The key addresses in West Hollywood — verified and regularly updated. Clicking takes you straight to the location page.
Cesar Pelli's iconic blue-green-red glass buildings are home to over 130 showrooms for design and interiors. Events take place on the spacious square in front of it, and next door the MOCA Pavilion invites you to art – an architectural landmark in the middle of WeHo.
The vibrant center of gay WeHo: Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny and Holloway is lined with legendary gay bars, clubs and restaurants – including The Abbey, Micky's and Here Lounge. Café hopping during the day, pure party at night.
The legendary stretch of Sunset Boulevard between Doheny and Crescent Heights is pure rock history. It's home to iconic stores like Whisky a Go Go, the Viper Room, and Rainbow Bar & Grill, where greats from Springsteen to Neil Young have performed.
Gay attractions in West Hollywood start with the place itself, because when the community became an independent city in 1984, it elected a majority openly gay and lesbian city council, making headlines as one of the first municipalities in the USA. Even before that, the area, which was not incorporated at the time, was a retreat for queer people because the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles police did not apply here. The heart of the scene is the Rainbow District along Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny and La Cienega, long known as Boystown. As you walk, you'll pass historic bars like the 1979 Mother Lode, which make a piece of local history tangible.
The highlight of the year is WeHo Pride, which takes place under the city's own management and whose parade moves across Santa Monica Boulevard in early June. It is in the tradition of the world's first officially sanctioned Pride parade, organized in 1970 to commemorate the Stonewall riots in Los Angeles. Those interested in queer culture will also find bookstores, galleries and venues around the boulevard that complement the program beyond nightlife. The contrast between the quieter west with the Design District and the lively east of the city is also worth seeing. The following locations will take you to the most important stations in the city's queer history.
