The Pacific Design Center
BOUNDARIES: Melrose Ave., San Vicente Blvd., Santa Monica Blvd., Kings Rd.
DISTANCE: About 2.25 miles
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PARKING: Free street parking is available on Kings Rd.
This tour of the best West Hollywood has to offer begins at the Schindler House, an early-modern architectural gem and home of the MAK Center for Art and Architecture. The walk then goes on to explore the très chic stretch of Melrose Avenue and its offshoot, Melrose Place, which are home to high-end home-furnishings galleries and couture boutiques.
Easily the most dramatic destination on this journey is the Pacific Design Center, a colossal collection of blue, green, and red glass buildings that house more than a hundred interior design showrooms.
Walk Description
Begin on Kings Road, just south of Willoughby Avenue. The 
Schindler House sits at 835 Kings Road, hidden from view by a tall bamboo hedge. If it’s open at the time of your walk, proceed along the dirt path to the MAK Center office and bookstore, where you can submit a donation before exploring. The Schindler House is a building like no other. Composed of unadorned concrete and dark-stained wood, the one-story structure manages to feel airy and light despite the low, wood-beamed ceilings. Furnishings are modern and sparse, and a couple of rooms feature copper-topped fireplaces. The indoor and outdoor spaces are seamlessly integrated; clear plastic curtains separate the rooms of the house from the peaceful green gardens, which are shrouded from the surrounding area by more bamboo.
After leaving the Schindler House, continue south on Kings Road toward Melrose Avenue. Next door to the Schindler House is an apartment complex called Habitat 825. The sleek, neomodern structure, designed by Lorcan O’Herlihy, has received some flack for the way it towers over the south side of Schindler’s famed creation, although the architect did make an effort to respect his neighbor when designing the building.
Turn right on Melrose. Across the street is 
Mel & Rose, a wine-and-spirits store that’s distinguished by a delightfully tacky giant wine bottle with a neon sign.
Bear slightly right at the fork in the road to make your way onto Melrose Place. This pleasantly landscaped street is home to a collection of expensive clothing labels and interior design showrooms.
Turn left on La Cienega Boulevard, and walk to the intersection of Melrose Avenue and La Cienega.
Cross La Cienega Boulevard. On the southwest corner of La Cienega and Melrose is a singularly ugly strip mall composed of black-and-white horizontally striped marble.
At 8565 Melrose is 
Urth Caffé, an invariably crowded café that caters to people who want to indulge in rich foods made with guilt-free ingredients. 
Le Pain Quotidien, in the next block, is a slightly more low-key option, with a pleasant wraparound porch for outdoor dining.
At 8687 Melrose Ave., just before San Vicente Boulevard, you finally arrive at the 
Pacific Design Center. Up close, the massive blue-glass structure is striking—and almost intimidating. At night, the effect is even more dramatic, as the tall, pod-shaped spotlights bathe the building’s exterior in a red glow. The design center is home to 130 showrooms displaying furnishings from an array of designers and manufacturers, ranging in style from traditional to contemporary. The center also frequently hosts exhibitions, lectures, and special events. The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) even has a satellite gallery here.
The main entrance to the center is located around the corner on San Vicente. You’ll pass a giant metal sculpture of a chair as you turn the corner. The entryway is situated off a large, open courtyard, which is dominated by a spectacular dancing fountain. Call ahead or visit pacificdesigncenter.com to see if there is an interesting exhibit either at MOCA or in the design center at the time of your visit. The 
West Hollywood Library, across the street at 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., is worth a visit for its clean, pleasant, and light-filled interior design. Next door, at 647 N. San Vicente, you’ll notice West Hollywood Park, which features a playground, public swimming pool, and tennis courts.
Cut across through the fountain plaza of the Design Center, and then head up the stairs next to the red building (the most recent addition to the complex). Continue north on San Vicente, passing the sheriff’s station on your right at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard.
Turn right on Santa Monica. You’re now in the heart of historically gay West Hollywood, which remains a nighttime hot spot for the LGBT community with its restaurants, bars, and clubs. To the north, you can spot the hotels and oversize billboards of the Sunset Strip.
Continue east along Santa Monica to the intersection of Hancock Avenue, crossing Santa Monica Boulevard at the crosswalk to head north on this side street.
Head uphill on Hancock for one block and then make a right onto West Knoll Drive, a relatively quiet street of pleasant-looking houses and apartment buildings. When you come to the small roundabout adorned with a colorful tiled pillar, continue straight ahead on West Knoll.
After a short distance, West Knoll Drive reconnects you with Santa Monica Boulevard. Across the street, at 8520 Santa Monica Blvd., is California’s first outpost of the insanely popular New York City burger joint 
Shake Shack.
Turn left on Santa Monica, walk to the intersection of La Cienega Boulevard, and then cross to the east side of the street.
Turn right on La Cienega and then take an immediate left on Romaine Street. You’ve now left the hustle and bustle of the boulevard and entered a quiet residential neighborhood.
After four blocks, Romaine Street ends at 
Kings Road Park, a dog-friendly haven tucked between two apartment buildings. The shady little park features a small playground, benches arranged around a burbling fountain, and public restrooms, as well as dog-waste bags to ensure that owners clean up after their pooches.
After visiting the park, head south on Kings Road toward your starting point. The street is lined with courtyard apartment buildings; the “Tree House,” a narrow, dark-shingled complex at 906 N. Kings Road, stands out from the rest.
Cross Willoughby Avenue to return to your starting point near the Schindler House, at 835 Kings Road.
Designer Name: Rudolf M. Schindler
Rudolf M. Schindler was an Austrian-born architect who was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. After he began working for Wright in Chicago in 1918, his mentor sent him to Los Angeles to supervise the construction of the Hollyhock House (see Walk 20, Los Feliz). It was here that Schindler established himself as an innovative and progressive architect in his own right. In 1922, he created West Hollywood’s Kings Road House (now commonly referred to as the Schindler House), a building that is considered an icon of early modern architecture. The minimalist structure is an example of what Schindler described as “space architecture.” It functioned as his home and studio until he died in 1953. The house communicates a singular blend of old and new; while the building design is undoubtedly modern, the low ceilings and organic, unadorned materials reveal the influence of indigenous architecture.
West Hollywood Design District
Points of Interest
Schindler House/MAK Center for Art and Architecture 835 N. Kings Road, West Hollywood, CA 90069; 323-651-1510, makcenter.org
Mel & Rose 8344 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069; 323-655-5557, melandrose.com
Urth Caffé 8565 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069; 310-659-0628, urthcaffe.com
Le Pain Quotidien 8607 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069; 310-854-3700, lepainquotidien.com/store/melrose
Pacific Design Center and MOCA 8687 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069; 310-657-0800, pacificdesigncenter.com
West Hollywood Library 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069; 310-652-5340, colapublib.org/libs/whollywood
Shake Shack 8520 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069; 323-488-3010, shakeshack.com/location/west-hollywood
Kings Road Park 1000 N. Kings Road, West Hollywood, CA 90069
