21 Things You Should Know Before Moving to West Hollywood, CA
West Hollywood… WeHo… the gun-shaped city home to up-and-coming stars and the people who look like them. Welcome to the colorful land of open-mindedness and shameless superficiality.
1. West Hollywood is proud.
WeHo is the pulse of California’s LGBT population – with rainbow crosswalks and a Pride festival even Kesha wouldn’t miss. If you don’t consider yourself proud… you might want to consider living somewhere else.
2. Michael Jackson’s Thriller was probably written about WeHo Halloween.
West Hollywood takes Halloween seriously – drawing over a million people to its yearly carnaval. With so many entertainment industry professionals in the neighborhood, costumes never disappoint.
3. Where else can you play drag bingo weekly?
Sure, Hamburger Mary’s is a chain, but its West Hollywood location stands for itself. Enjoy Maryoke Tuesdays with Latin Heartthrob Ben Roman, Drag Bingo, and Champagne Brunch at this never-a-dull-moment hamburger joint. Yes, Abba’s Dancing Queen plays on repeat in the bathroom. Yes, you can order The Crazy Stack whenever you like (one pound of meat between three grilled cheese sandwiches, bacon, mac & cheese, avocado, and mayo). And no, you don’t get your picture on the wall if you finish it – just a curt “ew” from the server. It wouldn’t be WeHo without the sass, right?
4. You can bring your dog to the gym.
Or to a cafe patio. Or to the hardware store. Or pretty much anywhere else. As if your pooch wasn’t already spoiled enough, The Dog Bakery whips up entire birthday cakes for Spark, Fido, or Mr. Fluff.
5. Acai bowl with your housemade almond milk latte? No problem.
With Hugo’s, Real Food Daily, and Earthbar in your backyard, you can stick to your vegan, gluten-free, raw, macrobiotic diet wherever you go.
6. There’s a farmer’s market every day of the week.
There’s one on Melrose Place on Sundays, one on The Sunset Strip on Thursdays, one on Fountain Ave on Mondays, and The Farmer’s Market at the Grove is open every day of the week.
7. Everyone has an opinion about The Grove.
You might love it, you might hate it, but there’s no avoiding The Grove when you live in West Hollywood. Sure, the gateway to this tourist-ridden outdoor shopping center is a disastrous parking structure, but there’s no hating on a musical fountain, a selection of every kind of candy apple you ever dreamed of (Rocky Road candy apple.. whaaaaa???), and free open air concerts and movie screenings. Insider tip: grab the produce, but skip the meal – the restaurants are overpriced and barely compare to what you can find up the street on Fairfax or Third.
8. The beautiful people of WeHo take the gym seriously.
Don’t be surprised when these shirtless CrossFitters come running past your door. In WeHo, you don’t go to Gold’s or Lifetime Fitness. You go to CrossFit, Soul Cycle, or the boutique gym of choice… and it is your life.
9.There’s nothing worse than getting in and out of the Beverly Center.
For some reason, no one walks on the escalators in West Hollywood, and there are A LOT of escalators on the way to the Beverly Center. Perhaps their quads are too burnt out from the gym? Either way… be prepared to stand still on the long ride up (i.e. a New Yorkers’ worst nightmare).
10. Live and breathe rock ‘n roll history
West Hollywood’s famous Sunset Strip is home to Whiskey a Go Go, Viper Room, The Roxy, Rainbow Room, and the now shuttered House of Blues. As early as the 1920’s, the Sunset Strip was a hot spot for celebrities, nightclubs, glitz and glamour—and little has changed since. Led Zeppelin performed there. The Doors did. And so did Guns ‘N Roses.
11. Expect to wait in line at the grocery store at 2pm.
On a Tuesday at 2pm, brunch spots are likely to be packed, you won’t be able to find a free treadmill at the gym, and the grocery store will have just as long of a line as it would on a Sunday afternoon. With a large population of actors, screenwriters, and deadbeats who collect rent checks from their movie producer/rockstar/tax attorney-to-the-stars parents, WeHo doesn’t stick much to a 9-5 schedule.
12. Expect people at Target to be aggressively attractive.
There’s not one, but two Targets in West Hollywood, and they’re both packed with gorgeous up-and-coming models and bodybuilders. Don’t forget to bring your A-game while discount shopping.
13. What are all those people doing on their MacBooks at the coffee shop?
Writing screenplays. Most likely terrible, terrible screenplays.
14. Learn to speak Russian.
Between the actors, screenwriters, and the seemingly professional look-gooders, West Hollywood’s Russian population brings a refreshing pinch of diversity. Feast Russian-style at Maxims, grab a few pirozhkis at Stolichnaya Bakery, or just start up a conversation with your neighbor.
15. You could fly across the world to eat at Animal.
Or you could live in West Hollywood and eat there once a week (reservations permitting).Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo are the hottest names in Los Angeles’s dining scene, and three of their top restaurants—Animal (oxtail poutine and a bone marrow burger anyone?), Son of a Gun, and Jon and Vinny’s—are all located in the heart of WeHo.
16. Skip Napa, and walk up the street.
V Wine Room is one of the few tasting rooms in Los Angeles, and their selection is impeccable. Built in the old West Hollywood library, the wine bar maintains the library feel with old stacks on the walls and library cards to track your favorite pours. Local art featured here!
17. West Hollywood has parks! Yes, real parks!
There’s no Grand Central Park. There’s no Golden Gate Park. But WeHo is located adjacent to the Pan Pacific Park, which is pretty extravagant by Los Angeles’s shabby park standards. The West Hollywood Park also sits next to the newly renovated library and features a sparkling community pool that’s open year-round for lap and recreational swimming (only a $2 entrance fee for residents!).
18. And there’s art too?
The gorgeous blue, green, and red buildings at the Pacific Design Center showcase some of the biggest names in art and furniture design and house offices of world-renowned production companies and advertising agencies.
19. Don’t miss the Melrose Trading Post on Sundays.
You can find shabby chic furniture, classic records, torn-up jeans, funky jewelry, and just about anything and everything at this weekly flea market. It’s definitely a destination for trendsetters, so don’t forget to dress up. Big hat and sunglasses recommended!
20. Rooftop Yoga
What better way to embrace the city than by looking out on it while mingling with fellow fitness-seekers? Jake Ferree‘s rooftop yoga at the PaliHouse is quickly becoming a WeHo institution.
21. Live here, so you never have to park here.
West Hollywood’s parking signs are written in riddles. Fortunately, WeHo is one of the most pedestrian-friendly ‘hoods in LA! Live in WeHo, and you’ll never have to park in WeHo.
There’s a reason people travel from all over the world to live, visit, and work in West Hollywood. This little city packs a big punch, with as many entertainment, fitness, and food options as some of the biggest cities in the world. With so many people dying to call this zip code (well, several zip codes…) home, finding the perfect Spanish colonial, ultra modern condo, or quaint cottage can require a bit of digging. Shorten your search with Estately.com.
