank located between La Brea and Vine, but several check cashing places do a brisk business.

Hollywood was once a separate city, but it was incorporated into Los Angeles in 1910. Only in recent years has the city truly demonstrated alarm at the crime, poverty, and physical decay of one of its major tourism magnets. City Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg represents the 13th Council District which includes Hollywood. She announced last year at the annual "State of Hollywood" luncheon that in the distribution of resources and attention, Hollywood Boulevard should not be treated as just another neighborhood commercial district. Rather, it should be regarded as a city-wide asset on a par with facilities such as the Port of Los Angeles in its importance to the city's economy.

Through that more optimistic glass, one can see that there have been many concerted efforts made and improvements manifested. The Walt Disney Company has fully restored the El Capitan Theater (1926, Morgan, Walls & Clements), using the theater since 1991 to premiere the studio's new films and for long runs of their animated features. A magnet for family entertainment on the Boulevard, this theater is said to be the top-grossing single-screen theater in the country. The spectacular (but not original) neon marquee and exuberant decoration of the building make the El Capitan a beacon for the west end of the boulevard, rivaling even Grauman's Chinese Theater which continues to thrive across the street. Movie theaters serve as the institutions holding the Boulevard together, continuing to host premieres and special events and draw large crowds.

Hollywood, after all, is synonymous with entertainment. Even as Hollywood the industry has moved out of Hollywood the physical place, the equation of the two has remained. Conscious that this slip was occurring and damaging the economy of the area, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has encouraged certain types of industry-related businesses to locate in Hollywood, and merchants have recently approved the formation of a Business Improvement District. But in terms of the public experience of Hollywood, the purchase of the Egyptian Theatre by the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and its subsequent acquisition by American Cinematheque may be the most important progression of the past five years.