West Hollywood (abbreviated WeHo), a city in Los Angeles County, California, was founded on 29 November 1984. The city, along with Beverly Hills, is surrounded completely by the City of Los Angeles. According to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which provides police services for the city, the total residential population is just over 37,000, however, the nighttime and weekend population swells to between 80,000 and 100,000, with a high of up to 500,000 during major events such as Halloween or the Gay & Lesbian Pride Parade. The district is one of the most notable gay villages in the United States.
West Hollywood is bordered on the north by the Santa Monica Mountains, on the east by the Hollywood District of Los Angeles, on the west by the city of Beverly Hills and on south by the Fairfax District of Los Angeles.
While West Hollywood is technically a distinct city, it is culturally very much a part of Hollywood and the rest of Los Angeles.
History
Although most historical writings about West Hollywood begin in the late 18th century, the land was already inhabited when the Portuguese explorer Cabrillo arrived offshore, claiming the land for Spain. Canoeing out to greet him were some of the 5,000 members of the Tongva tribe, a nation of gentle hunters and gatherers, known for their reverence of dancing and courage. These indigenous people were forcibly acculturated by the ever-encroaching Spanish mission system, and were almost decimated by disease by 1771. To add insult to injury, their tribal name was changed to “Gabrielinos”, a reference to the Mission de San Gabriel that ravaged their culture and overtook their land .
By 1780, the now famous “Sunset Strip” was the major connecting road for el Pueblo de Los Angeles and all ranches westward to the Pacific Ocean. The land went through various owners and names in the next 100 years, with names such as La Brea and Plummer in the historical record. By 1890 the town of Sherman (now part of the state of California) stood on this spot, and served as the main railyard of the Los Angeles Railroad. It was during this time that the city began to earn its reputation for being a loosely-regulated, liquor-friendly spot for eccentric folks wary of government interference. The town chose not to incorporate into Los Angeles, and was proud to be called “West Hollywood”, borrowing glamour and celebrity from the new movie colony bursting onto the scene one town to the east.
For many years, the area that is now the City of West Hollywood was an unincorporated area in the midst of the City of Los Angeles, but was under the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County. Because gambling was illegal in the city of Los Angeles, but legal in the county, the 1920s saw the proliferation of many nightclubs and casinos along the section of the Sunset Strip that did not fall within the Los Angeles city limits. As a result, these businesses were immune from the heavy-handed treatment by the LAPD. (The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was and still is in charge of policing the area.)
Movie people were attracted to this less restricted county area and a number of architecturally fine apartment houses and apartment hotels were built. Movie fans throughout the world knew that Ciro's, the Mocambo, the Trocadero, the Garden of Allah, the Chateau Marmont and the Formosa Cafe on Santa Monica Boulevard were places that movie stars could be seen.
Eventually, the area and its extravagant night spots lost favor with movie people. But the Strip and its restaurants, bars and clubs continued to be an attraction for locals and out-of-town tourists. In the late 1960s, the Strip was transformed again during the hippie movement. Young people from all over the country flocked to West Hollywood clubs such as the Whisky a Go Go and the Troubadour.
In the 1960s, a club called Ciro's held the first gay dance nights on Sundays, known as "Tea Dances" [or "T-Dances"]. Men dancing together was illegal in those days, but as with the casinos and speakeasies that had gone before, the laws were not strictly enforced. This tolerance led to more gay clubs after Ciro's closed, as well as the end of the anti-gay laws that prohibited dancing between two persons of the same gender in Los Angeles County. The building that Ciro's occupied is now the home of The Comedy Store.
Always friendly to creative folks, the design and decorating industry took root in the 1950’s, culminating in the building of the 750,000 square foot Pacific Design Center by 1975. The 1960’s brought “hippie” culture and a thriving music publishing industry to town. Emboldened by the Stonewall Riots of 1969, gays from all over Los Angeles flocked to West Hollywood, many fleeing from the homophobic harassment of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Still unincorporated, gays and lesbians found refuge here, patrolled by the markedly less brutal Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. The most recent migration to West Hollywood came about after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when thousands of Jews spilled over from the Fairfax area in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.
West Hollywood, therefore, was a community of persecuted and creative citizens, ripe for the political organization which began in earnest in 1984. Still governed by the County of Los Angeles, there arose a great revolt when L.A. began plans to dismantle rent control. This area was a densely-populated area of renters, many of whom would not be able to afford the skyrocketing prices in the rental market of that time. Greatly assisted by the Community for Economic Survival (CES), a tight coalition of seniors, Jews, gays and renters swiftly voted to incorporate as the City of West Hollywood, immediately adopting one of the strongest rent control laws in the nation. The CES continues to hold much favor among the city’s voters, with 20 out of 24 council members (thus far) being CES-endorsed.
Social Services
West Hollywood, with a gay population approaching 40%, has been disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic which has ravaged the gay male population since the early 1980’s. Always in the vanguard of services to its residents, the city funds or subsidizes a vast array of services for those living with HIV or AIDS. Aids Healthcare Foundation 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. Another organization receiving city funding is Project Angel Food, which prepares and delivers hundreds of fresh lunches and dinners daily, specially prepared under the supervision of a registered dietician who tailors the meals to meet individual client’s nutritional needs. AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) provides assistance to clients navigating the maze of available public benefits, and is a national leader for AIDS policy and advocacy issues. APLA also provides free dental, psychotherapy and pharmaceutical services. AID for AIDS provides direct financial support, assisting clients with paying rent, utility and pharmacy expenses. With the ever-growing arsenal of anti-retroviral therapies, the City also subsidizes agencies that help clients train for a return to the workforce. West Hollywood subsidizes programs for its growing population of children through a partnership with the USDA and local schools. “Healthy Start West Hollywood”, a program of the city’s Social Services division, 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. The City either funds or subsidizes agencies that offer adult day care, a roommate matching service, and nutritious meals. The West Hollywood Senior Center is not only a place for recreation, excursions and socializing, but also offers counseling and case management as needed. The City of West Hollywood also seeks to address the health needs of residents who might not have adequate insurance by subsidizing the LA Free Clinic and The LA Gay and Lesbian Center. Between these two sites, residents can access free medical, dental, legal and mental health services. The City’s Women’s Advisory Board publishes guides on sexual assault prevention, nightclub safety, and how to access rape services.
Additional Information
West Hollywood has a distinctive street design scheme, with postmodern street signs featuring a blue map of the city. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department vehicles that patrol West Hollywood feature the same map of the city, but in the rainbow colors of the gay community.
Because of the large gay population and the large numbers of gay-oriented businesses, West Hollywood became prominently known as a gay village. The section of Santa Monica Boulevard from La Cienega Boulevard to Robertson Boulevard, known as "boys town," is among the most important gay neighborhoods in the world, with numerous well-known spots such as the nightclubs Rage and Mickys.
Today, West Hollywood contains some of the most exclusive condominium complexes on the West Coast with "name" buildings such as Shorham Towers and Sierra Towers. On the exclusive cul-de sac Alta Loma Road are the popular buildings known as The Empire West and The Park Wellington.
Alta Loma Road is also home to the exclusive hotel "The Sunset Marquis" with its famous 45-person Whisky Bar and a recording studio that has been the home to many hits. Alta Loma Road was one of the main locations for the film Perfect. Actor Sal Mineo lived on this street in the 1970s; he was murdered in his carport just around the corner from Alta Loma Road on Holloway Drive.
The western stretch of Melrose Avenue, between Fairfax Avenue and Doheny Drive, is notable for its trendy clothing boutiques, interior design shops, restaurants and antique stores. The west end of Melrose, near the Pacific Design Center, 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 and Art Deco apartment buildings by noted architects such as Leland Bryant. This historic district has been home to many celebrities and at one time the Sunset Tower was home to Frank Sinatra, Errol Flynn, the Gabor Sisters, John Wayne and Howard Hughes.
The Robertson/West 3rd Street area is another area in West Hollywood with hip shops and cafés.
Education
West Hollywood is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Most of West Hollywood is zoned to West Hollywood Elementary School in West Hollywood. Some of it is zoned to Rosewood Elementary School in Los Angeles, and some adjacent areas of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills are zoned to West Hollywood Elementary.
All of West Hollywood is zoned to Bancroft Middle School and Fairfax High School, both of which are in Los Angeles.
