Should Boystown Get Official City Designation?
Resident and business owner Larry Block wants to see area of Santa Monica Boulevard between Robertson and La Cienega officially recognized.
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Should Boystown get an official designation, along the lines of Koreatown or Little Ethiopia? That’s what Larry Block thinks.
“It’s like there’s an invisible bubble [along Santa Monica Boulevard] between Robertson and La Cienega,” said Block, a resident of West Hollywood since 1987. “They should officially designate it, put up signs announcing: ‘Welcome to Boystown.’”
Block has been talking about this idea amongst friends for a while, but went public with his desire during the public comment time at Monday’s City Council meeting. In the 24 hours since he made those comments, he said he has received nothing but praise for his idea.
“Boystown is as a part of the city, just like the Sunset Strip,” said Block, who owns the Block Party clothing store located in the old A Different Light bookstore building. “We need to acknowledge that.”
Block points out that Los Angeles has areas named for the ethnic populations living in areas like Thai Town and Little Ethiopia. He wonders why West Hollywood has not followed suit for its gay population.
“It will attract our culture,” he said. “Let people know we belong here. It’s about the preservation of the core of what put West Hollywood on the map.”
Block acknowledges this is also an effort to stave off the ever encroaching gentrification and increasing straight presence seen in Boystown.
“The day that Mickey’s goes straight, the day that Rage goes straight, that’ll be the end of Boystown,” Block fears. “We need to protect Boystown while it’s still here.”
Block hopes the city will create a Boystown business improvement district similar to the Sunset Strip business improvement district or The Avenues fashion, art and design district along Robertson and Melrose. “It’ll help all the Boystown businesses work together,” Block said.
Along those lines, he also wants to see Boystown marketed as a brand. “The city is missing an opportunity,” he said, noting that he will soon have Boystown t-shirts and flip-flops for sale in his store. “This is a place where gay was born. It’s a gay city. Why aren’t we marketing that to the world, letting everyone know?”
In This article
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Rage Restaurant & Bar
8911 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA -
Micky's
801 Larrabee St, West Hollywood, CA -
Blockparty WeHo
8853 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA
lampshade
5:07 pm on Wednesday, March 23, 2011
I agree with Block!
me
5:32 pm on Wednesday, March 23, 2011
well folks, with the current council, "boystown" won't be around much longer....besides, it's no all inclusive without the WOMYN now is it???
WeHoOne
10:39 am on Thursday, March 24, 2011
Kudos to Larry Block and his leadership! Great idea and I am behind it 100%. I'm sure he has certain council members sizzling, but they should join in what the citizens want instead of fighting it, which would be a welcome change for them indeed! Boystown developed over a period of many years and was never political issue until now, when certain members decided on their own (maybe) that they wanted Boystown more "family friendly" and wanted to make changes to suit their own political whims and satisfy their developer contributors. This is a travesty and we need to get out our pitchforks and torches and take a stand stand in defense of Boystown which is actually a world famous a bastion of diversity. The name may honor the gay people who built this area and kept it afloat economically through the years, but there are always women, families, straight and gay, whatever race creed or color that chooses to seek homes or shop or hang out here, ALL welcome. I would love to see an African American, a lesbian, a transexual, a drag queen, physically handicapped, etc on the city council. Anyone who can win, more power to them. One thing we CANNOT do is designate who is acceptable to run and be elected, and who is not as happened during this last election by a local writer. This is a slap in the face to our democracy and to what West Hollywood has traditionally stood for through the years. I support Larry Bock and his propostal big time and wil be happy to help
SB
6:39 pm on Thursday, April 14, 2011
I understand what your saying regarding politics and having aimed to create a family friendly vibe.
What I don't understand is how you can be so wholeheartedly supportive of an official designation as divisive as "boystown" or "historic boystown". How is adding the word historic any more inclusive? The answer is, it's not, and it's insulting to tell people it is. Both of these names attempt to exclude anyone outside of gay man. Seems logical to me that a gay man would most likely LOVE a fairytale dreamland called boystown, but what about the rest of us? Are the rest of the LBT community suddenly invisible now?
Lets not forget The OLDEST club on that strip is a LESBIAN club, The Palms. There's Girlbar, Here, there used to be the Normandie Room. There are MANY lesbians and bi people in that area. My point is, this is not now or has it historically been a BOYStown exclusively. It has been a safe place for ALL LBGT people. The political issue you are against seems to be clouding (???) your view on how WRONG an official city sponsored designation that excludes and descriminates against LBT people would be.
Keep your nicknames but don't try to make it official by excluding and discriminating the same people who have fought against and suffered discrimination right alongside gay men.
If we want to get into real history. Lets make Barney's Beanery thee go to place. That is one of the only REAL places standing that can dare to call itself 'historic'.
P. Martinez
9:52 pm on Friday, March 25, 2011
I pay my taxes, live and shop in "WEST HOLLYWOOD" get dinner at Tender Greens, and koo koo roos, shop at Trader Joes, NOT boys town. Come on really, the men dominate West Hollywood and the lesbians get treated like crap in this entire town. And now you want to discriminate by this ridiculous idea. Just because there is Rage and Mickeys, it does not qualify "Boys Town. Do you really want to see a Dyke march out of control??? And you want equal rights, start in your back yard "BOYS"!!!
me
11:30 pm on Friday, March 25, 2011
funny thing is, i totally agree with you for the most part......but where the hell are the lesbians????.....i'm not talkin about not sitting at bars for hours upon hours like the gay boys.......i'm talkin about only seein the womyn at the pride festival and dinah shore and then they disappear for the rest of the year.....seriously, what gives???.....are lesbians happy hiding?
SB
6:44 pm on Thursday, April 14, 2011
P. Martinez, I agree with you %100. If "boys" were happy calling it what they want (unofficially) all these years, why do we need an official discriminatory and exclusive name now? Its ridiculous that a city that prides itself on being a safe space wants to make its own discrimination OFFICIAL. We are going backwards here.
SB
6:54 pm on Thursday, April 14, 2011
In response to "ME". You obiously aren't hangin at the clubs on girl nights. You obviously havent noticed how many lesbians live here which means they shop, eat, workout, socialize, and pay taxes here and have for years and years and years and years... historic enough for you?
Sounds to me like you don't mind girls as long as it's convenient for you, i.e., NOH8 ralleys and the like.
Being "invisible" has been an issue in the lesbian community, but we are here. This designation attempts to make us MORE invisible. How wrong is that!!!!? You might spot the butch chick and count her in your little lesbian census but what about the rest of us who aren't as easily spotted. I find it dispicable that anyone who has been discriminated against would so adamantly support a discriminatory OFFICIAL city designation.
John
11:58 pm on Friday, March 25, 2011
By designation a part of town 'Boystown' it doesnt exclude anybody. It includes everybody to respect the part of the city that has been historically a gay poplulated place. Everybody goes to Chinatown, not just Chinese. Koreatown was created to honor the a segment of a popluation. Boystown doesnt exclude the girls, or the straights, its all inclusive. We have historical buildings of all types, and nobody can argue that the streets in question are historically for the gay male. So I 100% will stand up for the rights for us to be recognized before there is a Banana Repulic and Gap on Santa Monica Blvd and there is no culture or history left.
Bob
10:51 am on Saturday, March 26, 2011
Welcome to Boystown is Trashy. How about welcome to Aidsville where we stand on the street corner and hitchhike for 50 bucks a p0p. It has the same implications.
Oh Hi Sailor Bruce, Can you direct me to Boys-Town? OH how savage you are.
P. Martinez
11:24 am on Saturday, March 26, 2011
Bob, that is not true. do not think it should be called Boys Town, but Aidsville is a very mean comment. West Hollywood is known very a "Gay" community. With that we all respect and care about the other person. I am a lesbian and love my gay guy friends, and TG friends, and love the drag queens, but to go as low as to say Aidsville, come on.
"Me" asked where are all the lesbians off season. Well I am in the TV biz and it is brutal hours, and most of my friends are all either producers in TV biz or music biz. They have super busy lives, but we all try to meet out at Lesbian Sushi or Tender Greens. And alot go to the Abby Sunday afternoons. Although they are not butch and you may not think they are lesbians out and about in "Boys Town" but we are! I know I hate to be labeled and I know we all have groups within our gay community. But let's not now put up a sign that designates it is more one than another.
And Chinatown is 95% Chinese, but we all go for Chinese food! I go to West Hollywood for shopping, and other things, not "Boys"!
Bob
6:55 pm on Saturday, March 26, 2011
Boys town is a disgusting and tasteless idea. It's all fun and games until a person comes down with aids. I remember Gays dropping like flies 25 years ago. Now that Aids is not so deadly people want to stick their gay sexuality in your face again. I remember west hollywood posting alert signs on Santa Monica Blvd during the 80s that this was a Aids infestation zone and to not pick up strangers.
Bob
11:26 am on Saturday, March 26, 2011
Boystown means bumping and grinding those fresh young tushys.
Before 1970 there were basically no gays in WeHo. I was there.
Bob
11:31 am on Saturday, March 26, 2011
Boystown means taking it from behind and standing up on Floats shaking your tushy to many that live here. Not everyone is impressed. I remember when the fist gays started to openly trickle in around 1971. I know what Boystown means. It means meat rack and selling your tushy on Santa Monica Blvd and Detroit to strangers as you hitchhike.
I remember when Santa Monica Blvd had a bar where strangers would walk in and pay $10. They would go in the backroom and have unprotected sex with a stanger. Then Aids came along and people said why me.
me
11:41 am on Saturday, March 26, 2011
someone is a "TOQ" (tired old queen)....not sayin who, jus sayin
Bob
11:56 am on Saturday, March 26, 2011
West Hollywood residents accomodated the Gay Community in 1971 and in return the Gay community wants to rename West Hollywood after Gay Sex in your face names. This should be a lesson never to accomdated the gay community.
me
12:22 pm on Saturday, March 26, 2011
your neighbors must love you.....ever have anything positive to say???.....jus curious
Bob
12:27 pm on Saturday, March 26, 2011
Everything I say is positite. The problem is that you are a liberal on disability. I do not want my city of birth being named after a Gay man's tushy. You can but look at your circumstances.
John
8:37 pm on Saturday, March 26, 2011
Bob you sound like a disgusting human being. And a shallow one too.
A different Paul
1:23 am on Sunday, March 27, 2011
I think Bob gets off by being offensive. Most of his posts are designed to offend.
As much as the idea of calling that area "Boys Town is amusing and makes me smile- tonight I saw plenty of girls out there dancing away and I think they are too much fun to leave out. So no...
Bob
10:22 am on Sunday, March 27, 2011
I do not get off by renaming West Hollywood or any part of it basically "Butt Town" It sends out a bad message to children. It tells them that when you get older you need to try your first Rump Ranging Experience. 40 years ago I thought it was absurd when old people told me that gays want to recruit and target school children. Now I find out today that they want to teach homosexual positions as well as safe sex to first graders across the nation in public schools.
If you put up an official sign that says ButtTown or it's equivalent Boystown it tells children that this kind of activity is normal and to be celebrated.
25 years ago nobody was celebrating on Santa Monica Blvd when Aids was killing left and right. It was an agonizing death where people could look at you and tell what your situation was.
I was the last person many saw who were suffering from aids. Many ran away from the lifestyle of going out at 3AM every morning in a big convertible and showing up back home with a car load of strange men for activities that would wake up the neighbors with the strangest noises. I cleared out a lot of Gay Homes and saw that they had spent their money on bizarre pornography and 33 records along with a lot of greeting and thank you cards and a baskets full of dirty sex toys. I remember reading the labratory test where their was a big HIV written in red across the whole medical page.
me
2:42 pm on Sunday, March 27, 2011
i'm curious why "the patch" hasn't shut bob's account down.....this is beyond free speech
sunset
2:16 pm on Tuesday, March 29, 2011
I think it should shut down people with dual identies as well. I notice that Ali always chimes in after Me and visa versa.
me
3:07 pm on Sunday, March 27, 2011
youre right of course, but the patch does have some terms of use:
http://westhollywood.patch.com/terms
the patch should at least make it more difficult for him
Jon Ponder
5:39 pm on Sunday, March 27, 2011
Wow, I was neutral on this idea until I read Bob's rants. Now I'm 100% for it.
Marie Cunningham
6:08 pm on Sunday, March 27, 2011
"Bob" has left the building. Sorry for anyone who read the user's comments, this site is no place for vitriol. If you ever have a problem like this do not hesitate to e-mail the site editor.
And remember to be nice to your fellow humans!
c.gerard
2:17 am on Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Be kind/inclusive to the Lesbians, Transgenders, and Bisexuals, and designate the area as "HOMO HEIGHTS!", or possibly LGBTown? Just saying;)
A different Paul
7:07 pm on Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Seems to me "the Creative City" is sufficient to communicate the citizenry- there is a lot of history in this town that celebrates thinking outside the box. To pick one group (even as influential as it has been) seems more about division than celebrating common ground, and our common ground has more future attached.
Christopher
2:40 am on Wednesday, March 30, 2011
West Hollywood has always been called "Boystown", even Lesbians have called it this. However, the first thought I had is,
"What about the girls?" I like "BoysTown", (but I'm a guy.) The Creative City has been around for a long time, but it doesn't
signify the block that is mentioned. And the block has a "BoysTown" history. How about, "Three Gay Guys and a Lesbian Blvd".
Just kidding. I think there's something to naming this stretch of SMB. The Creative City is too general. In NY they had called it The Village. Hmmmm.........Maybe the lesbians won't mind the name Boystown. I'll ask some of my lesbian friends, and check back in with this...................
me
3:12 am on Wednesday, March 30, 2011
its been called boystown for years despite not having a sign....i suppose everyone just wants something that says "we were here" when it's no longer boys town due to gays being forced out due to high rents and over-development.....
SB
7:18 pm on Thursday, April 14, 2011
This is ridiculous. Weho is known as a gay mecca around the world. You really think we need to 'tag' it? You can't be serious.
Edd Holman
2:55 pm on Monday, April 4, 2011
I vote no. WeHo is good enough.
Edd Holman
3:03 pm on Monday, April 4, 2011
If a sign goes up to nickname the area between La Cienga and Robertson, BoysTown, be prepared for an influx of catholic priests and pedophiles. I'm just saying.
Before you respond with your vitriol, please note that I'm being sarcastic.
SB
7:12 pm on Thursday, April 14, 2011
Is this official yet? I sure as h*ll hope not!
I'd like to know why West Hollywood patch is promoting this "boystown/historic boystown" name so staunchly via Twitter. What politicians have been doing Patch favors?
How quickly BOYS have forgotten that ALL QUEER people have struggled against discrimination, bullying, etc right along side gaymen. How convenient to suddenly forget and how disgusting your willingness to exclude is.
Adding the word "historic" doesn't do a damn thing to include LBTs. As I said in an above comment, to imply that it does is downright insulting.
How do supporters of this proposal not see the irony in this.
You can't "honor" LBT people by excluding them.
You can't "honor" LGBT"s history in Weho, the nightlife, and the struggle against discrimination and exclusion by discriminating and excluding!
me
8:07 pm on Thursday, April 14, 2011
perhaps known more lovingly as "the home of the most gay alcoholics in the USA"
brad
9:37 am on Friday, April 15, 2011
To me, it is true looking at how many gay people are alcoholics is higher than straights, although there are many straight. But not trying to attack you, don't want to be another "Bob". But I think the reason is that alot of us came from disfunctional homes (I lived in a small town in Texas), I found escape by no joke going to gay bars when I could at 15 years old. There wasn't anywhere else to find gay people.
WeHo is full of healthy alternatives to just the bar scene but you are right if you mean there is tons of bars, however not everyone going to bars are alcoholics.
Back to the subject of calling it Boystown, more appropriate would be historic LGBT community.
But whether or not that is neccessary is another question, I'm happy that I live in a community that you can walk down the street seeing many couples, gay or straight holding hands.
Believe me as a gay person I wouldn't dare in another town!
Again I'm just saying where I'm from, there was nothing other than bars to meet other people, I'm happy here you can find many places!
A different Paul
1:08 pm on Friday, April 15, 2011
sure there are gay alcoholics and straight alcoholics here like everywhere else, but I doubt we have a higher percentage of the community here than elsewhere. It is easy to stereotype the city if you don't look beneath the surface, but lots of people go out to socialize, dance and it doesn't always involve getting drunk. New York friends laugh that here more people order water and soft drinks than in NYC- alcohol has calories and you don't stay looking good by trashing your body. We also have hiking groups, book circles, a swim team... bicyclists... there is a lot more to the gay community here than the brick and mortar bars you see on SM blvd. I don't think it would be a fair assessment to say that WeHo is the home of the most gay alcoholics in the USA. You need to get out a bit.
brad
1:23 pm on Friday, April 15, 2011
I really appreciate your comment, I'm still looking for more activites in WeHo, I find the gym to be a great place but not alot to meet people although I do but plugged into Ipod, and others don't seem to want to meet anyone. If you can when you get a chance email me with more information about other things to do? brbartle3@aol.com Really would be appreciated. And yes I understand I need to get out a bit!
A different Paul
12:23 pm on Sunday, April 17, 2011
Here are a few groups that I am aware of-
Take-A-Hike has a hike on Sat mornings and sometimes on Wed eves. Nice group of fairly urban guys- about 40 guys/ some gals- average age about early 30's, but range from 20s to mid 50s- very friendly good people. They have camping trips when the weather warms up. Many go to lunch after the hike.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=14172999550
Gay for Good is essentially the same folks as Take-A-Hike. Once a month they plan some sort of event that helps the larger community... often working alongside other volunteer groups from different backgrounds. It is a lot of fun with good attitudes along the way.
http://gayforgood.org/
Angeles Crest is a gay hiking group in Pasadena led by a Forrest Ranger Chris Fabbro-
http://www.angelescrest.org/
Great Outdoors is another hiking and camping group that also has other social mixers.
http://www.greatoutdoorsla.org/
Perfect Pace tends to draw some very serious hikers- you will get a really good workout.
http://www.perfectpace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.home
West Hollywood Aquatics WeHo has a swim team at the city pool- all different experience levels. http://www.teamunify.com/Home.jsp?team=wha
I know there are a lot of groups out there- If you have a particular interest- you can find a group to suit your interest- the internet is an amazing thing, if you can't find an existing group, you can always create one through meetup or craigslist.