Demographics, Boundaries and Mutual Aid

Demographics

The City of West Hollywood has a diverse population but differs to the general demographics of Los Angeles County. The last counted population in West Hollywood was 35,716. Of that population, 86% are Caucasian, 8% are Latino, 3% are Asian and 3% are African American. A majority of the population is between the ages of 25-44. The city has a high propensity of gay, Jewish and eastern European populations.

West Hollywood is a very affluent city and community. There are several bars, eating establishments and high end retail shops. It is known as the playground for many celebrities that either reside in WeHo or reside in the neighboring cities and communities.

West Hollywood is a highly educated city that has higher then average incomes then the County of Los Angeles.

A majority of the population in West Hollywood either live in an apartment or duplex. There is a small percentage of residents that live in single family homes.

West Hollywood has a high yielding gay and lesbian population. The demographics have been changing and getting higher. The next Census is likely to show an increase in the gay, lesbian and bisexual population.

There is also a need for medical assistance relating to HIV/AIDS in West Hollywood.

A very small percentage of the population of West Hollywood is under 18 years of age.

Boundaries

Incorporated: November 29, 1984

84th city in Los Angeles County

Area: 1.9 square miles

Bounded by the Cities of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills

Bordered by: On the east by La Brea

On the west by Doheny

On the north by Sunset

On the south by Beverly

References

Kocher, S. (2002). City of west hollywood demographic profile. Retrieved August 23,

2009, from

http://www.weho.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/DetailGroup/navid/159/cid/1666/

Map of West Hollywood [Online Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved August 23, 2009, from

http://www.thesbian.com/wehoho/images/wehomap.gif

Mutual Aid

Walking through the community of West Hollywood and observing the neighborhood the only sign of neighbors being readily available to each other was the neighborhood watch signs posted throughout the community. This may be due to the fact that most of the housing in West Hollywood are apartment buildings and condos.



Therefore, we did not see neighbors interacting with one another outside of their homes. And even though this was the case, when interviewing some of the residents of West Hollywood, they shared that they felt safe and had no problems with the gay and lesbian population who reside in the community. None of those interviewed had any concerns or negative remarks to make in regards to the gay and lesbian population who reside in the community.

The city of West Hollywood offers an incredible amount of services and resources to not only its residents but non-residents as well. For example, those in need of any type of support and/or assistants may go to the Community Center in Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069 for assistants. The Community Center offers many programs specifically catering to youth and seniors, such as a meal program, health education, and a dance program in their dance studio located on site.



While visiting the community center we also walked around Plummer Park and noticed that this park alike others in the community appeared to be a place where families and seniors gather. The population in this park was typically elderly men and young families with toddlers. We noted that the elderly men sat at the park tables playing games and socializing with one another and the young families watched and played with their toddlers. Some of the park’s facilities include tennis courts and a play area for children.



In addition, there were also specific community centers for the gay and lesbian population that we visited. For example, the Jeffry Griffith Youth Center, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, located at 7051 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038. Their main focus is providing support to the gay and lesbian homeless and run away population between the ages of 14 and 24. Although, the center caters to the homosexual population, heterosexuals meeting these criteria are also welcomed. The center provides free meals, shelter, mental health services, GED assistants, HIV testing and many other resources.



www.lafreeclinic.org

http://laglc.convio.net/site/PageServer

Another location that we visited was the Gateway Center. The population there included gay, lesbian, and a few heterosexuals. The Gateway Center appeared to be a place where one can hang out, shop, and enjoy a nice meal. Finally, another meeting place we noted was the Abbey, an open patio bar where the gay and lesbian population tends to hang out.

http://www.abbeyfoodandbar.com/

http://events.la.com/west-hollywood-ca/venues/show/728413-the-great-hall-at-plummer-park

http://www.westhollywoodgateway.com/

The city of West Hollywood also offers service clubs such as the Lions Club which is located between Robertson Blvd. and Melrose Ave. The Lions Club focus is to improve their community. http://westhollywoodca.lionwap.org/

http://www.md4lions.org/

Something interesting that we found during our walk through the community of West Hollywood is that we did not note any churches, mosques, and/or synagogues. As a matter of fact, we did not note any signs of any religious affiliations.