Holly Street is a street in Pasadena, California

Pasadena, California

Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...

, notable for leading straight to Pasadena's City Hall and for the many forms the road takes along its length.

History

In the early 20th century, Holly Street was a short, narrow street only 3 blocks long. In the 1920s, a new Civic Center was built, and Holly was extended to City Hall and partially widened to give the Civic Center a "mall" effect, much like Washington, DC. Holly Street was also extended west across the Arroyo Seco. In 1967, a four-block stretch of Holly Street was demolished to make way for the massive intersection of Interstate 210

Interstate 210

Interstate 210 may refer to:*Interstate 210 or the Foothill Freeway, a major east-west freeway running through the valleys north and east of Los Angeles, California*Interstate 210 , a bypass route in Lake Charles, Louisiana...

, Highway 134, and Highway 7. As of 2008, a few proposals have been made to rebuild that section of the street, so that it would run a full 1.5 miles.

Geography

Holly Street's western terminus is on Linda Vista Avenue. From there, Holly Street begins as a high bridge over the Arroyo Seco

Arroyo Seco

The Arroyo Seco, meaning "dry stream" in Spanish, is a seasonal river, canyon, watershed, and cultural area in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The Arroyo Seco has been called the most celebrated canyon in Southern California.-River course:...

. Because it is a concrete arch, it has been compared to a miniature version of the Colorado Street Bridge

Colorado Street Bridge

The Colorado Street Bridge is a historic concrete arch bridge in Pasadena, California, USA. Because it spans the Arroyo Seco, it is often referred to in the press as the "Arroyo Seco Bridge".-History:...

 just 2000 feet downstream. This portion of Holly Street abruptly turns into a freeway ramp for Route 134.
Holly begins again on Pasadena Avenue, though it used as a private driveway for Parsons

Parsons Corporation

Parsons Corporation is an engineering, construction, and technical and management services firm headquartered in Pasadena, California. Founded in 1944 by engineer Ralph M. Parsons, Parsons Corporation is currently one of the largest such companies in the United States, with revenues exceeding...

, which maintains office buildings on both sides of the street. Holly Street becomes open to the public east of De Lacey Avenue.
Holly Street reaches its narrowest point, 20 feet, at the Metro Gold Line's Memorial Park Station; but the street quickly widens to 60 feet (200 feet, if one includes pedestrian walkways and grass easement) as it approaches City Hall. Though the Street officially ends here, a wide pedestrian walkway continues through City Hall and beyond to Los Robles Avenue.