Ode to West Hollywood

     West Hollywood is quite the little city. It's bit of a 21st Century utopia.  It's relatively safe, it's clean, and it's known for its tolerance of personal lifestyles.  I've lived in WeHo for the past 10 years and I've grown to like it a lot.

 It's a flashy part of town--there's plenty of high end restaurants, designer boutiques and some grunge Melrose Ave. shops.  There's also Canter's Deli and the Grove.  This is all great.  The greatest part, to me, is the  inimitable community feel of the city.  I'm a married woman with 3 kids and I can honestly say this is a family neighbor hood.  I like that I can take my kids to the park and my kids will always run into thier friends and I into mine.  We meet in the local Trader Joe's or other grocery stores.  We invite each other to birthday parties or for dinner at the local hot restaurant.  It's fun being in this modern section of town with the throw back to the '50's community feel. It's comforting to know I have people down the street who will help me in time of need or being here for my friend who needs me to meet her kids after school. 

I like that the West Hollywood community is organically diverse.  My children attend school with "everyone"--all religions, all nationalities, all races, all economic groups, and children raised in homes by parents of all sexual orientations.  And it's a natural mix of people and the friendships the children form come naturally too. Maybe it just me looking through rose colored galsses, but I think the children at West Hollywood Elementary School are gentle, understanding and super smart.  If you walk areound the shcool, you see a bunch of children engaged in their activies, not teasing harrassing younger students or beating eachother up.  It seems that mos tof these kids come from civil homes where violence is not learned.

     Thr real estate values have come down a bit as it hs else where in the better parts of Los Angeles County, but not as much as area to the southeast or northeast or the valley.  The area is holding it's own.

    The area does lack children's facilities, i.e., after school tutoring centers or children's art studios, that sort of thing.  But hopefully, with time and lowered rents due to the downfally in commercial real estate, that may change:  people will invest in children centers for WeHo parents.  That and a charter middle/high school for WeHo families, this will definately be the ultimate in Los Angeles living.

    i'm looking forward to the local schools getting more recognition.  West Hollywood is a great neighborhood now, wait till the schools catch on.  Once the schools reflect the "wealth" of the nighborhood, real estate values will skyrocket. 

     If you're interested in more information on West Hollywood, please contact me.  I love talking about his area and the schools and it's potential.

  Lynn LeGlaire