Dual Ambience Blends Quiet and Bright Lights : West Hollywood: Acceptance of diverse lifestyles in area incorporated in '84 carries on liberalism of 1930s.

By TERESA YUNKER

Sept. 29, 1991 12 AM PT

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West Hollywood, residents often observe, offers both urban sophistication and suburban calm. “It’s like living in New York City,” newcomer Deborah Curtan said, “without the problems.”

Curtan is talking about the attractions just a few blocks from the one-bedroom condo she bought last year. A variety of restaurants, clubs, theaters and shops are within walking distance, but her street, Alta Loma, is quiet and tree-lined. The usual city problems of crime and congestion seem far away.

Such a dual ambience is typical of West Hollywood, a community where one can find soothing quiet at the end of a long day, or plenty of urban diversions close at hand. Incorporated in 1984, the small city, 1.9 square miles in size and a population of 36,120, is surrounded by metropolitan Los Angeles, Hollywood, the Fairfax District, and Beverly Hills.

Through the years, West Hollywood has been a haven for those with different lifestyles. The diverse mixture of residents reflects the community’s reputation for liberalism. In the 1920s and ‘30s, the area was influenced by the film industry which, as it grew, began to build studios in the area, along with housing to accommodate its free spenders, and often free thinkers.

In the late ‘60s a thriving music industry developed around the various clubs in the area. After the gay rights movement began in the early ‘70s, West Hollywood became home for those seeking the freedom to live their lives without community comment.

Residents now live with the unspoken agreement to respect each other’s choice of lifestyle while enjoying the unique mixture of both calm and excitement their city offers.

It was just these attributes that attracted Deborah Curtan. “I really wanted a sense of security and privacy,” she said, “but I also wanted to live in a city.”

Another of Curtan’s goals was to avoid a long commute, and her new home is close to the three office locations of Columbia Pictures where she is in television production.

Her busy working schedule left her no time for home maintenance, and her late hours raised concern about personal safety. Condo living solved those problems. The building where Curtan lives, Empire West, has a tight security system, valet parking, an answering service, and maid and laundry services.

One-bedroom, 1,600-square-foot condos in Empire West, such as Curtan’s, begin about $400,000 with three bedroom to penthouse units climbing up to $1 million.

Jerry Primack of Merrill Lynch Realty, who sold Curtan her condo, said condo sales slightly outnumber house sales in West Hollywood because there are numerous affordable units in a wide range of styles. “Some buildings,” he said, “are real architectural statements.”

One-bedroom, one-bath condos range in price from $120,000 to $170,000 and two-bedroom, one-bath units from $175,000 to $275,000, depending on the building and the neighborhood, said James Litz, a realtor for Gayle Wilson and Associates.

Primack sees many people like Curtan moving into the area. “Creative people are attracted to West Hollywood,” he said, meaning artists, musicians, people in the film and television industry and young professionals who also enjoy the arts.

And a condo, Litz said, is a good option, especially for first-time buyers. “Since rent control is strict here,” he said, “people can save their money while renting, and eventually buy into the area.” Litz rented for 10 years before buying a condo for $327,000 last year.

Housing in West Hollywood is divided into three distinct options: older homes, newer condominiums and both old and new apartment buildings. Whatever option one prefers, the reasons for living in West Hollywood are centered around its dual ambience.

Brad Crowe, a West Hollywood resident of 10 years, echoed Curtan.

“I live on a cul-de-sac,” he said, “and I have yet to experience any problems with crime. But close by is the Beverly Center and the Beverly Connection, along with Cedar/Sinai hospital.”

He said that he can and often does simply stroll down a few streets for a dinner out, a film or some shopping.

Crowe works for the Los Angeles City Planning Commission and believes that West Hollywood benefits from Los Angeles’ development while maintaining its own small-town style. He sees a contrast between West Hollywood’s community town halls and Los Angeles’ more impersonal system of government.

Crowe lives in a three-bedroom, two-bath bungalow on West Bourne that he bought in 1988 for $265,000. He had rented the house, which also has a one-bedroom rental unit, from 1984 to 1988 for $1,150 a month, and bought it when the owner put it up for sale.

Few new single-family homes are being built in West Hollywood, but there are older homes available. At the lower end of the price scale are two-bedroom, one-bath homes, 1,000 square feet or smaller, for about $270,000. Median prices for two-bedroom, one-bath homes, 1,200-1,500 square feet, fall between $400,000 and $425,000.

At the high end are homes for $600,000 and up with improvements such as central air-conditioning, new wiring, copper pipes and other modern amenities.

Sabin Gray, a free-lance photographer and artist, made a good buy when he bought his two-bedroom, 1 1/2-bath home on Fuller Avenue for $280,000 in 1989. It originally had been a five-bedroom rental with shared kitchen and bathroom.

“I sank $10,000 into renovations the first year,” he said, “and did much of it myself to save costs.”

Now, all the original antique charm of the house has been restored. Along with the two bedrooms are three additional rooms being used as offices and storerooms. A one-bedroom rental unit out back, originally condemned by the city, is now functional, as is the four-car garage.

Gray likes the fact that he is centrally located to his many clients, and close by to the photography labs that supply his equipment. He also enjoys the lack of censure most West Hollywood residents have toward different lifestyles.

“People here don’t have opinions about who you are or what you do,” he said, “but what they do have is community involvement.” He cited the Cultural Heritage Board, of which he is a member, as an example.

Tax breaks and city funding for renovations are among the incentives the board offers to homeowners whose houses fall under its auspices. Homeowners are then strictly limited to how much they can alter an existing structure that helps maintain a sense of history within a rapidly developing community.

Both the sense of community involvement, and a non-judgmental, open attitude attracted renter Karen Wolman, who is about to publish a new lesbian magazine called “She,” premiering the end of the year. She has rented in West Hollywood for the past six years and said “you can go to town hall meetings here, speak up on an issue and actually feel you are heard.”

Recently, Wolman moved from the east side to the west, and now lives in a one-bedroom apartment in a building with a pool, parking, and laundry facilities on Hacienda Place for $625 per month. Her rent on the east side ranged from $465 to $535. Under the city’s rent control ordinance, Wolman only had a rent increase of under $100 in a five-year period.

However, Wolman is not sure she would buy in West Hollywood. “I moved from my last apartment because of problems with vagrants that began to get worse,” she said. “One of the prices you pay for living in such a diverse community is that it’s hard to predict how things might change in the next few years.”

For now, however, it’s just the place to be for a politically active writer.

At a Glance

Population

1990 official: 36,118

1980-90 change: +1.01%

Median age: 42 years

Annual income

Per capita: 21,750

Median household: 28,950

Household distribution

Less than $20,000: 33.6%

$20,000 - $30,000: 18.0%