West Hollywood

“I have too much money invested in sweaters.”

– Bob Hope, former West Hollywood resident

The Party Zone

If Hollywood represents the work environment of the entertainment industry, West Hollywood represents the lifestyle. Nobody in WeHo seems to work, and the streets are alive with fashionably dressed foot traffic at nearly all hours of the day, every day of the week. This is where you will see the flashiest cars, the nighttime sunglasses, the newest trends, and the most memorable characters in the Los Angeles landscape.

West Hollywood is home to the Sunset Strip, where bars like the Viper Room, the Roxy and the Whisky a Go Go support the LA rock scene; the Melrose District, where clothing stores, cafes and boutique shops attract hipsters and other scene spectators;  and the “Boys Town” area of  Santa Monica Boulevard, where the gay scene buzzes with activity. It is also home to the Rock Walk outside of Guitar Center on Sunset, as well as some of LA’s most interesting architecture, such as the Pacific Design Center (known as the Blue Whale).

West Hollywood Trivia

• The West Hollywood Costume Carnival is supposedly the largest Halloween street party in the US, with over 400,000 attendants in 2009
• The annual Christopher Street West gay and lesbian pride parade occurs every June, with marchers parading west down Santa Monica Boulevard
• The Rainbow Room was the site of Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe’s first blind date in 1953, when it was called Villa Nova
• The Doors were the house band at the Whisky a Go Go in 1966. Other acts included The Who, the Kinks, the Byrds, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Jimi Hendrix
• Barney’s Beanery on Holloway was the last place Janis Joplin visited the night of her death in 1970. Her signature is on an old tabletop attached to the ceiling
• The Comedy Store on Sunset was the starting point for comedians like Jim Carrey, Michael Keaton, Howie Mandel and David Letterman. It is owned by Pauly Shore’s mother Mitzi Shore

West Hollywood Restaurants

• Hamburger Mary’s
• Mao’s Kitchen
• Sushi Dan
• Damiano Mr. Pizza
• Bossa Nova
• Aroma Cafe

West Hollywood Bars

• Jones
• Barney’s Beanery
• Lubitsch
• Crown Bar
• Libertine on Sunset
• The Darkroom