Is Downtown's Georgia Street the Next Hollywood Boulevard?

Actress Camila Belle poses for photos at Regal Cinemas L.A. Live for the premiere of Sony Pictures 2012 | Photo by Eric Richardson/blogdowntown

No, downtown does not have a bunch of crunchy cheezeball souvenir shops, superheroes or stars embedded in the sidewalk. It does, however, have a convenient spot for movie premieres along the relatively unknown Georgia Street. Such an unremarkable name, but one that means less impacts to neighbors, traffic and, well, a movie studio's wallet.

You see, on Monday, the new Regal Cinemas held its first movie premiere--for 2012--and it hopes to host more. "The debut screening took place inside the new venue's 806-seat Premiere House, designed to lure such events away from Westwood and Hollywood" explained Eric Richardson at blogdowntown. "One of the Regal's selling points for premieres is that the events can be held without having to go to the city for street closure permits."

Officials like Mayor Villaraigosa love to refer to L.A. Live as our very own Times Square. That's a lot of hyperbole, but the development has become quite a star--love it or hate--in its own right. And it's not even finished--the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels will open next year.

Previously on LAist: Tinsel Downtown: LA's Core Starts to Show Some Star Power