Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
240
is nationwide.
O ff the Wall Antiques,
7325 M elrose Ave. (
&
323/930-1185;
www.
offthewallantiques.com), is filled with neon-flashing, bells-and-whistles kitsch collect-
ibles, from vintage Wurlitzer jukeboxes to life-size fiberglass cows. The L.A. branch of a
Bay Ar ea hipster hangout,
Wasteland,
7248 M elrose Ave. (
&
323/653-3028;
www.
thewasteland.com), has an enormous steel-sculpted facade. There's a lot of leather and
denim, and some classic vintage—but mostly funky 1970s-style garb , both vintage and
contemporary. An outpost of the edgy
Floyd's Barbershops,
7300 Melrose Ave. (
&
323/
965-7600;
www.floydsbarbershops.com), keeps the street's style-for-less theme by charg-
ing around $24 for men 's and women's cuts. I t's like a salon, music stor e, and I nternet
cafe rolled into one.
MELROSE HEIGHTS
(btw. La Cienega Blvd. and Fairfax Ave.) This posh section
of Melrose, anchored by the venerable favorite
Fred Segal,
8100 Melrose Ave. (
&
323/
655-3734;
www.fredsegal.com), houses designer boutiques such as
Diane Von Fursten-
berg,
8407 Melrose Ave. (
&
323/951-1947
); and
Paul Smith,
8221 Melrose Ave. (
&
323/
951-4800
). L.A. je welry designer
Suzanne Felsen,
8332 M elrose Ave. (
&
323/653-
5400
), is a celebrity favorite—she transformed a 1920s Spanish home to house her gold and
platinum baubles lined with Peruvian opals and Mandarin garnets. Perennial fashion favorite
Marc Jacobs
has three stores at 8400, 8409, and 8410 Melrose Ave., featuring ready-to-wear,
accessories, menswear, and the less expensive Marc by Marc Jacobs collection.
SANTA MONICA & THE BEACHES
MAIN STREET
(btw . P acific S t. and R ose A ve., and S anta M onica and Venice
blvds.) An excellent street for str olling, Main Street is crammed with a combination
of mall stan dards and upscale, left-of-center individual boutiques. You can also find
plenty of casually hip cafes and r estaurants. The primary strip connecting Santa Monica
and Venice, M ain S treet has a r elaxed, beach-community vibe that sets it apar t fr om
similar strips. The stor es her e straddle the fashion fence betw een upscale tr endy and
beach-bum edgy. Highlights include
Obsolete,
222 M ain St. (near R ose Ave;
&
310/
399-0024
), the most hip antiques stor e I've ever seen. Collectibles range fr om antique
carnival curios to 19th-century anatomical charts from Belgium (you'd be amazed at how
much some of that junk in your attic is worth).
CP Shades,
2937 Main St. (btw. Ashland
and Pier sts.;
&
310/392-0949;
www.cpshades.com), is a S an Francisco ladies' clothier
whose loose and comfy cotton and linen line is carried b y many department stores and
boutiques.
Horizons West,
2011 Main St. (south of Pico Blvd.;
&
310/392-1122
), sells
brand-name surfboards, wet suits, leashes, magazines, waxes, lotions, and everything else
you need to catch the per fect wave. If you're looking for some truly sophisticated, finely
crafted eyewear, the friendly
Optical Shop of Aspen,
2904 Main St. (btw. Ashland and
Pier sts.;
&
310/392-0633;
www.osainternational.com), is for y ou. Ask for frames b y
cutting-edge L.A. designers Bada and Koh Sakai. For aromatherapy nirvana, it's
Cloud's,
2719 M ain S t. (
&
310/399-2059
), wher e J ill Cloud (happily assisted b y her lo vely
mom) carries the most heavenly scented candles. Then there's
Arts & Letters,
2665 Main
St. (
&
310/314-7345
), a stationer y haven that includes invitations b y the owner herself,
Marilyn Golin. Outdoors types will get lost in 5,600-squar e-foot
Patagonia,
2936 M ain
St. (
&
310/314-1776;
www.patagonia.com), wher e climbers, sur fers, skiers, and hikers
can gear up in the functional, colorful duds that put this environmentally friendly firm on
the map. For a dose of beachy pampering, check out the
Bey's Garden,
2919 M ain St.
(
&
310/399-5420;
www.beysgarden.com). Part aromatherapy apothecary, part gift shop,
part day spa, you'll find everything from waxing to “energy work” available.
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