Where in the World is West Hollywood?

I took a great deal of flack when I wrote my recent article about the rain in Los Angeles and people's nonsensical reactions to it while driving or walking. I didn't take flack for my reading that the drivers in Los Angeles appear snipers on a mission to kill all in their tracks. I didn't take flack for my observations that my dear wife and I not having hot water was directly attributable to the rain. I got a bunch of garbage for my map reading skills. Specifically for my reading that West Hollywood is NOT near Griffith Park. Some readers thought that was what I was saying. What I said is:

"It seems everything changes with the weather in Southern California. Sherman Oaks, where my wife and I live, is in Los Angeles county and what even I didn't understand about Southern California when I moved here was that the neighborhoods all sort of mesh together. There is a spot around Griffith Park where "Los Angeles" turns to Glendale, Burbank, and West Hollywood; all in different directions. That said, in Los Angeles the neighborhoods all do a great job of flowing together, blurring the lines between what you think you know and what actually is."

Some readers thought I was scurrilously placing Griffith Park somewhere near the borders of West Hollywood. Crack-pot editor Ryan Gierach from WeHo News said: "West Hollywood (WeHo) is four full miles from Griffith Park. There is no "spot" around which LA becomes the three municipalities you mention." Okay Ryan, you're right. I apologize if I in some way offended you. Factually, yes, it was incorrect of me to say that West Hollywood is near the apex of Griffith Park, Glendale, and Burbank. If I had said "Studio City" or the tourist trap "Universal City," I probably would not have even heard from these lovely people. However all this disagreement on where exactly West Hollywood is in relation to Griffith Park is absolutely missing the point in the paragraph. I had been talking about the bleary-eyed view many of us; myself included, walk around with when it rains in Los Angeles. If Mr. Gierach had read the full context of what I was saying he may have gleaned that even though there are all these distinct neighborhoods, with a highly disparate populous, in the rain, the song remains the same. That is, there are crazy people everywhere; on the roads, on the sidewalks, and yes, these people navigate from neighborhood to neighborhood without necessary regard for others on the roads with them. That was the context of my comment.

Some of these folks even took things to an outrageous level. Says Mr. Gierach: "You are a fool and no journalist!" Says another reader "You are very blurred."

Taking the bleary eyed in the rain metaphor to the next level, it could be argued that this bleary-eyedness adds clarity to the discussion. The main thoroughfares running through many of the Los Angeles neighborhoods; the ones with all the chain businesses on them; Ralphs, CVS, Starbucks; these all come out in a wash when one is passing through. You see the same signs everywhere. While I am aware that West Hollywood and Burbank specifically are very distinct neighborhoods, that's not to say that they're so different from each other at all.

But allow me to take a step back; I understand neighborhood pride. I get that and I know what it's like when people talk down about your home that you love. I didn't think my comment about the neighborhoods blending together meant that these neighborhoods blended together with each other; I also didn't think that mentioning West Hollywood was such a crime. I was only using Griffith Park as a reference point.

Of course the subtleties and subtexts to these different neighborhoods; the community organizations, the exclusive memberships, the inclusive area activities, are all different. One of the things I really like about Los Angeles is the way that people all do get involved in their neighborhoods; trying to get everyone all on board. I even wrote about this fact for my future neighborhood (Van Nuys) while I was still living in my old neighborhood (Sherman Oaks) which is now my current neighborhood (Sherman Oaks). (The neighborhood borders of Sherman Oaks have expanded; I moved to Van Nuys, I now live in Sherman Oaks).

So I'm sorry if I offended anyone. If you read the piece for context you might have seen that while 4 miles does separate Griffith Park and West Hollywood, it's a short four miles indeed. Could I have been more precise with my reading of the neighborhood borders? Absolutely! Unequivocally and I have said as much. Was accurate map reading the point of the statement? No way.