Guide To La Brea Avenue's Top Spots

The shopping area on La Brea Avenue between Beverly Boulevard and 2nd Street offers an eclectic mix of art, apparel, cafes, gifts, and theatres. The East side of the street features American Rag, Café Midi, the Merry Karnowski Gallery, and Self Edge Denim. Across the street District La Brea development has been helping breathe even more life into the neighborhood. Recent additions to the blocks between Beverly and 2nd street are joining some of the inspiring businesses and great shopping. These new not-to-be-missed destinations offer an interactive sound studio, a shoe repair, a bakery café, a barbershop, and a colorful haven for contemporary design. Our tour begins just below Beverly Boulevard and continues south.

Willie's Shoe Service
113 North La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
williesshoeservice.com

Since 1956 Willie's Shoe Service has been repairing shoes for movie stars, tv legends and us regular folks. Willie's moved from their original Cahuenga Boulevard location to set up shop with Don Ville store on La Brea. At Don Ville bespoke custom shoes are hand crafted and made to measure. Now with a stunning shop space and workshop, everything anyone could possible need for custom made shoes and expert shoe repair is all under one roof.

The Sycamore Kitchen
143 South La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
thesycamorekitchen.com

Walk through the large patio and into the rustic Sycamore Kitchen to find hand made pastries line the bakery case including a near perfect Blueberry financier muffins topped with sliced almonds and roasted peanut coconut butterscotch bar. The coffee and espresso drinks are made with Stumptown coffee beans including their bottled Cold Brew. In addition to pastries, the menu features casual breakfast and lunch items that can be eaten in or taken to go. The proprietors Karen and Quinn Hatfield also own the elegant Hatfield's Restaurant on Melrose.

Continental Barber at General Quarters
General Quarters
153 South la Brea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
www.generalquartersstore.com

Tucked into the back of the uber cool General Quarters store, owner Blair Lucio recently fulfilled his longtime wish to opened barber shop. The talented Chrissy Phelan mans Continental Barber, offering a relaxing and quiet place to get a haircut sitting a vintage Belmont chair. Before and after appointments can hang out in General Quarters with Lucio to talk about one of his favorite topics -- motorcyles. In store Lucio carries a carefully curated collection of Southern California heritage menswear and accessories including designs by Archival Clothing, Gant Rugger, Life After Denim, and Rogue Territory.

Rose Apodaca and Andy Griffith have brought their colorful A+R world to La Brea. They describe the inventory in their stores as "Global Design. Edited." The original A+R store was a tiny jewel box space in Silver Lake that was followed by opening their current Abbot Kinney space among the galleries and groovy stores of Venice. Now on La Brea their spacious new location highlight the best of their design finds with enough room for parties, lectures, and special events. If you need modern accent pieces for the home, quirky toys, and inspiring high tech innovative design items A+R is 'the' place to go.

Julie Wolfson is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles. She covers travel, lifestyle, art, pop culture, cocktails and food for Cool Hunting and several other media outlets. Most days you'll find her out and about in Southern California and around the world tracking down stories about talented people doing amazing things.