Whether it is called WeHo, West Hollywood, or the “Heart of LA,” West Hollywood is considered the center of many of LA’s cultural and creative communities. The community became a city in 1984, but its history dates back more than 300 years.
Originally called “Sherman” after early real estate developer Moses Hazeltine Sherman, West Hollywood gained its current name in 1925. It had already emerged as a home for stars in the emerging movie industry, including United Artists founders Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, and Charlie Chaplin. After the early film era, the famous Sunset Strip emerged as a center for glamorous nightlife.
West Hollywood is also the center 60s and 70s classic music with Sunset Strip clubs like The Whisky, Roxy, and Troubadour. WeHo has always been inclusive, and gay, lesbian, and genderqueer people began settling in the area. By the early 1980s, the community was able to come together and become its own city. Today, WeHo is a center of progressive legislation and LGBTQ culture.
Located between Beverly Hills on the West and Hollywood to the East, WeHo is also bounded by the Fairfax District to the South and the Hollywood Hills in the North. Today, WeHo has become a desirable location not only for LGBTQ families and individuals but also any others who want to live in its lively, creative, progressive environment.
With many different, lively shopping, nightlife, and dining districts, from the Sunset Strip to Melrose and Beverly Boulevards, WeHo is walkable and compact, although its map outlines an irregular shape centered on Santa Monica Blvd. resulting from its initial composition from unincorporated portions of the County.
Homes in West Hollywood range from urban condominiums and refined townhomes to legacy Craftsman homes built during the initial development period in the 1920s. A number of architecturally-unique newer homes have been built in West WeHo, including estate and executive homes which rival other Westside communities for elegance and elite amenities.
Although WeHo is a bustling urban community, you will still find single family homes and quiet neighborhoods, particularly in the southern and western portions of the city. Many people move to WeHo for its lively social and cultural life but they stay for its welcoming, progressive community spirit and creative vibes.
