@ambiguousbodywork
I agree 100%. I am tired of these loud, tacky clubs in this city. The residents here aren’t impressed by them at all. They really only cater to tourists who come here, get drunk, and pass out in the alleys behind Santa Monica Blvd. This is a “charming city” indeed and we should make every effort to keep it that way.
SaveWeho
10 years ago
It’s pretty easy if the city was truly interested in controlling this event (and get accurate numbers, if anyone really cares). Just gate the whole thing and charge an entry fee. You’d be lucky to have 20k people.
WehoFan
10 years ago
I have watched the popularity of this event decline over the years. It doesn’t attract close to 500,000 people. It’s time for the City of West Hollywood to grow up. Let’s shift our focus away from these loud, binge-drinking events that have lost all significance and channel our resources elsewhere.
If you are are a younger person more then likely you are going to want to go out and and drink be around friends etc…. That loses it’s appeal to to 40+ year old. Not always but most people in their 40’s have been there and done that. Boystown is fine but to make the whole city gay Disneyland or Las Vegas is to much for the other residence who don’t care fr all that nonsense. If people want Las Vegas/Disneyland they can go there.
Chris Sanger
10 years ago
I’m not sure the coverage is positive for the city, and the horrendous traffic (on a weekday at rush hour) are horrible for the city and its residents. Pride and the Marathon are enough. Let’s end this Halloween mess. If not, organizers should have to pay for 100 sheriff deputies directing traffic around the event. It was a nightmare last night, worse than usual (in part because it was Friday).
Get use to it Chris because the once creative city is well on it’s way to becoming the new gay Las Vegas. If you are gay and in your 20’s and 30’s or a die hard 50+ you’ll want to come visit and then go back home to reality. Living here has never been easy on gay pride or events like the Halloween carnival if you are past the age where getting boozed up and dancing the night away is the main priority in life. By the way, city hall did not create the atmosphere surrounding Halloween in West Hollywood.… Read more »
Meg
10 years ago
That’s Captain Planet, not Superman. D’oh!
Alison
10 years ago
Why do you all care about the numbers given by the PR department? Of course it is an inflated number. That is what PR departments do. But it gets the City news coverage, so it did its job. People came, had a good time and left. That’s all that is important.
The same type of unsubstantiated claims of attendance numbers as Pride always resurface for Halloween. And it’s nearly impossible to verify or corroborate. All I know is that far too many people descend on WeHo for this event and we’re lucky no one died this year.
That said, the reincarnation of Twisty the Clown from American Horror Story – Freak Show was pretty damn good (see 2nd picture).
Weston Harris
10 years ago
Of course it’s all PR nonsense – a dillusion mantra that could well be called a disorder in some health disciplines. You could walk from one end of the event to the other most times fairly uninterrupted – the numbers down significantly from the past years, actually a very welcome thing being more manageable and accessible all around.
The old adage: Whatever something loudly purports itself to be, very often the opposite is the truth.
RickT
10 years ago
Chris not everyone comes at the same time. The Streets all over Beverly Hills for a mile away you could not find a parking spot.
@ Chris: I agree – even if one says, ok, counting people that pass through it and then go home. Its hype I think. A football stadium holds 100,000 people! They’re saying that 5 football stadiums worth of people passed through… no way. Ever try to use a restroom at a football stadium? …the activity at the portajohns was nowhere near that type of fervor.
Once again, the 500,000 attendee estimate doesn’t pass the smell test. Why do the media repeat this nonsense? How would 500,000 people – 465,000 more than the population get here? Let’s say of the 465,000, 200,000 came by car. Let’s say an average of 2.5 people per car. That would be 80,000 cars. The concept of 80,000 outside cars finding parking within West Hollywood close to the party route is preposterous. Of the 35,000 residents – how many attend? Maybe 15,000 (few people I know, within walking distance of the epicenter, went). So add 20,000 more to the total needed… Read more »
@ambiguousbodywork
I agree 100%. I am tired of these loud, tacky clubs in this city. The residents here aren’t impressed by them at all. They really only cater to tourists who come here, get drunk, and pass out in the alleys behind Santa Monica Blvd. This is a “charming city” indeed and we should make every effort to keep it that way.
It’s pretty easy if the city was truly interested in controlling this event (and get accurate numbers, if anyone really cares). Just gate the whole thing and charge an entry fee. You’d be lucky to have 20k people.
I have watched the popularity of this event decline over the years. It doesn’t attract close to 500,000 people. It’s time for the City of West Hollywood to grow up. Let’s shift our focus away from these loud, binge-drinking events that have lost all significance and channel our resources elsewhere.
If you are are a younger person more then likely you are going to want to go out and and drink be around friends etc…. That loses it’s appeal to to 40+ year old. Not always but most people in their 40’s have been there and done that. Boystown is fine but to make the whole city gay Disneyland or Las Vegas is to much for the other residence who don’t care fr all that nonsense. If people want Las Vegas/Disneyland they can go there.
I’m not sure the coverage is positive for the city, and the horrendous traffic (on a weekday at rush hour) are horrible for the city and its residents. Pride and the Marathon are enough. Let’s end this Halloween mess. If not, organizers should have to pay for 100 sheriff deputies directing traffic around the event. It was a nightmare last night, worse than usual (in part because it was Friday).
Get use to it Chris because the once creative city is well on it’s way to becoming the new gay Las Vegas. If you are gay and in your 20’s and 30’s or a die hard 50+ you’ll want to come visit and then go back home to reality. Living here has never been easy on gay pride or events like the Halloween carnival if you are past the age where getting boozed up and dancing the night away is the main priority in life. By the way, city hall did not create the atmosphere surrounding Halloween in West Hollywood.… Read more »
That’s Captain Planet, not Superman. D’oh!
Why do you all care about the numbers given by the PR department? Of course it is an inflated number. That is what PR departments do. But it gets the City news coverage, so it did its job. People came, had a good time and left. That’s all that is important.
The same type of unsubstantiated claims of attendance numbers as Pride always resurface for Halloween. And it’s nearly impossible to verify or corroborate. All I know is that far too many people descend on WeHo for this event and we’re lucky no one died this year.
That said, the reincarnation of Twisty the Clown from American Horror Story – Freak Show was pretty damn good (see 2nd picture).
Of course it’s all PR nonsense – a dillusion mantra that could well be called a disorder in some health disciplines. You could walk from one end of the event to the other most times fairly uninterrupted – the numbers down significantly from the past years, actually a very welcome thing being more manageable and accessible all around.
The old adage: Whatever something loudly purports itself to be, very often the opposite is the truth.
Chris not everyone comes at the same time. The Streets all over Beverly Hills for a mile away you could not find a parking spot.
@ Chris: I agree – even if one says, ok, counting people that pass through it and then go home. Its hype I think. A football stadium holds 100,000 people! They’re saying that 5 football stadiums worth of people passed through… no way. Ever try to use a restroom at a football stadium? …the activity at the portajohns was nowhere near that type of fervor.
Glad no one was burned to death like years past.
Once again, the 500,000 attendee estimate doesn’t pass the smell test. Why do the media repeat this nonsense? How would 500,000 people – 465,000 more than the population get here? Let’s say of the 465,000, 200,000 came by car. Let’s say an average of 2.5 people per car. That would be 80,000 cars. The concept of 80,000 outside cars finding parking within West Hollywood close to the party route is preposterous. Of the 35,000 residents – how many attend? Maybe 15,000 (few people I know, within walking distance of the epicenter, went). So add 20,000 more to the total needed… Read more »