What Is West Hollywood Known For?
California has no more widely known area than West Hollywood. From the Sunset Strip to its many acclaimed luxury apartments, West Hollywood has a lot to admire and love. With a history dating back centuries, West Hollywood is a community with a story.
If you are considering visiting or moving to West Hollywood, here is some of what West Hollywood is known for.
Sunset Strip
The Sunset Strip is a 1.7-mile stretch known predominantly for its rock and roll nightclubs that harken back to the 1960s.
Any band that has come up through the ranks of the L.A. music scene has played the clubs on the Sunset Strip. The history of music here is unbelievable.
Luxury Apartments
West Hollywood luxury apartments often appeal to Hollywood elites, executives, and upper-class individuals from all over the country. Luxury apartments come with exclusive amenities and services far beyond what one might expect in other parts of California.
Several luxury apartments or multi-unit residential buildings, such as the Sierra Towers, and hotel landmarks, including the Andaz West Hollywood, Chamberlain West Hollywood Hotel, The Charlie, and the Mondrian.
Media Production
West Hollywood has several film, television, and music production houses. Many television programs are filmed and edited here, including those at the Samuel Goldwyn Studio, also known as The Lot.
Art and Design
There are many trendy clothing boutiques, interior design shops, antique stores, modern furniture design stores, and more. West Hollywood is the place for West Hollywood luxury apartments seeking unique art and design pieces.
Halloween Street Party
The West Hollywood Halloween Carnival is the largest Halloween street party in the United States. As many as 500,000 people descend upon the city every October 31st for the one-of-a-kind event.
Architecturally-Distinct Hotels
From the 1920s onwards, West Hollywood has been the home to some beautifully built and architecturally distinct apartment buildings and hotels.
Many interior decorators and designers flocked to West Hollywood beginning in the 1950s, setting up showrooms and playing a role in crafting the area’s aesthetic.
Extremely Walkable
According to Walkscore, West Hollywood is the most walkable city in California. From its nightlife and restaurants to mixed land uses, small businesses, artist showcases, design houses, and more, there are various unique amenities to explore in West Hollywood.
No Snow
The last time snow occurred in West Hollywood was in 1949. Snow is the rarest sight. Even rainfall is sparse for the region.
LGBTQ+ Friendly
A population survey done in 2019 revealed that 33% of West Hollywood’s population was gay men. The city hosts a very popular pride parade every June, has an LGBT arts festival, and routinely acknowledges the contributions of key LGBTQ+ members.
The community is extremely LGBTQ+ friendly and accepting of many different cultures, religions, and backgrounds.
Cannabis-Friendly
West Hollywood was the home of the first cannabis cafe in the United States, which opened in 2019.
Celebrity Sightings
Celebrities are regularly spotted throughout West Hollywood and nearby municipalities. Many live in the area. Paparazzi here are common, as they are in surrounding communities.
West Hollywood officials regularly meet with nearby city representatives to discuss better controlling paparazzi activities.
Hosting the Oscars
Every year, the Academy Awards are hosted out of West Hollywood, with much of the city streets and venues being snapped up for pre-Oscars and post-Oscars parties. The day of the Oscars is considered the busiest traffic of the year.
Rent Control Laws
West Hollywood has some of North America’s strongest rent control. This stems from when West Hollywood was incorporated in 1984. L.A. had dropped rent control protections.
To protect the people of West Hollywood, the community banded together, got incorporated as a City, and immediately passed protections for rent control to protect its citizens.
Large Russian-Speaking Population
Outside of New York City, the largest Russian-speaking population in the US is located in West Hollywood. This stems from two immigration waves of Russian Jewish people in the late 1970s and then again in the late 1980s through the early 1990s.
Advanced Public Transportation Systems
Traffic congestion is a major issue in West Hollywood. However, many public transportation initiatives have been launched in the past decade to encourage automobile alternatives. The free PickUp and Sunset Trip shuttle services are the most popular programs.
Proximity to Iconic Pieces of L.A.
West Hollywood has the City of Beverly Hills to the west, Hollywood Hills to the north, and Hollywood to its east. It’s near so much L.A. iconography outside of its borders.
Beautiful and Beguiling Architecture
The West Hollywood region has a high concentration of 1920s Spanish Revival and Art Deco apartment buildings. Much of the architecture found in residential and commercial buildings is one-of-a-kind, created by some of America’s best and brightest in the history of architectural design.