Location
Bordered By
- Carthay Circle in the South
- Beverly Hills in the West
- Santa Monica Mountains in the North
- Hollywood in the East
West Hollywood: A Brief History
West Hollywood was once known as the town of Sherman. It was also the location of the main railroad yards for the Los Angeles Railroad during the 1800s. In the early 1900s, Sherman decided against incorporation into the City of Los Angeles.
It wasn't until the '20s that Sherman became known as West Hollywood. Yet it still remained unincorporated. At that time, prohibition having been repealed, night clubs like the Trocadero started cropping up on its soon-to-be-infamous Sunset Strip.
A few decades later, in the '50s, West Hollywood also became home to denizens of the design and decoration industries (more specifically the neighborhood near Beverly and Robertson--which continue to attract those sorts of retailers today). But it wasn't until 1975 that design's architectural crown prince—the Pacific Design Center—was built, solidifying the association between West Hollywood, and the arts and design.
Sunset Boulevard had a revival during the '60s and became a hot bed of rock n' roll activity. Now the night club names on everybody's lips were the Whisky-a-Go-Go (where The Doors played) and The Roxy. This was the beginning of a long, beautiful relationship between the (music) entertainment industry and West Hollywood.
The '80s brought a flurry of activity to West Hollywood. Its senior citizens and gay and lesbian communities joined forces to fight the threat to end rent control. And West Hollywood became its own incorporated city in 1984.
Valerie Terrigno was the first city council of West Hollywood. She was also the first lesbian mayor of an incorporated municipality in the U.S.
West Hollywood Today
West Hollywood is home to colorful, creative and diverse clusters of communities, from senior citizens and the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered) communities, to members of the local entertainment industry. Its two most famous thoroughfares are the Sunset Strip and Santa Monica Boulevard (the latter is home to the annual Gay Pride Festival and Parade).
In the last decade, the City of West Hollywood has undertaken projects to strengthen its economy, including revitalization of the City's East Side and approval of a plan to promote quality development along historic Sunset Boulevard.
The arts are so very much incorporated in today's West Hollywood that you will see and experience them on the street as you're driving, walking or bicycling by. Such initiatives include 'Guitartown,' for which over 25 fiberglass Gibson Les Paul guitars measuring ten feet were strategically placed around the city.
Speaking of walking or bicycling by, West Hollywood is known for its bike paths along Santa Monica Blvd., as well as for being a pedestrian-friendly quarter.
West Hollywood Sites and Historical Buildings
- The Pacific Design Center
- The Annenberg Space For Photography
- Rocky and Bullwinkle Statue
- Sunset Tower Hotel
- Chateau Marmont
- West Hollywood Farmers Market
West Hollywood Businesses
- Santa Palm Car Wash
- Koontz Hardware
- Book Soup
- Aaron Brothers (art/framing mart)
- Pavilions Market
- Bonhams and Butterfields Auctioneers
- Studs at the Pussycat Theatre (adult, gay)
West Hollywood Restaurants and Bars
- Dan Tana's
- Rainbow Bar and Grill
- The Viper Room
- Duke's
- Coach & Horses
- The Whisky
- Hugo's Restaurant
- The Silver Spoon
- Hamburger Mary's
- Bar Marmont
- Chin Chin
- Asia de Cuba
- Talesai
- The Troubadour
- Clafoutis
Famous Residents of West Hollywood
- Frank Sinatra
- Charlie Chaplin
- Howard Hughes
- Katherine Hepburn
- Marlene Dietrich
Schools in the West Hollywood Area
- Fairfax High School
- West Hollywood College Prep School
- Pacific Hills School
- Maimonides Academy
- Larchmont Charter School West Hollywood
- West Hollywood Elementary School
- Center For Early Education
- West Hollywood Children's Academy
- ABC Little School
- West Hollywood Preschool
- Holloway School
- Doheny School
- The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
- Academy of Couture Art
Real Estate Facts
- Population: 36,933
- Overall school district performance: 695 (quite far from the statewide target of 800)
- Highest condo price on record: $6.4 million (12 bedroom, 9 bath)
- Lowest condo price on record: $200,000 (3 bedroom, 2 bath)
- Crime index (measures violent crime reported - lower number is better): 22, approximately 22% higher than the LA County average
Facts pulled from: LA Life: West Hollywood
