Main Street is a major north–south thoroughfare in Los Angeles, California. It serves as the east–west postal divider for the city and the county as well.

Route

From the northeast, Main Street begins as a continuation of Valley Boulevard west of Mission Road in Lincoln Heights as 'North Main Street'. Main Street enters Downtown Los Angeles passing by the edge of the Los Angeles Plaza. It continues through the Civic Center area, which is built on top of the site of the buildings — nearly all demolished — that in the 1880s through 1900s formed the city's Central Business District. At 3rd Street it enters the Historic Core district. At 9th Street, it merges with Spring Street in Downtown LA, and between Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and 9th Street, Main Street shares a one-way couplet with Spring Street. Main Street continues south through South Los Angeles and enters Carson 2 mi north at the intersection of Lomita Boulevard. In Wilmington Main Street moniker ends, the street continuing on as Wilmington Boulevard.

Buildings and sites north of US-101

Buildings and sites from US-101 to Third Street

Buildings and sites south of Third Street

Sources include the Clason map of Downtown Los Angeles:

300 block

On the west side of Main St. south of 3rd Street were: On the east side of Main St. south of 3rd Street were:

4th and Main

5th and Main

6th and Main

7th and Main

8th and Main

9th and Main

Theaters on Main Street

While the Broadway Theater and Commercial District several blocks west is famous enough to warrant constituting a National Register-listed historic district, Main Street was home to dozens of theatres and early cinemas as well. The peak era was the early 1910s, before the more upscale cinema market migrated west to Broadway. There were 27 theaters and cinemas running on Main in 1912. In 1939 there were still 18 operating between 2nd and 9th streets.

Transportation

Main Street carries Metro Local lines: 10, 33, 48, 55, 76, and 92; most of those lines run on Main Street in downtown only, while Line 76 serves Main Street in Northeast Los Angeles and Line 48 in South Los Angeles. The A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail System meets Main Street at its intersection with North Vignes Street near the Chinatown Station. The B and D lines are just past the intersection of Main Street and North Alameda Street near Union Station.

Architecture map