Is Sunset Blvd Dead?! What Changed? | 1952 vs. 2026

Everyone says Sunset Boulevard is dead. But what changed and what’s still here? With 1952 footage above and 2026 below, we travel through Hollywood toward the Sunset Strip, comparing the same road across 74 years. Along the way, we explore a shopping center’s connection to a double murder, lost celebrity hangouts, and surviving landmarks that still carry traces of Hollywood’s golden age. From Crossroads of the World and Schwab’s Pharmacy to the Garden of Allah, Chateau Marmont, Sunset Tower, and Ciro’s now the Comedy Store this video essay looks beyond the shuttered storefronts to ask how Hollywood’s changing fortunes shaped the boulevard. What did Los Angeles preserve? What did it tear down? And can Sunset come back? Which lost Sunset landmark would you bring back? Leave a comment, and subscribe to Past Forward for more archival drives through Los Angeles and beyond. #SunsetBoulevard #LosAngelesHistory #HollywoodHistory #ThenAndNow #PastForward