West Hollywood is a city in

Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the List of United States counties and county equivalents, most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 202 ...

, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the

Sunset Strip The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California, United States. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western bord ...

. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757.

History

Most historical writings about West Hollywood begin in the late-18th century with

European colonization The phenomenon of colonization is one that stretches around the globe and across time. Ancient and medieval colonialism was practiced by various civilizations such as the Phoenicians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Han Chinese, and A ...

when the Portuguese explorer

João Rodrigues Cabrilho João is a given name of Portuguese origin. It is equivalent to the given name John. The diminutive is Joãozinho and the feminine is Joana. It is widespread in Portuguese-speaking countries. Notable people with the name are enumerated in the ...

traveled to and eventually laid claim on the region for

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. Around 5,000 of the indigenous inhabitants from the

Tongva The Tongva ( ) are an Indigenous peoples of California, Indigenous people of California from the Los Angeles Basin and the Channel Islands of California, Southern Channel Islands, an area covering approximately . In the precolonial era, the peop ...

Indian tribe In the United States, an American Indian tribe, Native American tribe, Alaska Native village, Indigenous tribe, or Tribal nation may be any current or historical tribe, band, or nation of Native Americans in the United States. Modern forms of t ...

canoed out to greet the ship. The

tribe was a nation of hunter-gatherers known for their reverence for dance and courage. By 1771, these native people had been severely ravaged by the diseases brought in by the Europeans from across wide oceans. The Spanish mission system referred to the Tongva tribe as "Gabrielinos", in reference to the Mission de San Gabriel. Early in 1770

Gaspar de Portola Gaspar is a given and/or surname of French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish origin, cognate to Casper (given name) or Casper (surname). It is a name of christian origin, per Saint Gaspar, one of the three wise men mentioned in the Armenian I ...

's Mexican expeditionary force stopped just south of the

Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encompasses this mountain range. Because of its p ...

near what would become West Hollywood. Here they collected pitch (''brea'' in Spanish) from

tar pit Tar pits, sometimes referred to as asphalt pits, are large Bitumen, asphalt deposits. They form in the presence of petroleum, which is created when decayed organic matter is subjected to pressure underground. If this crude oil seeps upward via ...

s which they used to waterproof their belongings and to say Mass. The Gabrielinos are believed to have burned the pitch for fuel. By 1780, what became the "

" was the major connecting road for El

Pueblo de Los Angeles Pueblo refers to the settlements of the Pueblo peoples, Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, currently in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. The permanent communities, including some of the oldest continually occupied settlemen ...

, and all ranches westward to the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

. This land passed through the hands of various owners during the next one hundred years, and it was called names such as "La Brea" and "Plummer" that are listed in historical records. Most of this area was part of the

Rancho La Brea Rancho La Brea was a Mexican land grant in present-day Los Angeles County, California, given in 1828 to Antonio Jose Rocha and Nemisio Dominguez by José Antonio Carrillo, the alcalde of Los Angeles. Rancho La Brea consisted of one square l ...

, and eventually it came to be owned by the

Henry Hancock Henry Hancock (April 11, 1822January 9, 1883) was a lawyer and a land surveyor working in California in the 1850s. He was the owner of Rancho La Brea, which included the La Brea Tar Pits. Early life Henry Hancock was born in Bath, New Hampshir ...

family. During the final decade years of the nineteenth century, the first large land reconstruction of the town of "Sherman" significantly accelerated the development of the region. In what would later become West Hollywood—the town of "Sherman"—was established by

Moses Sherman Moses Hazeltine Sherman (December 3, 1853 – September 9, 1932) was an American land developer who built the Phoenix Street Railway in Phoenix, Arizona, and streetcar systems that would become the core of the Los Angeles Railway and part of ...

and his partners of the

Los Angeles Pacific Railroad The Los Angeles Pacific Railroad (1896−1911) (LAP) was an electric public transit and freight railway system in Los Angeles County, California. At its peak it had of track extending from Downtown Los Angeles to the Westside, Santa Monica, a ...

, an

interurban The interurban (or radial railway in Canada) is a type of electric railway, with tram-like electric self-propelled railcars which run within and between cities or towns. The term "interurban" is usually used in North America, with other terms u ...

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

line which later became part of the

Pacific Electric Railway The Pacific Electric Railway Company, nicknamed the Red Cars, was a privately owned mass transit system in Southern California consisting of electrically powered streetcars, interurban cars, and buses and was the largest electric railway system ...

system. Sherman became the location of the railroad's main shops,

railroad yard A rail yard, railway yard, railroad yard (US) or simply yard, is a series of tracks in a rail network for storing, sorting, or loading and unloading rail vehicles and locomotives. Yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock or ...

s, and "car barns". Many working-class employees of the railroad settled in this town. It was during this time that the city began to earn its reputation as a loosely regulated, liquor-friendly (during

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...

) place for eccentric people wary of government interference. Despite several annexation attempts, the town elected not to become part of the

City of Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. With an estimated 3,878,704 residents within the city ...

. In 1925 Sherman adopted "West Hollywood", "...a moniker pioneered earlier in the decade by the West Hollywood Realty Board" as its informal name, though it remained under the governance of

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...

. For many decades, the area that is now the city of West Hollywood was an unincorporated area in the midst of Los Angeles. Because gambling was illegal in the city of Los Angeles, but still legal in Los Angeles County, the 1920s saw the proliferation of many

casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...

s, night clubs, etc., along

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway (California), Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisad ...

(which starts near downtown Los Angeles and runs westward). These businesses were immune from the sometimes heavy-handed law-enforcement of the

L.A. Police Department The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...

. Some people connected with movie-making were attracted to this less-restricted area of the County, and a number of

architecturally Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...

distinctive apartment buildings and hotels were built. Many interior designers, decorators and "to the trade" furnishing showrooms located in West Hollywood date back to the middle of the century. Eventually, the area and its extravagant nightclubs fell out of favor. The Sunset Strip and its restaurants, saloons, and nightclubs continued to be an attraction for out-of-town tourists. During the late 1960s, the Sunset Strip was transformed again during the

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, counterculture of the mid-1960s to early 1970s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States and spread to dif ...

movement which brought a thriving music publishing industry coupled with the "hippie" culture. Some young people from all over the country flocked to West Hollywood. After the

dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...

, thousands of

Russian Jews The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest po ...

immigrated to the city. A majority of the 5,000 to 6,000 Russian Jews settled in two major immigration waves, 1978–79 and 1988–92. Other than New York, West Hollywood's Russian-speaking community is the most concentrated single Russian-speaking region in the United States. The Gauntlet was a body piercing business founded by Jim Ward in West Hollywood that is considered the first business of its type in the United States and was the beginning of the body piercing industry. The Gauntlet began in November 1975, with its original location in Ward's West Hollywood home, but on the evening of Friday, November 17, 1978, it celebrated the grand opening of its first commercial location at 8720 Santa Monica Boulevard (also in West Hollywood). Due to the expiration of rent control protections in LA County, a coalition of gay men, Russian Jews, and the elderly successfully held a vote to officially incorporate the City of West Hollywood in 1984. Voters elected a city council with an openly gay majority and it immediately passed a series of rent control measures to protect its longtime citizens. West Hollywood then immediately adopted one of the strongest rent control laws in the nation. The city of West Hollywood gave the keys to the city to

Stormy Daniels Stephanie A. Gregory Clifford (born Stephanie A. Gregory; March 17, 1979), known professionally as Stormy Daniels, is an American pornographic film actress, Film director, director and former stripper. She has won many industry awards and is a ...

on "Stormy Daniels Day", May 23, 2018.

Geography

West Hollywood is bounded by the city of

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

on the west, and by neighborhoods of the city of

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills is a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. It borders Studio City, Universal City and Burbank on the north, Griffith Park on the north and east, Los Feliz on the southeast, Hollyw ...

on the north,

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

on the east, the Fairfax District on the southeast, and

Beverly Grove Beverly Grove is a neighborhood within the Mid-City West, Los Angeles, Mid-City West region of Los Angeles, California, adjacent to Beverly Hills. The median household income in 2024 dollars was $119,223, among the highest for Los Angeles and th ...

on the southwest. The city's irregular boundary is featured in its logo; it was largely formed from the unincorporated Los Angeles County area which had not become part of the surrounding cities. West Hollywood benefits from a very dense, compact urban form with small lots, mixed land use, and a walkable street grid. According to Walkscore, a website that ranks cities based on walkability, West Hollywood is the most walkable city in California with a Walkscore of 89. Commercial corridors include the nightlife and dining focused on the

, along

Santa Monica Boulevard Santa Monica Boulevard is a major west–east thoroughfare in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It runs from Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica near the Pacific Ocean to Sunset Boulevard at Sunset Junction in Los Angeles. It passes t ...

, and the Avenues of Art and Design along

Robertson Boulevard Robertson Boulevard is a street in Los Angeles, in the U.S. state of California, that also passes through the incorporated cities of West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Culver City. Location Robertson Boulevard is a major north–south thorough ...

Melrose Avenue Melrose Avenue (sometimes referred to simply as "Melrose") is a shopping, dining and entertainment destination in Los Angeles, California, starting at Santa Monica Boulevard at the border between Beverly Hills, California, Beverly Hills and W ...

, and

Beverly Boulevard Beverly Boulevard is one of the main east–west thoroughfares in Los Angeles, in the U.S. state of California. It begins off Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California, Beverly Hills and ends on the Lucas Avenue overpass near downtow ...

. Residential neighborhoods in West Hollywood include the

Norma Triangle Norma Triangle is a residential neighborhood in West Hollywood, California. It encompasses the area bound by Doheny Drive and Beverly Hills on the west, Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive on the north, and Santa Monica Boulevard on the south. T ...

, West Hollywood North, West Hollywood West, West Hollywood East, and West Hollywood Heights, all of which are only a few blocks long or wide. Major intersecting streets typically provide amenities within walking distance of adjacent neighborhoods.

Climate

West Hollywood has a

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

with year-round warm weather, although winter nights are cool. The record high temperature of 111 °F was recorded on September 26, 1963, while the record low of 24 °F was recorded on January 4, 1949.

Rainfall Rain is a form of precipitation where water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. ...

is sparse (only 13 inches annually), and falls mainly during the winter months.

Snow Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...

is extraordinarily rare in West Hollywood, with the last accumulation occurring in 1949.

Demographics

West Hollywood first appeared as an unincorporated place in the 1960 U.S. Census as part of the Los Angeles census county division; and then as a

census designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

in the

1980 U.S. Census The 1980 United States census, conducted by the United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 226,545,805, an increase of 11.4% over the 203,184,772 persons Enumeration, enumerated dur ...

and as a city in the 1990 U.S. Census

2020

2010

The 2010 United States census reported that West Hollywood had a population of 34,399. The population density was . The racial makeup of West Hollywood was 28,979 (84.2%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

(77.9% Non-Hispanic White), 1,115 (3.2%)

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 103 (0.3%) Native American, 1,874 (5.4%) Asian, 34 (0.1%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1,049 (3.0%) from other races, and 1,245 (3.6%) from two or more races. There were 3,613 residents of

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino ancestry, of any race (10.5%). The census reported that 34,290 people (99.7% of the population) lived in households, 109 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 22,511 households, out of which 1,141 (5.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,060 (13.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 852 (3.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 431 (1.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,094 (4.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 1,321 (5.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 13,434 households (59.7%) were made up of individuals, and 2,606 (11.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.52. There were 4,343

families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...

(19.3% of all households); the average family size was 2.42. There were 1,578 residents (4.6%) under the age of 18, 2,407 people (7.0%) aged 18 to 24, 16,228 (47.2%) aged 25 to 44, 9,061 (26.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 5,125 (14.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 128.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 129.9 males. There were 24,588 housing units at an average density of , of which 4,976 (22.1%) were owner-occupied, and 17,535 (77.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%. 7,874 people (22.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 26,416 people (76.8%) lived in rental housing units. During 2009–2013, West Hollywood had a median household income of $52,649, with 15.8% of the population living below the federal poverty line. , gay men were 33% of the city's population; a 2013 survey had estimated the gay male population at 39%.

2000

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 35,716 people, 23,120 households, and 5,202 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 24,110 housing units at an average density of , making West Hollywood one of the most densely populated cities in the US. The racial makeup of the city was 86.4%

, 6.4%

, 3.8% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.1%

, 2.9% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races.

or Latino residents of any race were 8.8% of the population. There were 23,120 households, out of which 5.8% had children under the age of eighteen, 16.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 77.5% were non-families. 60.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% included someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.53, and the average family size was 2.50. In the city, 5.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.3% was from 18 to 24, 48.6% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 123.4 males. For every 100 females aged eighteen and older, there were 125.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $38,914, and the median income for a family was $41,463. Males had a median income of $45,598 versus $35,750 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $38,302. About 7.3% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Top employers

According to the City's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were:

Cannabis

Under the legalization of the sale and distribution of cannabis, the city plans to issue 40 licenses to either operate a dispensary, consumption lounge or delivery service. Eight licenses are planned in each of the following categories: *Adult-use retail business licenses *Consumption lounge (smoking, vaping, edibles) business licenses *Consumption lounge (edibles only) business licenses *Medical-use dispensary business licenses *Business licenses for cannabis delivery services located in West Hollywood State law does not allow local governments to regulate adults in growing, using, or transporting marijuana for personal use but commercial activities, such as growing, testing, and selling cannabis within their jurisdiction may be regulated by each city by licensing none or only some of these activities. West Hollywood's first four dispensaries, Alternative Herbal Health Services, Los Angeles Patients and Caregivers Group, Zen Healing and MedMen WeHo, were granted temporary extensions in June 2019 to operate as retail businesses through the remainder of the year. In July 2019, the West Hollywood Business License Commission approved a cannabis consumption license for

Lowell Herb Co Lowell Herb Co is a California-based cannabis brand owned by Lowell Farms that sells packs of Joint (cannabis), pre-rolled joints in varying blends, including seasonal crops. In 2020, California cannabis company Indus Holdings, Inc. acquired the ...

. In September 2019, Lowell Farms: A Cannabis Cafe opened with a menu of

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

for consumption, THC-infused drinks and meals for cannabis-enhanced sense of taste and smell. It is the first cannabis cafe in the United States and will include the expertise of cannabis

sommelier A ''sommelier'' ( , , ), ''chef de vin'' or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role of the ''s ...

s, known as "

budtender A budtender is a title of a staff member who works within a dispensary or store where medical or recreational cannabis is sold. Their job is to offer suggestions to customers, answer questions, handle products and showcase products being sold. ...

s" on site. On August 20, 2020, the

Original Cannabis Cafe The Original Cannabis Cafe, known previously as Lowell Farms: A Cannabis Cafe until December 2019, is an indoor-outdoor restaurant located in West Hollywood, California. It is the first cannabis restaurant in the United States and opened on Octob ...

(previously known as The Lowell Cafe in West Hollywood) became America's first restaurant allowed to serve legal marijuana to open in California. It became one of eight establishments granted a cannabis consumption license in West Hollywood. There were reportedly over 300 applicants, and the Original Cannabis Cafe states it was granted the first license.

Arts and culture

The West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval is an event that takes place annually on October 31. The largest

Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...

street party in the United States (spanning over of Santa Monica Boulevard from

La Cienega Boulevard La Cienega Boulevard is a major north–south arterial road in the Los Angeles metropolitan area that runs from the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood in the north to El Segundo Boulevard in Hawthorne in the south. It was named for Rancho Las ...

on the East to Doheny and the Beverly Hills border on the West), it is estimated that as many as 500,000 people attend the Halloween Carnaval each year. Christopher Street West is an LGBTQ pride parade and festival that was first held in June 1970 in

to commemorate the first anniversary of the

Stonewall Riots The Stonewall riots (also known as the Stonewall uprising, Stonewall rebellion, Stonewall revolution, or simply Stonewall) were a series of spontaneous riots and demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of ...

in New York. After incorporation, the event moved to West Hollywood for many years and was typically held the second weekend in June until it relocated to the City of Los Angeles in 2022. The annual One City One Pride event was an LGBTQ Arts Festival held over a 40-day period from Harvey Milk Day, May 22 through the end of Pride Month, June 30. In 2023, the "One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival" became the "WeHo Pride Arts Festival" to align with the new WeHo Pride brand. In 2024, the WeHo Pride Arts Festival is shifting from 40-days of programming to a unified weekend of programming from June 14 through June 16. Since 1993, the City of West Hollywood and its LGBTQ+ Advisory Board have presented over 173 Rainbow Key Awards to those who have made outstanding contributions to West Hollywood’s LGBTQ+ community. These contributions, by an individual or a group, maybe in many forms, including the arts, community action, humanitarian action, sports, medicine, armed services, leadership potential, benefit to the global LGBTQ+ community, or other ways. Past honorees have included

Bruce Vilanch Bruce Gerald Vilanch (born November 23, 1947) is an American comedy writer, songwriter, and actor. He is a two-time Emmy Award-winner. Vilanch is best known to the public for his four-year stint on ''Hollywood Squares'', as a celebrity participa ...

, Abbe Land, Kenneth Hahn,

Tom of Finland Touko Valio Laaksonen (8 May 1920 – 7 November 1991), known by the pseudonym Tom of Finland, was a Finnish artist who made stylized highly masculinized erotic art, and influenced late 20th-century gay culture. He has been called the "mos ...

Sheila Kuehl Sheila James Kuehl (born February 9, 1941) is an American politician and retired actress, who served as a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 3rd District from 2014 to 2022. Kuehl was California's first openly gay state ...

, David Cooley,

Chaz Bono Chaz Salvatore Bono (born Chastity Sun Bono; March 4, 1969) is an American writer, musician and actor. His parents are entertainers Sonny Bono and Cher, and he became widely known in appearances as a child on their television show, ''The Sonn ...

, West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, Project Angel Food,

Jazzmun Jazzmun (born February 10, 1969) is the stage name of Jazzmun Nichala Crayton, who is an American actress and nightclub performer, often working in the Los Angeles Area. Background Originally from San Diego, California, Jazzmun made her first ...

, and

Nahshon Dion Nahshon Dion Anderson (born April 1, 1978; previously Nahshon Ratcliff) is an American writer, filmmaker, director, producer, artist, and arts advocate. Her work delves into themes of identity, discrimination, and violence, particularly focusing ...

. The West Hollywood Book Fair has been held in the fall since 2001. Past participants have included Andrew McCarthy, Deepak Chopra, and Rocco DiSpirito. The Oscars is a major event in the city, with a majority of the large

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

party venues being located in the city. Many streets are closed, and traffic swells on this day each year. Frontrunners

LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...

Pride Run is a 5 km/10 km run/walk held on the Sunday morning of

Pride. The City of West Hollywood sponsors an animal walk and pet appreciation days throughout the year, which have in the past featured pet psychics and dog activities. During Halloween, the week before October 31, animals can participate in a costume contest in West Hollywood Park. West Hollywood is near

Runyon Canyon Park Runyon Canyon Park is a park in Los Angeles, California, at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, managed by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. The southern entrance to the park is located at the north end of Fuller Av ...

's hiking trail and dog park in Hollywood. The

Elton John AIDS Foundation The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) is a nonprofit organization, established by musician Sir Elton John in 1992 in the United States and 1993 in the United Kingdom to support innovative HIV prevention, education programs, direct care and s ...

Academy Awards Party has traditionally been held at the

Pacific Design Center The Pacific Design Center, or PDC, is a multi-use facility for the design community in West Hollywood, California. One of the buildings is often described as the ''Blue Whale'' because of its large size relative to surrounding buildings and its ...

. It is a multimillion-dollar fundraiser for the foundation. West Hollywood has many ongoing programs to celebrate the vibrant arts and unique culture of the city. The literary community is acknowledged with the year-round author series WeHo Reads, featuring new and noteworthy authors at the West Hollywood Library with a full-day literary event each fall. An annual PowPow is presented by AIDS Project Los Angeles Red Circle Project and the City of West Hollywood. This event, held at Plummer Park promotes HIV awareness and prevention among the Native communities and features dance, music, food, and educational resources. West Hollywood inaugurated the first City Poet,

Steven Reigns Steven Reigns (born 1975) is an American poet, artist and activist known for his poetry publications, his work as West Hollywood's first City Poet, his participatory art projects, his LGBT activism, and his scholarly work on Anaïs Nin. Biogra ...

, during the regular City Council meeting on October 6, 2014. Pickle Drag Queen became West Hollywood's first drag laureate on International Drag Day, July 16, 2023.

LGBTQ community

Approximately forty percent of the population identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. West Hollywood has become one of the world's top gay vacation spots for LGBTQ travelers and is at the center of gay California nightlife, including spas, shopping, and dining. The city maintains expansive historical records of the LGBTQ community. The West Hollywood Library has an extensive collection of LGBTQ records, literature, and history, including the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives, and the Ron Shipton HIV Information Center. According to an ''

LA Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper in the U.S. and the large ...

'' article, the ONE Archives Gallery and Museum is the first museum in Southern California exclusively dedicated to gay history. In 2018, America's first city-wide

Bi Pride The bisexual community, also known as the bi+, b+, m-spec, bisexual/pansexual, bi/pan/fluid community, or bisexual umbrella, includes members of the LGBTQ community who identify as bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, polysexual and sexually fluid. ...

event was held in West Hollywood.

Government

Local

The city government is headed by a five-member city council, including a Mayor and a Vice Mayor who serve one-year terms. The positions of Mayor and Vice Mayor are largely ceremonial positions which rotate between the councilmembers, and both positions are largely not re-elected in concurrent terms. However, councilmembers serve multiple non-concurrent terms in both offices. The five councilmembers are Mayor John M. Erickson, Vice Mayor Chelsea Lee Byers,

John Heilman John William Heilman is an Americans, American municipal politician and city councilmember of West Hollywood, California. He has served in the capacity of mayor multiple times since 1985. Education A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland, O ...

, Sepi Shyne, and Lauren Meister. West Hollywood was the first city in the country to have a city council with a majority of gay members. On February 19, 2001, West Hollywood became the second city in the United States (after

Boulder, Colorado Boulder is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city in Boulder County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the most ...

) to change the term pet "owner" to pet "guardian" in their municipal codes. With West Hollywood being one of the most prominent gay-friendly cities in the United States,

Proposition 8 Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage. It passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned by the ...

had a higher rate of rejection than it did in any other city in Los Angeles County: 86% of the city voted against the amendment, which restricted marriage to heterosexual couples.

State and federal representation

In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...

, West Hollywood is in , and in . On December 20, 2021, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission voted 14-0 in favor of a new state Assembly and Senate district maps and delivered those maps to the secretary of state on December 27, 2021. These maps take effect for California's 2022 state legislative elections, changing West Hollywood's Assembly District to AD 51 and Senate District to SD 24. In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, West Hollywood is in .

Education

Primary and secondary schools

All of West Hollywood is part of the

Los Angeles Unified School District Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a State school, public school district in Los Angeles County, California, United States of America. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the List ...

. The area is within Board District 4. Elementary schools that serve sections of West Hollywood include: * West Hollywood Elementary School K–6 * Rosewood Avenue Elementary School K–5 * Laurel Elementary School K–8 * Melrose Elementary School K–6 * Gardner Street Elementary School K–5 (Some areas jointly zoned to Rosewood and West Hollywood) Most of West Hollywood is zoned to Bancroft Middle School. Some portions in the south are zoned to John Burroughs Middle School. Students living in the Los Angeles area known as

Beverly Hills Post Office Beverly Hills Post Office (BHPO) is the name given to a section of Los Angeles, California, that lies within the 90210 ZIP code, assigned to the Beverly Hills Post Office. Los Angeles mailing addresses with the ZIP code 90210 may be writte ...

, usually attend West Hollywood Elementary but then go to

Emerson Middle School Emerson Middle School may refer to the following schools in the United States: * Emerson Community Charter School, formerly Ralph Waldo Emerson Middle School, Los Angeles * Emerson Middle School (Illinois) *Emerson High School (Union City, New Jers ...

. In 2005 the zoned high school was Fairfax High School. Private Schools in West Hollywood: * West Hollywood College Preparatory School (WHCP) K–12 *

The Center for Early Education ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The' ...

Pacific Hills School Pacific Hills School (previously named Bel Air Prep) was a co-educational independent school located in West Hollywood, California, serving the needs of a diverse student population in grades 6-12. The school had a diverse international studen ...

All of West Hollywood is zoned to Fairfax High School; some areas are jointly zoned to Fairfax High School and

Hollywood High School Hollywood High School is a four-year public secondary school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California. His ...

and

are private schools in West Hollywood.

Media

* West Hollywood News * WEHOville Blog:
The Real Friends of WeHo

Infrastructure

Transportation

Traffic congestion Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s, resulting in m ...

public transport Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...

and parking are critical issues in the city due to its location between access to areas such as Greater Hollywood to the east and the

San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles, the Municipal corpo ...

to the north and the area of the Los Angeles West Side, with the

creating a natural impediment to the north.

and

are critical east-west arteries in the metropolitan area, and

Laurel Canyon Boulevard Laurel Canyon Boulevard is a major street in the city of Los Angeles. It starts off at Polk Street in Sylmar in the northern San Fernando Valley near the junction of the San Diego ( Interstate 405) and the Golden State (I-5)) freeways. Laurel ...

is a popular shortcut through the hills. Nearly 600 employees and 260 buses in the District 7 fleet of the LACMTA are based in a large facility on prime real estate near

San Vicente Boulevard San Vicente Boulevard is a major northwest-southeast thoroughfare located in the western portion of the metropolitan area of Los Angeles, CA. The boulevard begins at Venice Boulevard between Crenshaw Boulevard and La Brea Avenue and travels ...

and

. The

K Line is a Japanese transportation company. It owns a fleet that includes dry cargo ships (bulk carriers), container ships, liquefied natural gas carriers, Ro-Ro ships, tankers, and container terminals. It used to be the fourteenth largest contai ...

extension to the Hollywood/Highland station is likely to pass through, or along, the edge of West Hollywood.

The PickUp

In August 2013, the City of West Hollywood launched a free Friday and Saturday night shuttle, the PickUp, connecting the eastern and western parts of the city. The goal of The PickUp is to provide an alternative to the automobile and bring an energetic and playful transit option to one of West Hollywood's busiest nighttime districts. The Public Relations Society of America Los Angeles Chapter (PRSA-LA) has recognized the City of West Hollywood with a PRism Award of Excellence in the category of New Product/Service Launch for the city's kick-off campaign for the PickUp.

The Sunset Trip shuttle service

In June 2018, the City of West Hollywood launched a new free shuttle service called The Sunset Trip. This service focuses on shuttling riders on Sunset Boulevard, but also crosses the PickUp shuttle route to allow transfers.

Public health and safety

The

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), officially the County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, is a law enforcement agency serving Los Angeles County, California. LASD is the largest sheriff's department in the United States a ...

operates the West Hollywood Station. The

Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Health Services Los Angeles County, officially the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, operates the public hospitals and clinics in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County and is the United States' second largest municip ...

operates the Hollywood-Wilshire Health Center in

, serving West Hollywood. Fire protection in West Hollywood is provided by the

Los Angeles County Fire Department The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) provides firefighting and emergency medical services for the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, California, as well as 59 cities through Contract city, contracting, including the city of ...

. LACoFD operates Station 7, the battalion headquarters, and Station 8, both in West Hollywood, as a part of Battalion 1. Emergency Medical Services are provided by LACoFD and McCormick Ambulance.

Social services

West Hollywood, with a gay male population of about 39%, has been disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic which has ravaged its gay male population since the early 1980s. The city funds or subsidizes an array of services for those living with

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

. The

AIDS Healthcare Foundation AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and advocacy services. As of 2024, AHF operates about 400 clinics, 69 outpatient healthcare centers, 62 pharma ...

parks a Mobile HIV/STD testing van outside of the city's busiest nightclubs on Friday and Saturday nights, and again on Sunday afternoons. This outreach attempts to intervene with those young people most at-risk for HIV infection.

Project Angel Food Project Angel Food is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Los Angeles County which provides free meals for people too sick to shop and cook for themselves. Project Angel Food serves the majority of Los Angeles County; South Los Angeles and Metro ...

receives city funding to deliver hundreds of fresh lunches and dinners daily which are prepared under the supervision of a registered dietitian who tailors the meals to meet individual client's nutritional needs.

AIDS Project Los Angeles APLA Health is a non-profit organization based in California, United States, focused on building healthcare capacity and promoting wellbeing for LGBT people and those living with HIV. It was founded as AIDS Project Los Angeles in 1983, and is ...

(APLA) is a national leader for AIDS policy and advocacy issues and provides assistance to clients navigating the maze of available public benefits. APLA also provides free dental, psychotherapy and pharmaceutical services. Aid for AIDS provides direct financial support by assisting clients with rent, utility and pharmacy expenses. The city also subsidizes agencies that help clients train for a return to the workforce. The city permits all residents living with HIV/AIDS to have up to two pets in his or her home regardless of a landlord's specifications in the property's lease. West Hollywood subsidizes programs for its growing population of children through a partnership with the

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commerc ...

and local schools. "Healthy Start West Hollywood" is a program of the city's Social Services division that introduces pre-Kindergarten through High School age kids to the benefits of good nutrition through such activities as collective vegetable gardens and yoga. The special needs of senior citizens are addressed through a variety of programs. West Hollywood either funds or subsidizes agencies that offer adult day care, a roommate matching service, and nutritious meals. The West Hollywood Senior Center provides recreational programs, excursions, and socializing as well as counseling and case management. West Hollywood also seeks to address the health needs of residents who do not have adequate insurance by subsidizing the LA Free Clinic and The

Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center The Los Angeles LGBT Center (previously known as the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center) is a provider of programs and services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The organization's work spans four categories, including health, so ...

. Residents can access free medical, dental, legal and mental health services between these two sites. The West Hollywood's Public Safety Division publishes guides on sexual assault prevention, nightclub safety, and how to access rape services.

Public library

County of Los Angeles Public Library LA County Library is one of the largest public library systems in the United States which serves residents living in 49 of the 88 incorporated cities of Los Angeles County, California. United States, and those living in unincorporated areas re ...

operates the West Hollywood Library at 625 North San Vicente Boulevard. Until early September 2011, the library was based at 715 North San Vicente Boulevard in a building designed by architect Edward H. Fickett. On September 6, 2011, the City demolished that building, which aroused controversy among some community members, including the architect's wife. The current library building officially opened to the public on October 1, 2011. The building, which was designed by architects Steve Johnson and James Favaro, received a favorable review in the ''Los Angeles Times'' that ended by calling it "...a tremendously encouraging achievement". Exterior surfaces of the library building and adjacent parking structure are decorated with murals by

Shepard Fairey Frank Shepard Fairey (born February 15, 1970) is an American contemporary artist, activist and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. In 1989, he designed the " Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (...OBEY...) sticker campa ...

Kenny Scharf Kenny Scharf (born November 23, 1958) is an American painter known for his participation in New York City's interdisciplinary East Village art scene during the 1980s, alongside Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Scharf's do-it-yourself pract ...

and Marquis Lewis (aka Retna), and the interior incorporates design work by Fairey and

David Wiseman David Wiseman (born September 11, 1981 in Pasadena, California, Pasadena, California) is an American artist and designer whose work is known for its detailed craftsmanship and dialogue with traditional filigree decorative arts. His work spans from ...

Notable people

The issue of

Paparazzi Paparazzi (singular form paparazzo) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people, such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities who go about their daily life routines. Paparazzi are known f ...

chasing celebrities is raised regularly and the city participates in meetings with other nearby municipalities such as

and Los Angeles to discuss the problem and possible actions to better control the activity. The epicenter of the

Thirty Mile Zone The studio zone, also known as the thirty-mile zone (TMZ), is an area defined by a radius of "Hollywood" used by the American entertainment industry to determine employee benefits for work performed inside and outside of it. Its center has trad ...

lies just blocks to the south of the city, and is the basis for the name of

TMZ on TV ''TMZ on TV'' (also known as ''TMZ on Fox'' and simply as ''TMZ'' or ''TMZTV'') is an American Broadcast syndication, syndicated Entertainment journalism, entertainment and gossip news television show that premiered on September 10, 2007 (its maj ...

, a paparazzi footage-based program. TMZ moved their operations from Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards to Los Angeles. On May 28, 2018, Mayor John Duran announced that

would receive the "Key to the City" alongside her attorney,

Michael Avenatti Michael John Avenatti (born February 16, 1971) is an American former attorney currently incarcerated in federal prison for felony fraud and extortion. He is best known for his legal representation of Pornographic film actor, adult film actress S ...

. “In these politically tumultuous times, Stormy Daniels has proven herself to be a profile in courage by speaking truth to power even under threats to her safety and extreme intimidation from the current Administration”, said the mayor. Actress

Drew Barrymore Drew Blythe Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress, talk show host, and businesswoman. A member of the Barrymore family of actors, she has received multiple List of awards and nominations received by Drew Barrymore, awards a ...

grew up on Poinsettia Place until the age of 7, when she moved to Sherman Oaks; she moved back to West Hollywood at the age of 14.

Mayors of West Hollywood

Valerie Terrigno Valerie Susan Terrigno (; born 1954) is a former mayor of West Hollywood, California. She was elected to the city council in 1984 and became mayor not long after. She was the first lesbian mayor of an incorporated municipality in the United States ...

(1984–1985) *

(1985–1986) * Stephen Shulte (1986–1987) * Alan Viterbi (1987–1988) *

Helen Albert Helen may refer to: People * Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world * Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress * Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Places * Helen, G ...

(1988–1989) * Abbe Land (1989–1990) *

(1990–1991) *

Paul Koretz Paul Koretz (born April 3, 1955) is an American politician, who served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 5th district from 2009 until he was term-limited in 2022. He was previously a member of the California State Assembly and ...

(1991–1992) * Babette Lang (1992–1993) *

Sal Guarriello Salvatore Joseph Guarriello (March 2, 1919 – April 16, 2009) was a member of the City Council of the City of West Hollywood, California. He was elected to the City Council in 1990, and reelected four times. He served four one-year terms as ...

(1993–1994) * Abbe Land (1994–1995) *

(1995–1996) *

(1996–1997) *

(1997–1998) * Steve Martin (1998–1999) *

(1999–2000) * Jeff Prang (2000–2001) *

(2001–2002) *

(2002–2003) * Jeff Prang (2003–2004) *

John Duran John J. Duran is an American municipal politician and a former mayor of West Hollywood, California. Political career Duran was elected to the City Council on March 6, 2001. He succeeded outgoing City Council member Paul Koretz, who was elected ...

(2004–2005) * Abbe Land (2005–2006) *

(2006–2007) *

(2007–2008) * Jeff Prang (2008–2009) * Abbe Land (2009–2010) *

(2010–2011) *

(2011–2012) * Jeff Prang (2012–2013) * Abbe Land (2013–2014) * John D'Amico (2014–2015) * Lindsey P. Horvath (2015–2016) * Lauren Meister (2016–2017) *

(2017–2018) *

(2018–2019) * John D'Amico (2019–2020) * Lindsey P. Horvath (2020–2021) * Lauren Meister (2021–2023) * Sepi Shyne (2023–2024) *

John M. Erickson John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second Ep ...

(2024–Present)

Landmarks and distinctive places

Alta Loma Road is home to the

Sunset Marquis Hotel Sunset Marquis Hotel is a luxury hotel in West Hollywood, California, West Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California. It is owned by George and his son Mark Rosenthal, and located at 1200 Alta Loma Road, and situated just off the Sunset Strip. ...

with its 45-person Whisky Bar and NightBird Recording Studios, an underground music production facility. Alta Loma Road was one of the main locations for the film ''

Perfect Perfect commonly refers to: * Perfection; completeness, and excellence * Perfect (grammar), a grammatical category in some languages Perfect may also refer to: Film and television * ''Perfect'' (1985 film), a romantic drama * ''Perfect'' (20 ...

''. Actor

Sal Mineo Salvatore Mineo Jr. (January 10, 1939 – February 12, 1976) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as John "Plato" Crawford in the drama film '' Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955), which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award ...

lived on Holloway Drive in the 1970s; he was murdered in his carport just around the corner from Alta Loma. The western stretch of

, between

Fairfax Avenue Fairfax Avenue is a street in the north central area of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It runs from La Cienega Boulevard in Culver City at its southern end to Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood on its northern end. From ...

and

Doheny Drive Doheny Drive is a north–south thoroughfare mostly through Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, in Los Angeles County, California. It is named for Edward L. Doheny, an early 20th century oil tycoon based in Los Angeles. Route Doheny Drive sta ...

, is notable for its trendy clothing boutiques, interior design shops, restaurants and antique stores. The west end of Melrose Avenue, near the

, is especially known for its exclusive furniture. The area around Fountain Avenue, Harper Avenue and Havenhurst Drive contains a high concentration of landmark 1920s

Spanish Revival The Spanish Colonial Revival architecture (), often known simply as Spanish Revival, is a term used to encompass a number of Revivalism (architecture), revivalist architectural styles based in both Spanish colonial architecture and Spanish archi ...

and

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

apartment buildings by such noted architects as Leland Bryant. This historic district has been home to many celebrities and at one time the Sunset Tower at 8358 Sunset Boulevard was home to

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

, the

Gabor sisters The Gabor sisters were three Hungarian-American actresses/socialites: Magda (June 11, 1915 – June 6, 1997), Zsa Zsa (February 6, 1917 – December 18, 2016), and Eva (February 11, 1919 – July 4, 1995). Born in Budapest, Hungary, the trio ...

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

and

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American Aerospace engineering, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was The World's Billionaires, one of the richest and most influential peo ...

. Notable business and attractions in West Hollywood include: * The

* Hotels such as Andaz West Hollywood, Chamberlain West Hollywood Hotel, The Charlie,

Mondrian Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan (; 7 March 1872 – 1 February 1944), known after 1911 as Piet Mondrian (, , ), was a Dutch painter and art theoretician who is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. He was one of the pioneers o ...

, Montrose West Hollywood and the

Standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object ...

* The

* Architecture such as The Schindler House by architect Rudolf Schindler * Buildings such as 9200 Sunset by architect

Charles Luckman Charles Luckman (May 16, 1909 – January 26, 1999) was an American businessman, property developer, and architect known for designing landmark buildings in the United States such as the Theme Building, Prudential Tower, Madison Square Garden, ...

and the old Coronet Building (Piazza del Sol) * Music venues such as

House of Blues House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers (film), The Blues Brothers''. The ...

(Closed),

Whisky a Go Go The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed The Whisky) is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boulev ...

, The Troubadour,

The Roxy Theatre The Roxy Theatre (often just the Roxy) is a nightclub on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, owned by Lou Adler and his son, Nic. History The Roxy was opened on September 20, 1973, by Elmer Valentine and Lou Adler, along with ...

and

Viper Room The Viper Room is a nightclub and live music venue located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, United States. It was established under that name on August 14, 1993, co-owned by actors and ''21 Jump Street'' co-stars Johnny Depp a ...

Westlake Recording Studios Westlake Recording Studios is a music recording studio with two locations in Los Angeles and West Hollywood, California. History Westlake Recording Studios was founded in the early 1970s by the American audio engineer Tom Hidley under the name ...

, where

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

recorded the albums ''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'' and ''

Bad Bad or BAD may refer to: Common meanings *Evil, the opposite of moral good * Erroneous, inaccurate or incorrect * Unhealthy, or counter to well-being *Antagonist, the threat or obstacle of moral good Acronyms * BAD-2, a Soviet armored trolley ...

'' in 1982 and 1987, respectively * Celebrity hangouts such as

Soho House Soho House is a museum run by Birmingham Museums Trust, celebrating Matthew Boulton's life, his partnership with James Watt, his membership of the Lunar Society of Birmingham and his contribution to the Midlands Enlightenment and the Indust ...

Formosa Cafe The Formosa Cafe is a restaurant and bar founded in 1925 and located at 7156 Santa Monica Boulevard at the intersection with North Formosa Avenue, in West Hollywood, California. The Formosa was founded in 1925 by 1920s prize-fighter Jimmy Bernst ...

(reopened 2019), Whisky Bar,

Rainbow Bar and Grill The Rainbow Bar and Grill is a bar and restaurant on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, United States, adjacent to the border of Beverly Hills, California. Its address is 9015 Sunset Boulevard. The bottom level of the building is ...

, Palm Restaurant (now located in Beverly Hills): West Hollywood (not to be confused with the chain by the same name,) Dan Tana's, The Abbey Food & Bar and Villa Nightclub * Film, television and music production including

Samuel Goldwyn Studio Samuel Goldwyn Studio was the name that Samuel Goldwyn used to refer to the lot located on the corner of Formosa Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, California, as well as the offices and stages that his company, Samuel Goldw ...

(now known as The Lot), home to

Oprah Winfrey Network The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN, also known as the OWN Network) is an American multinational basic cable television network which launched on January 1, 2011, effectively replacing the Discovery Health Channel, which one month later merged with ...

Funny or Die Funny or Die, Inc. is a comedy video website and production company owned by Henry R. Muñoz III that was founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy in 2007. The website contained exclusive material from a regular staf ...

, and

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

* Several parks including historic Plummer Park *

Comedy Store The Comedy Store is an American comedy club opened in April 1972. It is located in West Hollywood, California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip. An associated club is located in La Jolla, San Diego, California. History The Com ...

* Sierra Towers, the tallest residential building in the greater Los Angeles area *

Saint Victor Catholic Church Saint Victor Catholic Church, located at 8634 Holloway Drive, is a Roman Catholic church in West Hollywood, California. History The parish was founded in 1906.James Ricci ''The Los Angeles Times'', September 10, 2006 It has served many different p ...

West Hollywood Gateway Project The West Hollywood Gateway is a two-level urban vertical retail power center in West Hollywood, California. It was developed by the JH Snyder Company and designed by architect Jon Jerde, located on the southwest corner Santa Monica Blvd. and L ...

, the city's largest shopping center that is home to Los Angeles' largest public art piece using projection technology. * Bodhi Tree Bookstore, an independent bookstore founded in 1970 that was located on Melrose Avenue.

Controversies

Discrimination issues

Sometime in the 1940s, a sign appeared over the bar at

Barney's Beanery Barney's Beanery is a chain of gastropubs in the Greater Los Angeles Area. John "Barney" Anthony founded it in 1920 in Berkeley, California, and in 1927 he moved it to U.S. Route 66, now Santa Monica Boulevard (California State Route 2, State Ro ...

that said "FAGOTS – STAY OUT." The message so offended locals that ''

Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

'' magazine did an article on opposition to the sign in 1964, which included a photograph of the owner steadfastly holding on to it. The owner died in 1968, and efforts continued to have the sign removed. The

Gay Liberation Front Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was the name of several gay liberation groups, the first of which was formed in New York City in 1969, immediately after the Stonewall riots. Similar organizations also formed in the UK, Australia and Canada. The GLF p ...

organized a zap of the restaurant on February 7, 1970, to push for its removal. The sign disappeared that day. The sign was put up and taken down several times over the next 14 years, but the practice ended in December 1984, days after the city voted itself into existence. The then-mayor,

, the entire city council and gay-rights activists marched into Barney's and relieved the wall of the offending sign. It was held by

Morris Kight Morris Kight (November 19, 1919January 19, 2003) was an American gay rights pioneer and peace activist. He is considered one of the original founders of the gay and lesbian civil rights movement in the United States. Biography Early life Kigh ...

for many years and now rests in the

ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at the University of Southern California Libraries is the oldest existing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) organization in the United States and one of the largest repositories of LGBTQ materi ...

. Jewel-Thais Williams, who owned the bar Jewel's Catch One, originally opened the bar in 1973 because she experienced discrimination in both heterosexual bars and gay bars because she was both black and a woman. A resident drew national attention during the 2008 presidential campaign by including a

Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, and author who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 Republican vice presidential nomi ...

mannequin A mannequin (sometimes spelled as manikin and also called a dummy, lay figure, or dress form) is a doll, often articulated, used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, window dressers and others, especially to display or fit clothing and show off dif ...

hung in effigy in a

display. The home's decorations also featured a doll of John McCain surrounded by decorative flames in the chimney. Some residents complained about the display as a hate crime, but the

concluded the display did not violate any laws. In March 2006, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Secret Service seized 250 fake denomination notes, each bearing a denomination of $1 billion, from a West Hollywood apartment.

Celebrity incidents

In 1982, John Belushi died of a drug overdose at the Chateau Marmont hotel in Hollywood, adjacent to WeHo. On the night of his death, he was visited separately by friends Robin Williams (at the height of his own drug exploits) and Robert De Niro, each of whom left the premises, leaving Belushi in the company of assorted others, including Cathy Smith. River Phoenix - hi res scan

On Halloween night in 1993, actor River Phoenix died at age 23 of a drug overdose at The Viper Room, a club that was opened that year and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp until 2004. On January 8, 2006, New Zealand film director Lee Tamahori, dressed as a woman, was arrested for allegedly offering an undercover police officer oral sex on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Lodi Place. He was convicted only of criminal trespass, having pleaded no contest in exchange for other charges being dropped. On November 17, 2006, during a performance at the Laugh Factory, a Mobile phone, cell phone video captured Michael Richards shouting "Shut up" to a heckler in the audience, followed by repeated shouts of "He's a nigger!" to the rest of the audience (using the word six times altogether), and also making a reference to lynching.

Legislation

In 1985, West Hollywood was the first city to create a same-gender domestic partnership registration for its residents, as well as to offer same-gender Domestic partnership, domestic partner benefits for city employees. West Hollywood's Domestic Partnerships are open to any two adults, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, place of residence, or length of relationship. These unions are treated on an equal basis with legal marriages with respect to city-level benefits and services. West Hollywood has inclusionary zoning laws governing development. The city established the Affordable Housing Trust Fund in 1986 requiring developers to either provide affordable housing in new projects or pay a fee in-lieu to the city which it directs towards other affordable housing projects. WeHoCityHall

In 1993 the West Hollywood City Council voted for West Hollywood to become the first official pro-choice city in America. In 2006, the City Council passed a medicinal marijuana resolution, by a vote of 4–0, making it the first city in Southern California to adopt a lowest law enforcement priority law for cannabis offenses. The resolution stated, "it is not the policy of the City or its law enforcement agency to target possession of small amounts of cannabis and the consumption of non-medical cannabis in private by adults". West Hollywood adopted one of the nation's first mandatory green building ordinances on October 1, 2007. The city designed a law that pets are to be called "companions" and their owners "guardians" and was the first city in the country to outlaw the de-clawing of cats. In 2011, West Hollywood became the first city in the United States to ban the sale of clothing with real animal fur; the ban took effect on September 21, 2013. In May 2014, the ordinance was upheld by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, after a local business had challenged the prohibition as unconstitutional. Legislation prohibiting discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sexual orientation is widely recognized as the toughest in the nation. The city is one of 225 jurisdictions in the country where it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender identity or expression. City legislation bans the sale of handguns, prohibits smoking in public places, and restricts the city from doing business directly or indirectly (via vendors) with any country known to violate human rights. The city has banned the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. As of July 2023, West Hollywood has the country's highest minimum wage, at $19.08 per hour.

Notes

References

* * Kenney, Moira (2001). ''Mapping Gay L.A.: The Intersection of Place and Politics''. Temple University Press. . * * Teal, Donn (1971, reissued 1995). ''The Gay Militants: How Gay Liberation Began in America, 1969–1971''. New York, St. Martin's Press. (1995 edition). *

External links

* {{Authority control West Hollywood, California, Cities in Los Angeles County, California Incorporated cities and towns in California Gay villages in California LGBTQ culture in Los Angeles Jewish communities in the United States Russian communities in the United States Ukrainian communities in the United States Jews and Judaism in Los Angeles Russian-American culture in California Former census-designated places in California Populated places established in 1984 1984 establishments in California Central Los Angeles Westside (Los Angeles County) Enclaves in the United States

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