1998 Promotional Pictorial View, Los Angeles Tech Industry

A fascinating snapshot of L.A.'s underappreciated tech industry on the eve of the dot-com bubble burst, this large pictorial view was produced by Bayside Promotions in 1998.

A Closer Look

Oriented towards the northeast (taking some artistic liberties with geographical consistency), this pictorial view highlights tech companies, mostly on the west side of Los Angeles, which proliferated in the late 1990s in the run up to the dot-com bubble burst. A grid surrounds the map, corresponding to an index of companies and offices at bottom. Some familiar names appear, including Microsoft, Idealab, and Silicon Valley Bank, alongside lesser known and short-lived neighbors. Neighborhoods and cities are labelled throughout, with illustrations of local landmarks, businesses, and human figures. L.A.'s distinctive art deco City Hall appears at right (imprecisely next to Century City), noting Mayor Riordan's LA Business Team (the recently-deceased mayor, known for his business-friendly policies, was himself a successful entrepreneur and investor before entering politics).

Rise, Decline, and Revival of L.A.'s Tech Industries

Though less renowned than the San Francisco Bay Area for its contributions to 21st century technologies, Southern California has had an active tech sector for years and was especially important for the development of the internet. Another strength has been technology firms that integrate with L.A.'s established dominance in film, music, video games, and advertising.

The phrase 'digital coast' used in the title emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s to refer to technology companies in Los Angeles, particularly on the west side of the city. The term seems to have dropped out of use following the dot-com bubble burst, but these firms undoubtedly helped lay the groundwork for the rise (or revival) of tech-related industries on the west side of L.A. in recent years, which has led to the area (especially the stretch between Santa Monica and LAX) being dubbed 'Silicon Beach.'

Publication History and Census

This view was published by Bayside Promotions in 1998. No information is available on the company, but Art Bodner, illustrated and quoted at bottom-left, appears to have been involved with the production of other promotional maps throughout the 1990s, though not always under the title Bayside Promotions. An empty box at bottom-right might have been meant to be filled by various different sponsors. We are unaware of any other examples of this map in institutional collections or on the market.