A Walk Down Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood aka "Boys Town"

[@johngubatan5858]

One of the BEST VIDEOS ever of West Hollywood "Boystown Rainbow District" !!!!

[@VJ4rawr2]

Amazing video. I love that you've documented this street in such detail. So many good memories.

[@kazihasib9374]

i came to L.A. in 1991, but on 2002 i came back to my country bangladesh............i have family.....so i can't come back to usa......your video realy makes me nostalgic..................Good day.......

[@wyattdeville898]

ULIKETHEMBOYSHUH

[@geoffreyphipps8677]

kazi hasib wow I lived in l.a. from you 2002-2003 and the taxi driver that took me to work everyday was from Bangladesh!

[@travisweathers2842]

STFU

[@lukas01986]

@@wyattdeville898 ILOVETHEMFKNBOYSYESYUM.

[@ultravice191]

Great video. I lived there from 1991-98 and then again from 2006-2020. So many things have changed as things do. Some good and some not so good.

[@r.fraser4061]

This was really good. Loved it. I could almost smell the cologne. Thanks for posting this!

[@johngubatan5858]

Love video of West Hollywood "Boystown"!!!!

[@TheFreakyOfficial]

Brilliant! I went to L.A. 3 years ago and this video kinda took me back to those awesome days. RI really wanna go back there not only to visti but also to live!

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

The Freaky ...thanks. I really need to reshoot this. It’s been a few years since I made this. A lot has changed since.

[@TheFreakyOfficial]

So do it! I'll love watching the new one

[@meganjohnson2434]

I remember a long time ago my sister came to stay in LA with me. I told her there was this huge news dealer over around Hollywood Blvd and Selma Avenue where we could get hometown newspapers. The entire front was covered in hundreds of magazines and newspapers. There were a lot of guys hanging around the area and she refused to get out of the car, I told her there had been a movie called Selma and her Boys about the area because it was a gay area. I also told her it was broad daylight and they wouldn't bother her as she was female. I had to get out and get the newspapers.

[@littlecasino60]

LOL, that's funny and interesting. I wouldn't say that a place is safe simply because they're all gay men. The French Quarter isn't when you walk down the gay stretch of Bourbon St (the 800 block). They holler at you and threaten you. I think it's because they're all drunk, though.

[@johngubatan5858]

West Hollywood is my home away from home!!!!

[@USAjock9]

An up-date is needed. So many businesses closed and ton's of construction.

[@stuartmiller9648]

We visited on holiday from Scotland in 2019,stayed in a house on la jolla avenue,used to get breakfast at Joey's or head to Gelsons.....fantastic area,so cool......and handy for sunset strip for beers at night....wish we could go back!!!!

[@johngubatan5858]

🌈 West Hollywood LGBTQ Pride!!!!!

[@markthrasher6770]

Gay or not... Boys Town is NICE!! I'd live there. Of course I'm actually gay, but even if I wasn't... I still think West L.A. and North Hollywood is friggin cool. I see parts of Compton and San Pedro that look awesome.....

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

This was filmed almost 10 years ago. It’s changed a lot since then.

[@nickledva]

So much has changed! And the prices, Yikes. Cool to see the Citibank where Rocco's is now. And what was happening where the Chapel is now (left from the Abbey)?

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

This little film was made back in 2013. Almost 9 Years ago. I have no idea what it looks like today. It really metaphorsizes every 5 years or so. If I went back today...I may not even recognize it. Back in my day....yada, yada, yada..

[@dsocal7777]

Wow this is the WeHo I remember! The last pride I went to was probably 2014/2015. Really haven’t been there since. A few friends used to work at Andrew Christian. Everything is so different now. I may have to do a drive by and maybe check out all that is new.

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

Me either, I wonder what it’s like now?

[@ivorwm2291]

Thanks for posting these videos. I had to return to Texas for family reasons. I sure miss it.

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

Ivor Little you’re most welcome.

[@ivorwm2291]

@@MichaelJirochVisualArtist in 1982 I lived at 988 Larrabee and installed phones out of 8759 Santa Monica, the phone garage. It was the time of my life. Keep up the good work

[@johngubatan5858]

🎉 ❤

[@jefferycomstock7308]

The Gold Coast! LOL

[@kiki1965]

I could live there! Beautiful views! Great video!!!

[@dougl945]

I miss the 1980’s but life is better now for us.,

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

Doug L ...yes, me too. And we didn’t die.

[@williamiam4840]

*Great video...brings back many memories ... love The Abbey*

[@jeffdemas9521]

How far does Santa Monica Boulevard stretch?

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

It runs from Santa Monica (the ocean) to Silver Lake neighborhood at Sunset Junction, where it meets Sunset Blvd., roughly 14 miles.

[@nataliep678]

Very helpful for research projects and field studies thank you!

[@andrewmadden8803]

I really enjoyed this video, thanks Michael ..

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

Andrew Madden ....thank you Andrew, I should really do an up dated version.

[@AB-xx1lj]

2019 likes it!

[@johngubatan5858]

Love it!!!!

[@Fandango541]

From 1980 thru 1985 I pretty much haunted two bars on SM Blvd., the Blue Parrot and the Mother Lode. The last time I went to the Lode I walked straight in, no line like it used to be. It was deserted, only two dudes standing at the bar and a few guys at the pool table. I broke down crying because I knew everyone was dead including every single one of my closest friends. In an oblique way, my generation died for you so you could have a life as a gay man.

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

David Loehmann ...I believe you either have your dates wrong or bars misnamed. I was haunting these places at the same time. At that time you mentioned the Blue Parrot had been renovated into a video bar called Revolver. I pretty much parked my butt in there from 10-12 every weekend night. I would occasionally venture out to see what was happening down the street in other bars. It was my ritual. I didn’t want to be any other place in all LOS Angeles. Funny tho, I feel no nostalgia for the area at all. The last time I went and had a drink and looked around was around 2018 before I moved out of the city. The demographics had completely flipped. (Nothing wrong with that) but via my age and skin color, it was no longer a place I felt I belonged.

[@pawelpap9]

Somehow the charm of the place escapes me. I mainly see cheap architecture.

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Thank you.

[@enriqueespinosadelosmonter874]

Yes what about during the 70's and living & visits by visitors .

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

???…..can you explain your question in easier terms?

[@mementomatrix]

i love the city

[@mado3623]

ive never been to LA but watching parts of this video makes me want to go there so bad.Santa monica boulevard looks amazing.Cali just looks hella beautiful. Im not evenn a talkative type but if you walk in cali and you randomly say hows it going i wonder how receptive the people there would be

[@mdkutzler8495]

I liked the video but as a gay guy myself, I must ask the residents of WeHo,. 'could you please turn down the rainbow motif?' A little over the top. Otherwise it is a pretty town.

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

MD Kutzler ...you got that straight.

[@MichaelNaness]

ryan snyder wow so funny..

[@psolver8147]

Why’s it called boys town?

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

Because it has a huge gay male population

[@Carvello20]

Look how different it was then pre 2020

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

Yeah, pre-Newsome California was pretty amazing.

[@bobert6523]

motorised vehicles everywhere. check.

[@BenDover-wk1bs]

Looks like it's been Gentrified. The same thing happened to Granville st. Vancouver, BC.

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

Ben Dover ..???....gentrified? Are you kidding me?

[@BenDover-wk1bs]

Did it always look like that ?

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

Ben Dover , well, it used to be a lot less glamour-us. It has it’s upgrades through the years like all neighborhoods. It’s never been a ghetto. Used to be middle class gays, but they’ve been priced out.

[@BenDover-wk1bs]

They did that with Vancouver too it's called Reno-victed.

[@dchan520]

Love Weho best gay town on west coast

[@052970]

The boys look like motor vehicles. It is like that here too. The boys. I mean.

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

Yes, yes,I am familiar with it.

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

Lisa Surlie ...it’s been changing over the years. The street and neighborhood has been getting gentrified. Mostly due to the advent of the internet and general acceptance of gays. When I filmed this, thing were changing. When I lived there...it was at its peak in the 1980s.

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

Lisa Surlie t

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

Lisa Surlie ...West Hollywood has the bragging rights to Sunset Strip. That means...it’s an internationally famous street, which is known for its niteclubs, restaurants, hotels etc that generate money and fame for The small city of West Hollywood. Which is separate city from Los Angeles.

[@josephsolis3018]

At night, you can take a walk on the wild side.

[@stevensimon6275]

Favorite place in USA

[@travisgrant5608]

In 1970 - 1971 lived in a small 2nd floor studio apt. at the corner of Santa Monica & Larabee above the old 4 Star bar (met a really handsome vampire in there one night who took me home with him for some hot sex). I see the building is still there but the bar is gone. Brought back some amazing memories that took place in that building. 👍😏🌈

[@jamessheridan4306]

What? Where's the homeless and the street pooh and the syringes?

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

James Sheridan ...that’s downtown and at the beach cities like SANTA Monica and Venice Beach, the Gays would never let their town go to ruin like LA. Weho is its own municipality.

[@jamessheridan4306]

@@MichaelJirochVisualArtist Thank GODDESS! It's always been a dream of mine to live there one day. Preferably before I die.

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

James Sheridan ...better hurry up, because it is changing fast. Gays no longer are confined to living in a “gay ghetto”. And are general accepted in all neighborhoods because real estate values general increase with gays. ( took them a long time to figure that out). Also, gays aren’t hanging out in bars like they used to....thank you ver much internet and Grindr. Also, it was once very affordable to live there in ones youth. No longer. It got expensive. So...you better move fast.

[@famousbowl9926]

Why are you stalking WLL THE DUDES AT THE GYM? STUCK...

[@hindycarvalho5740]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@focusedfreebird]

The cars sound like the ocean....

[@b.h.7423]

Should have had commentary,

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

B. H. Well, not my style. And I hate my voice.

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

B. H. And...I need to go back and re-film. This is an early movie of mine when I was just learning how. It's too choppy and shaky.

[@Fandango541]

I don't feel that way. If you lived there long ago, you might understand that in some respects a voice over is unnecessary as the film allows you to make your own observations.

[@stuartlee6622]

Feh!

[@danielnascimento6300]

Just looks super car dependent. No thanks….

[@chicagomike]

Chicago boystown much nicer.

[@laurencedurr3588]

Ankh

[@3506Dodge]

Even the nice parts of LA look dumpy and tacky.

[@MichaelJirochVisualArtist]

And this was 12 years ago…can’t imagine what’s it’s like today…