Hollywood

Robert A. Jones’ concern about the nature of Hollywood’s revitalization should be shared by all Angelenos (“Waiting for Life on the Boulevard,” April 19).

The charm and elegance of the old Hollywood came from the area’s marvelous chateaux and Hollywood Boulevard’s Art Deco and Spanish Colonial Revival architecture of the 1920s and ‘30s. Most of these buildings are still standing. Any large-scale development should complement or follow their designs.

The garish Galaxy complex does not belong in this architectural milieu. Ironically, the Galaxy replaced a once-elegant apartment building called the Garden Court, a 1919 Beaux Art edifice.

I hope the TrizecHahn complex does not contribute a whole city block of more garishness.

Although the Hollywood Entertainment Museum is at present a disappointment, this may change down the line as the museum’s collection of Hollywood memorabilia grows. There is reason to be optimistic. The restored Egyptian will become a mecca for film buffs and historians alike. The El Capitan is back, as is the restored Roosevelt Hotel.

Remember, the old boulevard was low-key, high-class and rarely garish. That is what, I think, all of us want in the new boulevard.

MICHAEL FAWCETT, Los Osos