Los Angeles to Study Public Drinking Zones Downtown and in Hollywood
The Los Angeles City Council voted 12-0 on October 28 to ask city departments and state alcohol regulators to assess whether designated entertainment zones could be established in downtown Los Angeles and near the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The zones would allow adults to take alcoholic drinks purchased at licensed bars or restaurants into specified public areas.
The Department of City Planning, other city departments, the Los Angeles Police Department, the city’s legal office and California’s alcohol-beverage regulator have 60 days to assess whether the idea is workable. Their review is to address possible locations, operating hours, safety measures and enforcement. The council’s vote directs a study; it does not establish the zones.
In May, Councilmembers Ysabel Jurado and Hugo Soto-Martínez put forward the proposal. Soto-Martínez amended it during the October 28 meeting to include a study of one or more areas near Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. The proposal follows a 2024 state law allowing local governments to authorize such areas. Similar zones operate in Culver City and Santa Monica.
Downtown business owners and neighborhood representatives have voiced support, pointing to the area’s struggle to draw visitors and arguing that more activity could help businesses and make streets feel safer. The Downtown Neighborhood Council favors set operating days and has suggested starting close to Spring Street and Broadway, an existing cluster of bars. City officials are expected to receive the study within 60 days.
LA’s Drinking-Zone Plan Needs Public-Safety Safeguards
Los Angeles is weighing a new way to bring people back to downtown businesses, but the council’s unanimous vote is only a call for a study—not permission to drink openly across the city. On October 28, members voted 12-0 to examine designated entertainment zones downtown and near the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The proposal would let adults carry drinks bought at licensed bars or restaurants within specified areas. City planners, the LAPD, the city’s legal office and state alcohol regulators have 60 days to assess locations, hours, safety measures and enforcement. Those protections matter: a plan meant to enliven public spaces must also account for the people who live and work there.
In May, Councilmembers Ysabel Jurado and Hugo Soto-Martínez put forward the measure, and Soto-Martínez added the Hollywood-area study at the October 28 meeting. The effort follows a 2024 state law permitting local governments to authorize these zones. Similar areas are operating in Culver City and Santa Monica.
Downtown business owners and neighborhood representatives say more activity could help draw visitors and make streets safer. The neighborhood council has proposed set operating days and starting near Spring Street and Broadway, where bars are established. The next step is a detailed review of whether those goals can be met with clear, locally tailored safeguards; the council has not yet approved any zone.
LA Should Prove Public Drinking Zones Can Be Enforced
Los Angeles officials are considering a significant change to public drinking rules in two busy areas, but the council has not approved any zones. Its 12-0 vote on October 28 asks city departments and state regulators to determine whether the idea can be made workable—and how enforcement would function.
The proposed zones would allow adults to carry drinks purchased at licensed bars or restaurants in designated public spaces. The 60-day review is to examine locations, operating hours, community-specific safety measures and enforcement protocols, involving city planners, the LAPD, the City Attorney and California alcohol regulators. Those details will determine whether the plan is more than a promise to attract visitors.
The study covers downtown Los Angeles and, after an amendment by Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, one or more possible locations near the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Councilmembers Soto-Martínez and Ysabel Jurado introduced the proposal in May. A 2024 state law allows local governments to authorize entertainment zones; similar zones are active in Culver City and Santa Monica.
Downtown business owners and neighborhood representatives argue that more foot traffic could help businesses and make streets safer. The Downtown Neighborhood Council favors operation on set days and has proposed Spring Street and Broadway as a starting point. But economic hopes do not settle the practical question: officials still need to show how public drinking would be managed in the proposed locations. The 60-day study is the next test.
Reported by New York Post, CBS Los Angeles.
