Downtown Burbank is experiencing a notable surge in activity and development, contrasting sharply with the ongoing struggles faced by Downtown Los Angeles. Local officials and business leaders credit a collaborative approach focused on streamlined city services and community engagement for the area’s growth.
In a recent example, Kurt Kaufman of West Coast Investors, a property owner in central Burbank, highlighted how city support helped secure a Van Leeuwen Ice Cream shop as a tenant. When representatives from Van Leeuwen visited the space in April, a senior city official was present to facilitate the lease process, assuring the company that Burbank operates differently from Los Angeles in terms of bureaucratic efficiency. As a result, Van Leeuwen was able to open during the summer’s peak season, months ahead of its original schedule.
City officials attribute the downtown revival to a multifaceted strategy that balances business attraction, homeless outreach, and public space maintenance. Patrick Prescott, Burbank’s Community Development Director, emphasized the importance of consistent effort, stating that success requires ongoing focus on cleanliness, support for local enterprises, and effective marketing to draw shoppers, diners, and commuters.
This proactive stance marks a departure from Burbank’s mid-20th-century reputation, once the subject of jokes on programs like “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” The area retains some longstanding fixtures, including Bob’s Big Boy—the last remaining location of the once-widespread restaurant chain—and Milt & Edie’s, a tailor and dry cleaner operating since the 1980s.
Today, younger city staffers are building a new identity for Burbank, seeking to emphasize its role as a hub for major entertainment studios such as Warner Bros. Discovery and Walt Disney. The community’s ties to Hollywood history remain, with the local airport renamed in 2017 to honor comedic legend Bob Hope, but the focus is increasingly on fostering a vibrant and accessible downtown environment.
As Burbank’s downtown area continues to attract investment and visitors, it offers a case study in municipal responsiveness and collaborative urban management, standing in stark contrast to the challenges currently faced by neighboring Los Angeles.