Harlow Avenue was designed as a frontage road in 1963. At the time, the Santa Monica Freeway (a.k.a. the 10) was being constructed, which was going to turn all the streets between Castle Heights and Durango (save Bagley) into dead ends. Harlow Avenue was thus laid out in order to connect the streets. Was it a tribute to the late MGM movie star Jean Harlow (née Harlean Carpenter, 1911-1937)? Quite possibly, but no official explanation was ever given: when asked in a July 29th, 1963 news article, even Palms insider David I. Worsfold – Chamber of Commerce leader, mapmaker, and historian – could only guess that the blonde bombshell was the street’s namesake.
Find it on the map:
