The hype was mighty when the 33,150-square-foot West Hollywood Library opened a year ago, but it certainly has lived up to it. Plugged in to the max and with a location to die for — opposite the blue and green and red whale that is the Pacific Design Center — the library has a 2.5-acre park outside its main entrance. The curvy, streamline moderne exterior stylings lead to a minimalist, boutique-hotel interior of white marble floors, square desks, '60s-style chairs, scrubbed-pine paneling and banks and banks of computers. Even the recycling bins are interlocking, cascading silver triangles. The highlight is the top floor, where full-length windows offer stunning views of the Hollywood Hills and the city beyond. So grab a desk or seat and watch the world go by; the only noise besides your own music is the gentle tapping of computer keys. 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hlywd. (310) 652-5340, colapublib.org/libs/whollywood/index.php.
—James Bartlett

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