{"id":334229,"date":"2026-05-27T10:27:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T10:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/334229\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T10:27:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T10:27:10","slug":"what-its-like-to-walk-around-californias-most-walkable-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/334229\/","title":{"rendered":"What it’s like to walk around California’s most walkable city"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With average gas prices topping $6 in Los Angeles,<\/a> it can be painful to watch your fuel gauge creep toward \u201cE\u201d during a day out around town. It\u2019s time to stop the car and walk. And where better to do that than in the most walkable city in California? <\/p>\n

For more than a decade, West Hollywood has been designated a \u201cWalkers Paradise\u201d by Walk Score<\/a>, earning a 91 out of 100 on the popular walkability index that looks at distance to amenities, pedestrian friendliness, population density and road metrics. The small city within a city scores two points above the state\u2019s second most walkable city, San Francisco. It\u2019s also a full 22 points above Los Angeles, which has a middling score of 69. <\/p>\n

But you don\u2019t need a formula to know that West Hollywood\u2019s well-maintained sidewalks dotted with cafes, shops and historic sites is a great place for walking. Take a stroll around the city and you can find out for yourself.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what I did on a recent Friday afternoon, where I met locals like Kimberly Beauchaine out in the neighborhood \u2014 yes \u2014 walking. \u201cWe really don\u2019t use our car here,\u201d Beauchaine said, pushing her 18-month old in a stroller past the Pacific Design Center on Melrose Avenue. \u201cIt\u2019s very walkable and very central.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"Alex <\/p>\n

Alex Uihlein and Kimberly Beauchaine walk down Melrose Avenue with their 18-month-old on their way to the West Hollywood Aquatic & Recreation Center.<\/p>\n

(Scott Strazzante \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

While West Hollywood is easy to navigate on foot, getting there without a car can be a challenge. The closest Metro stop is along the just-opened D-line on Wilshire Boulevard, a two-mile hike from the West Hollywood border. Fortunately, West Hollywood has ample public parking. I found a spot in a public lot on North San Vincente Boulevard, where I paid $12 for the whole day.<\/p>\n

The hardest part about planning a fun day in West Hollywood might be choosing a place to start. According to Walk Score, there are about 339 restaurants, bars and coffee shops in the city and you can walk to an average of 13 of them in 5 minutes.<\/p>\n

I asked Eric Parker, director of PR and communications for the city of West Hollywood, why there\u2019s such an abundance of spots to eat and drink in the tiny city. He explained that West Hollywood serves not just residents who live within its borders but also the many folks who live in the residential neighborhood of the Hollywood Hills.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey need a place to live their lives too,\u201d he said. \u201cBeverly Hills has become a little jam-packed with tourists, so West Hollywood has become the heart of L.A. in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

My journey began at the Butcher\u2019s Daughter on Melrose Avenue, a cheerful and bright plant-forward cafe a few blocks from where I parked my car. The croissant I ordered was fine, but the atmosphere was lovely \u2014 open and airy with a communal wood table inside and green and white bistro chairs outside. Pedestrians of all ages strolled by on the wide flat sidewalks, many with small dogs in tow. Trees along the street offered dappled shade, and there were several other cute restaurants nearby, many with outdoor spaces of their own.<\/p>\n

\"Adisa <\/p>\n

Adisa Aditheparot, left, and Mari Muay enjoy a light lunch at the Butcher\u2019s Daughter on Melrose Avenue after walking over from a nearby Pilates class.<\/p>\n

(Scott Strazzante \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

Moving on from the Butcher\u2019s Daughter I headed one block east to the corner of Melrose and San Vincente to take in the rolling lawns and massive green, red and blue glass buildings of the 14-acre Pacific Design Center, which first opened to the public in 1975 and currently houses nearly 100 showrooms. Across the street on San Vincente, I strolled past the excellent West Hollywood Library, the luxurious rooftop West Hollywood Public Pool, and the green expanse of West Hollywood Park where young children were shrieking on the playground.<\/p>\n

The vibe shifted as I continued north toward Santa Monica Boulevard. Here, the city\u2019s identity as a gay haven was in full view. The crosswalks were painted with stripes and triangles celebrating the full range of queer identity and although the many colorful bars were quiet on this early Friday afternoon, it was easy to imagine them filled with revelers after the sun set. On the weekends, a free bus runs down this street every 15 minutes, connecting the Troubadour to Formosa Cafe. The area felt fun and funky, but I was only passing through, determined to get to my next destination.<\/p>\n

To be fair, walking in West Hollywood is not ideal for everyone. After having lived in Boston, New York and Santa Monica, Sean Patrick Gallagher points out that the hills are real.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s walkable if you are walking east to west,\u201d said Gallagher, who has lived in the city for two years. \u201cIf you have to venture north or south, you are destined to hit inclines that are not for every able body.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Pedestrian <\/p>\n

Pedestrian traffic outside Book Soup on Sunset Boulevard.<\/p>\n

(Scott Strazzante \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

At the same time, daily conveniences are generally in easy walking distance for many residents. \u201cMost people in West Hollywood can walk to the gym, the grocery store and the laundromat,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are enough things on each street that cater to your needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parker describes West Hollywood as a place where history is hidden in plain sight. I certainly felt that as I passed onto the quiet, shaded streets of Norma Triangle, a historic neighborhood in West Hollywood where Dorothy Parker and Christopher Isherwood once lived. The sidewalks here are more narrow but well maintained, and the streets are filled with locals walking dogs of all sizes. The homes and apartment buildings, many of which date to the mid-20th century, are beautifully landscaped and clearly tended to with care, but I was searching for one in particular \u2014 the Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, designed in 1927 by Frank Lloyd Wright\u2019s eldest son who also worked as an architect.<\/p>\n

The house was not a disappointment. It\u2019s not open to the public, so I was only able to see the exterior, but it was worth it. The desert landscaping on the corner lot is on point and the building itself, a two-story space that makes use of the organic textile-block pattern popularized by Lloyd Wright\u2019s father, has a unique interlocking design of stylized Joshua Trees. I loved it. It\u2019s also located in deep shade, which is very welcome on a hot day.<\/p>\n

With that done, I made my way up to Sunset Boulevard, which is loud and unshaded and not nearly as pleasant a place to walk as some of West Hollywood\u2019s more green and leafy streets. However, there are some cultural landmarks here that I felt should not be missed along with a surge of oval-eyed delivery robots (seriously, so many). This is the famous Sunset Strip where you\u2019ll find the Roxy Theatre, the Whisky a Go Go and the Viper Room. All very cool, but this writer was most excited about getting to spend some time in Book Soup, the iconic bookstore with a real-life magazine stand outside that celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Down a narrow alley right next door is the more esoteric Mystery Pier Books, which specializes in first editions and is beloved by celebrities.<\/p>\n

\"Taking <\/p>\n

Taking a walk down Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. <\/p>\n

(Scott Strazzante \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

I had ambitious plans to amble past more spots in West Hollywood. More than one friend suggested I go to Mamie<\/a> on Sunset and Fairfax for Italian sandwiches (the focaccia is supposed to be amazing). I considered ending my day at the perfect patio at Chateau Marmont on the border of the Hollywood Hills. But reader, I was tired, and walkability is not about exhausting yourself. It\u2019s about enjoying your time car-free. So instead, I headed back toward where I started, walking past the high-end shops of Melrose Place before arriving at Zinque for a simple prosciutto and cornichon sandwich and an Arnold Palmer. At 4 p.m., a waiter came past my table to tell me happy hour had officially begun and asked if I\u2019d like a drink.<\/p>\n

There is more than one reason why it makes sense to live in a walkable community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With average gas prices topping $6 in Los Angeles, it can be painful to watch your fuel gauge…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":334230,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8,283,138261,9342,217,89123,138263,24025,138264,1417,138265,17565,1291,315,138262,655],"class_list":["post-334229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-car","tag-city-score","tag-daughter","tag-day","tag-great-place","tag-lloyd-wright-home","tag-melrose-avenue","tag-north-san-vincente-boulevard","tag-point","tag-public-lot","tag-spot","tag-street","tag-time","tag-walkable-city","tag-west-hollywood"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=334229"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334229\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/334230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=334229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=334229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=334229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}