Holly Street (Pasadena, California)

the Memorial Park Station, located on Holly Street.

Pasadena City Hall, as seen from Holly Street.

Holly Street is a street in Pasadena, California, 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, 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. Because it is a concrete arch, it has been compared to a miniature version of the Colorado Street Bridge 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, 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.

References