\o7 The names of many Los Angeles streets have changed repeatedly over the years, reflecting the city's transformation from a tiny Mexican colonial town to a booming metropolis. Some streets, predictably, honor war heroes and explorers. But others have been named for trees, actors, land developers and--in one case--the proximity of a bullfighting ring.
These days, it is not easy to change the name of a street. You must submit petitions signed by the majority of landowners along the route to the Land Development and Mapping Division of the Bureau of Engineering. After other residents get a chance to object, a name-change ordinance is drafted and sent to the local City Council member, the council's Public Works Committee and, finally, the full council for approval.
People living along private thoroughfares may have to pay up to $1,000 to alter street \f7 signs. There is no charge, however, with a public street. It cost the city about $70,000 for \o7 new signs when Santa Barbara Avenue became Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in 1982.
At last count there were 953 private and 8,845 public streets in Los Angeles. Since the mid-1930s, ordinances have required that the ones running north\f7 -\o7 south be called avenues and those running east\f7 -\o7 west be called streets.
Listed below are the current names of some of the city's streets, the dates they were dedicated and some of their history.\f7
Aliso Street: 1854 When early settlers arrived at the Los Angeles River (El Rio de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles de Porcinucula) by way of Mission Road, they picked as a nearby gathering point a huge sycamore that gave them shelter and became a landmark, "El Aliso." That Spanish word for sycamore was later used to name the road carved out near the river, which then was not a concrete channel.
Alpine Street: 1887 Before it was named for one of California's 58 counties, it had been known as the Street of the Virgins, a place where the young ladies of the pueblo strolled with their \o7 duenas \f7 (chaperones) past admiring \o7 caballeros \f7 (gentlemen).
Alvarado Street: 1855 Named after Gov. Juan Bautista Alvarado, who in 1836 became the first governor to promote public education.
