Welcome to L.A. Street Names, the origin stories of street names across Los Angeles County, from the shortest cul-de-sacs to the longest boulevards. Mysteries solved, myths debunked, scandals exposed, history revealed. This is an ongoing project with more than 2,000 streets – and growing. See FAQ for more information.
Featured Major Street
Harvey Drive
John Harvey McCarthy (1870-1935) was a realtor/developer with a flair for self-promotion, dubious business practices, and getting beaten up. (He was clobbered in public on at least two occasions.) The son of a gold miner-turned-newsman, McCarthy was born and raised in San Diego. He established his first business, a grocery store, when he was just 19, and saw his first legal trouble two years later when he was arrested for impersonating a customs official. (He was smuggling horses across the U.S./Mexico border.) McCarthy joined his dad in the newspaper trade until 1901, when the whole family moved up to L.A. and McCarthy got into real estate and politics. In late 1921, after setting up numerous tracts across the Southland, McCarthy bought land at the east end of Glendale’s Broadway and started building a tract here called Eagle Glen Heights. After naming Harvey Drive after himself and selling a few lots, McCarthy turned his attentions to what became his signature project: Carthay Center, a.k.a. Carthay Circle. See McCarthy Vista for more.
