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'La Brea Avenue' is a prominent north/south thoroughfare in Los Angeles. After Hawthorne Boulevard intersects with Century Boulevard in Inglewood, La Brea Avenue is formed. La Brea passes north through Windsor Hills, Baldwin Hills, and Ladera Heights. It passes directly through the Kenneth Hahn Recreation Center. Further north, La Brea passes the Fairfax District, the Mid City District, Park La Brea, and Hancock Park. "La Brea" is Spanish for "the tar", a reference to the La Brea Tar Pits.
La Brea near Wilshire is home to Museum Row, including landmarks such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the La Brea Tar Pits, and the George C. Page Museum. La Brea north of Wilshire Boulevard and south of Melrose Avenue is filled with trendy designer boutiques, antique stores, and eateries. The famed La Brea Bakery is located between Wilshire and 6th, on La Brea. La Brea is also home to The Lyric Theatre and Pink's Hot Dogs.
La Brea eventually ends north of Hollywood Boulevard at Franklin Avenue. For nearly all of its distance, La Brea is parallel to La Cienega Boulevard.
The section of La Brea in Inglewood was known in its early history as Commercial Street.
In its northern-most reaches, La Brea was Arroyo La Brea, coming from a (now capped) spring in the Santa Monica mnts. That is what helped form the original reservoir in what is now Hahn Park.
Metro Local lines 40, 212, 312, and Metro Rapid 740 serve La Brea Avenue.