Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
241
GR8 Finds in West L.A.'s J-Town
What started off as a magazine has spa wned two of L.A.'s most talked-about
stores—
Giant Robot,
2015 Sawtelle Blvd. (
&
310/478-1819
); and
GR2,
2062
Sawtelle Blv d. (
&
310/445-9276
)—and
gr/eats
r estaurant, 2050 Sa wtelle
Blvd. (
&
310/478-3242;
w ww.gr-eats.com). L ocated acr oss the str eet fr om
each other in West L.A.'s Japant own (at Sa wtelle and Olympic blv ds.), both
shops specialize in a wide range of A sian-American pop-culture items, includ-
ing T-shirts, books, music, stationery, toys (you
must
get a Kubrick doll), art, and
accessories (check out the Takashi Murakami pins and felt pins by Saejean Oh).
Several other cool shops and restaurants occupy this 1
1
/
2
-block stretch as well.
One of my favorite stores is
Happy Six,
2115 Sawtelle Blvd. (
&
310/479-5363;
www.happysix.com), which looks like Hello K itty on acid and sells pla yful
apparel and ac cessories for men and w omen. I f you're hung ry, my fa vorites
along Sawtelle are
Manpuku,
2125 Sa wtelle Blvd. (
&
310/473-0580;
www.
manpuku.us);
Sawtelle Kitchen,
2024 Sawtelle Blvd. (
&
310/473-2222;
www.
sawtellekitchen.com); and
Hurry Curry,
2131 Sawtelle Blvd. (
&
310/473-1640;
www.hurrycurryoftokyo.com). Or you can pop into
Nijiya Market,
2130 Sawtelle
Blvd. (
&
310/575-3300
), and grab a
bento
(Japanese boxed lunch) to go.
MONTANA A VENUE
(btw . 17th and 7th sts., S anta M onica; www .montanaave.
com) This breezy stretch of slow-traffic Montana has gotten a lot mor e pricey than in
the late 1970s, when tailors and laundromats ruled the roost, but the specialty shops still
outnumber the chains. Look ar ound and y ou can see upscale moms with str ollers and
cellphones shopping for designer fashions, countr y home decor, and gourmet takeout.
Montana is still original enough for r esidents from across town to make a special trip
here, seeking out distinctive shops like
Shabby Chic,
1013 Montana Ave. (
&
310/394-
1975;
www.shabbychic.com), a much-copied pur veyor of slipco vered sofas and flea-
market furnishings, while clotheshorses shop for designer w ear at minimalist
Savannah,
706 Montana Ave. (
&
310/458-2095
); ultrahip
Jill Roberts,
920 Montana Ave. (
&
310/
260-1966;
www.jillroberts.com); and sleekly professional
Weathervane,
1209 Montana
Ave. (
&
310/393-5344
).
Leona Edmiston,
1007 M ontana Ave. (
&
310/587-1100;
www.leonaedmiston.com), houses the A ussie designer's famed fr ocks. For more grown-
up style, head to
Ponte Vecchio,
702 M ontana Ave. (
&
310/394-0989;
www.pontev.
com), which sells Italian hand-painted dishes and urns. If Valentine's Day is approaching,
duck into
Only Hearts,
1407 Montana Ave. (
&
310/393-3088;
www.onlyhearts.com),
for heart-themed gifts and seductively comfortable intimate apparel. And don't forget the
one-of-a-kind shops such as
Sun Precautions,
1601 Montana Ave. (
&
310/451-5858;
www.sunprecautions.com), specializing in 100% UV protection apparel, and the second-
largest
Kiehl's
store outside of New York City, 1516 Montana Ave. (
&
310/255-0055;
www.kiehls.com). Skin is taken incr edibly seriously at the flagship stor e and spa,
Der-
malogica on M ontana,
1022 M ontana Ave. (
&
310/260-8682;
www.dermalogicaon
montana.com), where “touch therapies” and “skin mapping” are just the beginning of the
dynamite facials. Enjoy a meal at the local favorite,
Café Montana,
1534 Montana Ave.
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