West Hollywood

Understand

Sunset Boulevard through West Hollywood is the famous Sunset Strip, with its flashy billboards, nightclubs, and hotels famous for their Hollywood history. However, the main commercial area of West Hollywood lies along Santa Monica Boulevard, with many small shops, restaurants, and the center of the city's gay community. Though well known for its population of gay men, "WeHo" also has large numbers of Russian immigrants and a large Jewish population. In the late 1960s, West Hollywood welcomed music clubs such as the Whiskey A-Go-Go and the Troubadour, venues that eventually became renowned launch pads for many famous musical acts. More music clubs soon followed, establishing West Hollywood as a linchpin of the music industry. The area of Los Angeles immediately adjacent to the southeast of West Hollywood, the Fairfax District, contains some attractions mistakenly thought to be in West Hollywood (like Canter's Deli); that area is covered in that article. Similarly, the area surrounding the Beverly Center mall and the La Cienga corridor to the north is commonly thought of as West Hollywood although it is mostly in the city of Los Angeles; this area is however included in this article.

Getting there

From I-405 or US 101, take Santa Monica Boulevard about 5 miles (8 km). From I-10, take Fairfax or La Cienega north about two miles. By public transit, West Hollywood is served by many frequent Metro bus routes. Frequent east-west routes include the 2 on Sunset Blvd, 4 and Metro Rapid 704 on Santa Monica Blvd, 10 on Melrose Ave, 14 on Beverly Blvd, and 16 on 3rd Street. Frequent north-south routes include the 30 along San Vicente Blvd, the 105 and Metro Rapid 705 along La Cienga Blvd, and the 217 and Metro Rapid 780 along Fairfax Ave.

Getting around

West Hollywood operates Cityline, a free internal shuttle service operating within city limits on weekdays. During rush hour from 7-9AM and 5-8PM a single line connects the city to Hollywood, terminating at the Hollywood/Highland B Line station, while the rest of the day from 9AM-5PM service runs between the West Hollywood Gateway shopping center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on two different lines which run through different parts of the city. Despite running different routes, both lines run in parallel along Santa Monica Boulevard. On weekends, West Hollywood also operates The PickUp, a free shuttle along Santa Monica Boulevard which serves the many businesses and landmarks around the corridor. If you're going out for a night on the town, The PickUp can be a good alternative to driving.

See

West Hollywood's main tourist draw is the Sunset Strip, a section of Sunset Boulevard lined with flashy billboards, restaurants, nightclubs, and hotels famous for their Hollywood and rock-and-roll history. Take a walk or cruise along the Strip and see what there is to see. 1 MAK Center for Art and Architecture, 835 N Kings Rd, ☏ +1-323-651-1510. W-Su 11AM-6PM, closed M Tu. Changing exhibitions of experimental contemporary art within the Schindler House, built in 1922 and considered one of the earliest examples of a modernist house, with exposed concrete and glass panels. $10, $7 students/seniors, free for children under 12. (updated Jul 2016) 2 Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Ave (Melrose Ave and San Vicente Blvd), ☏ +1-310-657-0800. M-F 9AM-5PM; MOCA M-F 11AM-5PM, Sa Su 11AM-6PM. A large design complex consisting of three massive interconnected buildings clad in blue, green, and red glass that house dozens of interior design, furniture, and architectural showrooms. The blue structure has often been referred to as the "Blue Whale" for its outsized nature. Also on the campus is a branch of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) which hosts changing design exhibitions. Free. (updated Jul 2016) 3 Stahl House (Case Study House #22), 1635 Woods Dr, ☏ +1 208-429-1058. Even if you don't recognize this place by name, chances are you've seen it in pictures or movies. An iconic example of modernist architecture, this glass and steel house is perched high above the city with breathtaking results. Tours are available, but must be reserved well ahead of time through the website and space is very limited. Afternoon tours $60 for 1 person, $35 each for 2 or more persons; evening tours $90 for 1 person, $50 each for 2 or more persons. (updated Jul 2016) Stan Lee House. A 5,200 sq ft house and home of the late superhero comic book writer Stan Lee, the co-creator of Marvel. One of the most impressive amenities is an indoor professional-grade movie theater.

Do

LA Pride. Taking place every June during Pride Week, this is one of the nation's largest LGBTQ+ festivals as well as one of its oldest. The three-day long festival has lots of live music, art, and food, followed up by a massive parade down Santa Monica Boulevard. Halloween Carnaval, Santa Monica Blvd between Doheny Dr and La Cienega Blvd. Oct 31 from 6-11PM. The world's largest Halloween festivity draws half a million people with live music and entertainment on multiple stages along Santa Monica Blvd. Entertainment includes bands, DJs, dancers, artists, and painters. It's free, but a parking space is typically $20 (if you can find one). It's an adult event as small children and pets are at risk of being trampled by crowds.

Comedy 1 The Comedy Store, 8433 W Sunset Blvd, ☏ +1-323-650-6268. A long-running Sunset Strip venue that's legendary for giving rise to many major comics in the 1970s. Today it still plays host to the occasional famous act as well as emerging talent, with three separate stages. (updated Jul 2016) 2 Laugh Factory, 8001 W Sunset Blvd, ☏ +1-323-656-1336. A well-known comedy club that regularly features famous stand-up acts, with the occasional surprise celebrity guest. (updated Jul 2016) 3 Largo at the Coronet, 366 N La Cienega Blvd (at Oakwood Ave), ☏ +1-310-855-0350. A notable music and stand-up comedy venue that plays host to a lot of top-name acts. Since the early 1990s, the Largo club has been the stomping ground for many big name comics and people who went on to have major careers (Tenacious D got their start at the old location). Largo's current location, the historic Coronet Theater, was a major art and experimental movie venue after its opening in the mid-20th century.

Buy

Robertson Blvd. runs through West Hollywood and is a trendy shopping district. It's famous for its many boutiques and for its celebrities and the trailing paparazzi.

1 Beverly Center, 8500 Beverly Center. This shopping center includes 200 stores over 8 different levels. Great view of the city from the top floor of the mall.

Eat

Many of West Hollywood's favorite restaurants line Santa Monica Boulevard. Many of these are as much about "seeing and being seen" as they are about food.

Budget 1 Mel's Drive-In, 8585 W Sunset Blvd (Sunset at La Cienega), ☏ +1-310-854-7201, +1-310-854-7200 (for to-go orders). Open 24 hours. Opened on the Sunset Strip in 1997, Mel's remains happily caught in a time warp; its 1950s drive-in style décor and 24-hour home s