West Hollywood Patch's Top 10 Photos of 2011

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words and frankly, we agree.

From the highs to the lows, Patch photographers scoured the city once again to capture the moments that brought us a mix of emotions this year. Some were humorous, others moving.

We managed to snap a photo of Abbey founder and president on his now legal dance floor and were alongside the community as it reflected on the .

As 2011 comes to a close and we embark on a new year filled with unique stories to capture on camera, we offer you a few of our favorites from last year, so without further ado, our top 10 picks (in chronological order):

1. received an offical designation in February, following a long legal battle between the city and residents of West Hollywood. The front portion of a historic home known as "Tara," once slated for 28 affordable housing units, is now a park for people and dogs alike—complete with benches, picnic tables and lots of huge old trees.

2. Mayor John Duran joined more than 2,300 bicyclists in completing the 545-mile, seven-day from San Francisco to Los Angeles in early June. The ride raised more than $13 million in critically needed funds for the HIV/AIDS-related services of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

3. was one of the most successful in years, officials said. The weekend-long celebration in June brought an estimated 400,000 people out to celebrate the event, which kicked off with a and capped off with a down Santa Monica Boulevard.

4. , founder and president of , showed off his moves in June on a new sunken dance floor. The Planning Commission voted 6-1 in June to approve an application to allow The Abbey to legally operate its installed earlier in the year.

5. West Hollywood observed the official end of —the military ban on gays serving openly in the military—with a rally in West Hollywood Park and a march down Santa Monica Blvd. About 100 people cheered and chanted as they waved rainbow flags and carried homemade signs.

6. Crowds filled the streets in mid-October for as the sun shined brightly over the 6.2 mile (10 kilometer) walk. Young and old, gay and straight, black, white, Latino and Asian all came together for the common cause of helping to put an end to AIDS.

7. The city's attracted an elbow-to-elbow crowd to Santa Monica Boulevard. An estimated 500,000 poured into restaurants, bars and nightclubs from La Cienega Boulevard to Doheny Drive. Halloween revelers dressed as dazzling drag queens, uncanny pop stars and even Occupy Wall Street.

8. About 100 people turned out for the rally and march to City Hall in early November, protesting the upcoming two-year closure of the park for a $41-million renovation. Young, old, gay, straight, male, female, Russian-speakers and English-speakers all turned out for the demonstration.

9. About 250 people participated in the annual , held in Plummer Park's Great Hall after heavy rains forced the cancellation of a planned parade. The day was especially somber due to the murder that happened a few days before in Hollywood of a transgendered woman named Cassidy Vickers.

10. “Banks get bailed out, we get sold out” and “We are the 99 percent” were the rallying cries of about 50 LGBT supporters marching down Santa Monica Boulevard earlier this month in the name of "." Cars driving by honked to show their support on seeing the signs and rainbow flags the protesters carried.

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