From Broadway Department Store to Condo

The Broadway Hollywood has been gracing the corner of Hollywood and Vine with its elegant presence for eighty years. Designed by noted Angeleno architect Frederick Rice Dorn and built by businessman Frank R. Strong, this emblematic structure now serves as a visual reminder of Hollywoodís glory days as well as a symbol of the renaissance itís enjoying today.

When The Broadway Hollywood first opened its doors in 1927, it was known as the B.H. Dyas Building, after the B.H. Dyas Specialty Emporium that it housed. One of Los Angelesí first department stores and the first one in Hollywood, B.H. Dyas moved out at the onset of the Great Depression and the building was then leased by The Broadway Department Store.

Known simply as The Broadway Hollywood, the Broadway Department Store quickly established a presence in the neighborhood, becoming a favorite shopping destination of L.A.ís rich and famous. To serve its growing clientele, an addition built along the lines of the more austere Streamline Moderne style and designed by Parkinson & Parkinson was constructed on the original buildingís south side.

A bastion of style, it is said that womenís slacks were first sold in the Broadway Department Store even before Fifth Avenue retailers carried them. The building was also featured in the Charlie Chaplin classic, 'Modern Times.'

The Broadway Department Store would eventually close its doors, but not after more than 50 years of being a trendsetter and fashion arbiter. The Broadway Hollywood building itself has remained standing, however, playing host to offices before being revamped and reincarnated as the stylish, luxurious loft condominium that is now one of the most sought-after pieces of real estate in Hollywood.