Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Hollywood. It forms the northern boundary of Little Armenia and runs through Thai Town. After crossing the Hollywood Freeway, it runs through central Hollywood and heads into a tourist area, including attractions such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hollywood and Highland district. At its western end, after crossing Fairfax Avenue, Hollywood Boulevard merges into northbound Laurel Canyon Boulevard which continues north into the western Hollywood Hills. Hollywood Blvd continues westbound as a winding residential street. Three B (Red) Line Metro Rail stations are located on Hollywood Boulevard: Hollywood/Western station, Hollywood/Vine station, and Hollywood/Highland station. History 1890s to 1910 Part of today's Hollywood Boulevard was called Prospect Avenue, a dusty road that ran through Hollywood towards the neighboring city of Los Angeles. In December 1899, a new railroad construction began to connect Hollywood with Los Angeles in a project that was led by Peter Beveridge, H.J. Whitley, and Griffith J. Griffith. In May 1900, the railroad connecting Hollywood and Los Angeles was completed, and another one was under construction. In 1901, the Town of Hollywood opened the new macadamized road surface with electric railway that ran down its center between Laurel Canyon and Western. Eventually, the road was widened from 20 feet wide to almost 100 feet wide in some areas. In 1903, Hollywood became a municipality, and Prospect Avenue became sometimes called as the Boulevard of Hollywood, albeit unofficially. In 1910, the town of Hollywood was incorporated into Los Angeles, and Prospect Avenue was officially renamed Hollywood Boulevard. 1920s In the early 1920s, real estate developer Charles E. Toberman (the "Father of Hollywood") envisioned a thriving Hollywood theater district. Toberman was involved in 36 real estate development projects while building the Max Factor Building, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and the Hollywood Masonic Temple. He partnered with Sid Grauman, and they opened the three themed theaters: Egyptian, El Capitan ("The Captain") (1926), and Chinese. Regional shopping district In the 1920s the boulevard and adjacent streets became a major regional shopping district, both for everyday needs and appliances, but increasingly also for high-end clothing and accessories, in part because of the nearby film studios. Chains that opened includes Schwab's in 1921, Mullen & Bluett in