Hollywood represents not just a city but an industry flourishing in film making. Before Hollywood acquired the title of being the world entertainment Mecca, real estate development was the city’s backbone industry. In fact, the naming of the town and erection of the Hollywood sign can be traced back to developments in real estate, the city’s original economic mainstay. The Hollywood sign which connoted the city was erected in the year 1923 by Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler at a cost of 21,000 dollars as a billboard for his upcoming Hollywood land real estate development. The sign originally read “Hollywood land” as opposing to Hollywood that we are so much accustomed to. The original sign was made of 13 letters each measuring 30 feet wide and 50 feet tall, very massive structure which had to be dragged up Mt. Lee on dirt paths. The sign became a property of the city authorities in 1944 when the Hollywood land real estate development became a victim of the economic depression. The Hollywood sign, through Hollywood’s Chamber of Commerce, was brought down and underwent rebuilding at a cost of million dollars; a process that left Hollywood with no sign for a solid three months.
For my coursework, together with friends, I undertook a hiking activity of the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles California. The 6.2 miles roundtrip took an approximate time of three hours. Hollywood sign can be accessed through the Hollywood trail, Canyon Boulevard trail among others. We used the Canyon Boulevard trail which happens to be part of the Griffith Observatory, our starting being at the Griffith Observatory parking lot which apparently charges no parking fee. The trail led up an incline around Mt. Hollywood also referred to as Dante’s peak; an activity that the tour guide explained to us was meant to help us save the much needed energy for the rest of the walk. We then headed to the north side of the hill that finally brought us to the semi-leveled trail which took us to the last hill. Upon arrival on the last hill, we went up Mt. Lee from where we had a breathtaking view of the Hollywood sign letters, Hollywood reservoir together with the glamour and fun of Hollywood itself down below.
Hiking in the Hollywood sign was in overall a great eye-opener into the history of the great American city and the changes that have taken place from the laying the original Hollywood land sign to the current Hollywood sign. Through it all we learn a lot of how the sign changed hands from being a private property to an iconic public property that not only acted as a city’s landmark, but a symbol of the world’s number one movie making industry. The hiking exercise also provided us a good avenue to interact as friends and strengthened the bond of friendship that existed among us. Each individual’s special skills and talent were also brought into the open as we tried to overcome group challenges that often arise in community-like groups. Although trips and hike are resource intensive ventures, the benefits gained in engaging in them outnumber the financial disadvantages among other resources commitments like time.
References
Information About Hiking to the Hollywood Sign. (n.d.). The Hollywood Sign. Retrieved April 18, 2014, from http://www.hollywoodsign.org/
