As Los Angeles’ population increased in the 1900s, neighborhoods such as Silver Lake and Hollywood climbed into the surrounding hills. Since many people didn’t have cars, over 400 public staircases were built into the hillsides. This allowed residents easy access to the main thoroughfares where the trains and trolleys ran. The amazing thing is, many of these staircases are still there, and many of them are still kept in relatively good condition by the city.