Broadway Was the Place to Be in Downtown's New Year's Past
Los Angeles Daily News / UCLA Digital Collections
People celebrate New Year's Eve on Broadway on December 31, 1940.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — On December 31, 1940, an estimated 500,000 people packed Broadway between 3rd and 8th to celebrate the start of a new year. Warnings against the throwing of confetti were disregarded, but the celebrants were on the whole well-behaved.
It's unclear exactly what year that tradition died out, but mentions of Broadway festivities had vanished from the L.A. Times by the early 1950s.
The tradition may have begun as Los Angeles prepared to ring in 1924. The City Council made an exception to laws forbidding dancing after midnight and Chief of Police August Vollmer banned autos from Broadway between 1st and 9th, and 6th between Hill and Main from 9:30pm to 1am. "Revelers may safely wander all over the streets," wrote the L.A. Times, "so long as they keep off the streetcar tracks, for the cars will be permitted to run as usual."
Angelenos took to the idea. An article from New Year's Day 1931 told of impromptu parades, while a piece on the celebration bidding farewell to 1937 called it a "rootin' tootin' manifestation of western fun and abandon."
The outbreak of war silenced Broadway just one year after the half-million strong crowd, but the celebration was back by December 31, 1943.
By the start of the 1950s, though, the paper no longer carried news of a Broadway celebration. In a June 6, 1960, column, Gene Sherman reminisced about the celebrations. "Seventh and Broadway was very exciting on New Year's Eve. A West Coast edition of Times Square. They'd board up the department store windows against congregants."
Anyone wandering Broadway on New Year's Eve this year will again find boarded up windows -- or at least their modern-day equivalent, the roll-down door -- but congregants will be few and far between.
rhinografix on December 29, 2009, at 04:29PM – #1
bring it back! bring it back!
Hillsman Wright on December 29, 2009, at 06:41PM – #2
Don't worry, it's inevitable - New Year's Eve on Broadway will be back bigger and better than before - and the streetcar will be allowed to continue operation during the melee cum celebration. While a certain new sub-urban development may claim to be the Times Square of Los Angeles, it'll always be the intersection of Broadway and 7th aka Delijani Square. Let's just try not to screw up the Broadway re-boot.
Jasmijn on December 30, 2009, at 10:58AM – #3
Check out this restriction on NYE "rowdyism" from 1909: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedailymirror/2009/12/no-gunfire-for-new-years-eve.html
Excerpts: "In former years the crowds downtown 'to see the new year in' have been noted chiefly for the turbulence of some of their members. Early in the night it has been the custom to flock to the shopping district with horns, firecrackers, torpedo sticks, bugles, bells, and anything that would help make a loud and easily-maintained noise."
The Chief of Police says "There must be no slapping of people on the back, no rude jostling, no disrespectful address of persons one does not know" or they'll take you to jail.
Bixel st on December 30, 2009, at 11:14AM – #4
not a single person of color, times have changed
Commentonthis? on January 01, 2010, at 05:03PM – #5
In the year 4000, because of the laws of genetics and global demographic migration, there will be no natural blonds or redheads. People with blue/green eyes will be stared at because of their novelty.
ubrayj02 on January 03, 2010, at 04:03AM – #6
A car-free Broadway brought the community out to celebrate? DTLA was out-doing the 3rd Street promenade!