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Old 07-05-2012, 11:41 AM
 
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So.. yeah. Tryin' to decide between these two neighborhoods. It looks like my job will probably be in Santa Monica but my LA friend says there's way more to do / nightlife in the WeHo area. Any more opinions on this? How do the two neighborhoods compare?
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Old 07-05-2012, 12:50 PM
 
Location: California
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Live where you work or you will have no time to enjoy anything. Alternatively live near your friends so you can get together after you commute home. Nighlife will usually come into play on weekends and it's everywhere so don't worry about that.
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Old 07-05-2012, 02:29 PM
 
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I agree with Ceece. There are plenty of bars and restaurants in Santa Monica, and you will appreciate having a very short commute to work. You will have plenty of time to meet up with your friends in WeHo on the weekends.
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Old 07-05-2012, 02:30 PM
 
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Alrighty thanks guys
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Old 07-05-2012, 06:07 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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There is more nightlife in and around West Hollywood. But as others have noted, there is still plenty of bars/restaurants, etc. in and around Santa Monica.

The bigger difference between West Hollywood and Santa Monica is climate. More fog and less sun in Santa Monica.

If I worked in Santa Monica I would probably NOT live in West Hollywood (the commute is not favorable). But one could consider some areas just inland from Santa Monica such as: Westwood, Culver City, Palms, and Miracle Mile area.
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Old 07-05-2012, 11:37 PM
 
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Note that WEHO is a gay community -- 80% of the population is gay, if I had to hazard a guess. The nightlife caters to the gay clientele, especially along Santa Monica Boulevard. Sunset Boulevard is mostly for tourists and destination clubs and night spots, and it is expensive to party there as a result. In fact, all of WEHO is expensive. Granted, there are a few pubs that are not outrageously expensive, but most of them are. But then again, WEHO is more centralized to LA in general, so you have Hollywood next door, Melrose corridor, Bev Hills, etc.

Santa Monica is more diverse economically and culturally, everythign from singles to young families to retirees, so you will have high end places to live intermixed with middle-income places. The restaurants and bars, etc also better reflect this demographic, so you will find local pubs that are pretty affordable and catering to regulars, etc. But you also have fancy places to eat, etc. You have it all there. You are also closer to the beach, while the coastal areas are expensive.

It depends. If you are young and homosexual, looking for places to meet others, WEHO is known for that. If you are straight, you may find it difficult to get your friends to want to meet you in WEHO to party, unless they are willing to spend big $ at trendy meat markets on the Sunset Strip. Santa Monica is more a mixed bag.
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Old 07-06-2012, 05:36 AM
 
Location: Australia
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Default Monica

I have lived in Studio City most of my life and I lived in neighbour of Santa Monica and it was pretty, but most of the restaurants sucked and driving anywhere that is a Headache.
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Old 07-06-2012, 12:39 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Csonka View Post
Note that WEHO is a gay community -- 80% of the population is gay, if I had to hazard a guess. The nightlife caters to the gay clientele, especially along Santa Monica Boulevard. Sunset Boulevard is mostly for tourists and destination clubs and night spots, and it is expensive to party there as a result. In fact, all of WEHO is expensive. Granted, there are a few pubs that are not outrageously expensive, but most of them are. But then again, WEHO is more centralized to LA in general, so you have Hollywood next door, Melrose corridor, Bev Hills, etc.

Santa Monica is more diverse economically and culturally, everythign from singles to young families to retirees, so you will have high end places to live intermixed with middle-income places. The restaurants and bars, etc also better reflect this demographic, so you will find local pubs that are pretty affordable and catering to regulars, etc. But you also have fancy places to eat, etc. You have it all there. You are also closer to the beach, while the coastal areas are expensive.

It depends. If you are young and homosexual, looking for places to meet others, WEHO is known for that. If you are straight, you may find it difficult to get your friends to want to meet you in WEHO to party, unless they are willing to spend big $ at trendy meat markets on the Sunset Strip. Santa Monica is more a mixed bag.
This, pretty much. However, Weho is only 50% gay and there are a lot of straight bars and pubs maybe NOT in the city of weho but adjacent in the fairfax district, plus weho is a lot closer to the hollywood blvd scene which is a mix of dives and exclusive lounges.

I've lived years in both cities. Since the general rule in LA is that you live where you work, living in Santa Monica makes the most sense. The air is cleaner, it's more laid back, and there's still plenty of restaurants and nightlife (maybe not as much or as intense as WeHo, but not exactly a sleeper town either). UNLESS you are a gay male. If you are a gay male, I'd still live in WeHo because that's where everything gay is. If you are NOT a gay male, stay in Santa Monica and if your friends really want to go to WeHo on hte weekends, it's not that bad of a trek
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Old 07-06-2012, 01:05 PM
 
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If you're under 25 i'd definitely suggest living out closer to Hollywood, Silverlake or Fairfax district. The vibe is completely different than the atmosphere & ppl you find hanging out at pubs & cafes in SM and Venice.
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Old 07-06-2012, 02:56 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by disgruntled la native View Post
This, pretty much. However, Weho is only 50% gay and there are a lot of straight bars and pubs maybe NOT in the city of weho but adjacent in the fairfax district, plus weho is a lot closer to the hollywood blvd scene which is a mix of dives and exclusive lounges.
The gay population in West Hollywood is more like 40% according to this LA Weekly story.
Scott Schmidt, West Hollywood Candidate: Gay Republican Tried to Stop Prop. 8, Now Aims to Unseat Incumbent John Heilman - Los Angeles News - The Informer

And I'd add to your comment above that the Sunset Strip (almost entirely in WeHo) is a nightlife hub catering to all.
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