Rodeo Drive is a world-renowned, two-mile-long street located in Beverly Hills, California. Known as one of the most expensive streets in the world, it has become a symbol of luxury and prestige.
The history of Rodeo Drive dates back to 1906 when Burton E. Green and other investors purchased the property that would become Beverly Hills. The area was formerly named Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas and was planned as a mixed-use subdivision with a branch of the Los Angeles and Pacific Railway running North on Rodeo Drive before turning west at Sunset Boulevard.
In its early years, Rodeo Drive was a business street with hardware stores, gas stations, beauty shops, and bookstores. However, the street underwent a significant transformation in the 1960s. In 1961, Fred Hayman, known as “the father of Rodeo Drive,” opened Giorgio Beverly Hills, the street’s first high-end boutique. This sparked a trend that led to the opening of other luxury retailers such as Gucci, Tiffany, and Van Cleef & Arpels.
By the late 1940s, as the nation entered the post-World War II recovery, the city began to develop rapidly. With Rodeo Drive as its focus, the commercial district came to be called the Golden Triangle as an ever-increasing number of internationally renowned retailers opened there.
Today, Rodeo Drive is synonymous with opulence and extravagance. Its southern terminus is at Beverwil Drive, and its northern terminus is at its intersection with Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The name is most commonly used metonymically to refer to the three-block stretch of the street between Wilshire Boulevard and Little Santa Monica Boulevard.
Whether you’re interested in high-end shopping or just want to soak up the atmosphere of one of the world’s most famous streets, a visit to Rodeo Drive is a must when in Beverly Hills.
Visit:
We’ve frequented this place numerous times during our stay in Los Angeles, always captivated by the dazzling spectacle on display. The luxury brands parade their goods in stunning window exhibits, enticing those who stroll by. It’s all in good fun.