Larchmont Blvd. was the place to be on Sunday as community leaders and neighbors celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the community’s main street. Festivities organized by the Larchmont Boulevard Association centered around a tower of vanilla cupcakes that managed to stay intact despite repeated concerns expressed by event showrunner John Welborne, publisher of the Larchmont Chronicle. Then, instead of cutting a cake, the celebrants each raised a cupcake in tribute during a celebratory round of “Happy Birthday Larchmont!”
Dignitaries CD4 City Councilmember Nithya Raman, California State Senator Ben Allen, and California State Assemblymember Richard Bloom spoke, offering their congratulations to the community and recognition of the special nature of Larchmont Blvd. as the main street for the surrounding neighborhoods of Larchmont Village, Windsor Square and Hancock Park and beyond.
Joining the elected officials below the dais were representatives of the neighborhood associations that share Larchmont Blvd. Charlie D’Atri, President, Larchmont Village Neighborhood, Cindy Chvatal-Keane, President of the Hancock Park Homeowners Association, and Larry Guzin, President Windsor Square Association. They were joined by neighborhood leaders who helped organize the day’s festivities including Lyn MacEwen Cohen, Founder First-In Fire Foundation; Heather Duffy Boylston, Larchmont Village BID; John Winther, President, Larchmont Boulevard Association, Conrad Starr, President of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council. LAPD Wilshire Division Captain Sonja Monico and LAFD Chief Robert Takeshita also saluted the street’s birthday.
Following the cupcake event, Councilmember Raman headed down the street for a ceremonial watering of Larchmont’s newest street tree. She was joined by Stephen Duprey from the City’s Department of Urban Forestry, who, along with Heather Boylston and Windsor Square resident Helen Hartung, arranged for the tree to be planted. Todd Warner, owner of Tailwaggers, has agreed to water the tree, fulfilling the city’s requirement to have someone tend to the new tree for the next several years.
Perhaps the best part of the day was the re-arrangement of the Larchmont Farmers Market, with many booths moved out of the city parking lot and lining the west side of the street instead. Merchants in the market and in the shops told the Buzz they really liked the new configuration, which reduced crowding and spread shoppers and strollers along the street. The whole street vibe was buzzing with activity that seemed to appeal to everyone, and both shops and restaurants seemed to benefit from the extended foot traffic.
We’d like to suggest one modification:Â close the street except access to the city parking garage, where we found ample parking at the height of the day. Â Let us know what you think.
More photos from the Centennial:
Great event Sunday, weather turned out to be perfect too. I agree, would be a nice way to expand the farmers market up/down both sides of the Blvd. Was a pleasant surprise to find the missing vendors in the usual parking lot spots just down the block. Perhaps it’s an option to do every Sunday?