It’s no joke, although someone must have been having a laugh: Thorne Street was originally called Rose Street. This was back in 1886. Fourteen years later, after Los Angeles annexed the Garvanza neighborhood, the Board of Public Works decided that Rose Street would be renamed Thorne Street, so as not to create postal or service conflicts with DTLA’s own Rose Street. This new name was surely a tongue-in-cheek solution – so why not “Thorn Street”? I assume because that silent “e” adds a bit of class and isn’t as prickly-sounding.
Find it on the map:
