Former President Obama will join a list of past chief executive in Los Angeles when Rodeo Road in the Crenshaw District will be renamed Barack Obama Boulevard.
“We’re thrilled that Angelenos and visitors will forever be reminded of the legacy of President Barack Obama when traveling across L.A.,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted this week. Los Angeles already has Washington, Jefferson and Adams boulevards.
For non residents, Rodeo Road should not be confused with Rodeo Drive, the posh stretch of glitter traversing through Beverly Hills. Rodeo Road is situated in a more residential area of the city with several schools and recreation centers near Baldwin Hills and Leimert Park.
Garcetti’s and Obama’s relationship goes back to the former president’s 2008 campaign locally when Garcetti served as co-chair of the presidential run. Obama would later endorse Garcetti in his mayoral reelection campaign in 2017, calling him a “friend, loyal ally and a great and visionary mayor of Los Angeles.”
Garcetti is seen as a possible 2020 presidential contender after announcing earlier this year that he would not be a candidate for California governor. He told the New York Times that he considers himself part of “impatient next generation” as Democrats strategize who will lead the party in the next presidential election.
