Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
242
Abbot Kinne y B oulevard: L.A. 's A ntithesis to
Rodeo Drive
When you're finally fed up with the Rodeo Drive attitude and megamall confor-
mity, it's time to drive to Venice and stroll the eclectic shops along
Abbot Kin-
ney Boulevard.
This refreshingly anti-establishment stretch of str eet has the
most diverse array of shops , galleries, and r estaurants in L os Angeles. (Locals
still cheer that ther e are no franchises in the neighborhood .) You can easily
spend the entir e afternoon here poring o ver vintage clothing , antique furni-
ture, vintage Vespas, local ar t, and amusing g ifts. Or if y ou're look ing f or a
unique gift, you'll want to try
Strange Invisible Perfumes,
1138 Abbot Kinney
Blvd. (
&
310/314-1505;
www.siperfumes.com), where they can custom-make
a sc ent t o mat ch y our musk . Then ther e's
Firefly,
1409 Abbot K inney Blv d.
(
&
310/450-6288;
w ww.shopfirefly.com), a local fa vorite. I t's that one st ore
you can go int o and find ev erything fr om g reat bab y g ifts, stationer y, and
books to quirky handbags and cool clothing.
DNA Clothing Co.,
411 Rose Ave.
(
&
310/399-0341;
w ww.dnaclothing.com), is the mother lode f or those in
search of the c oolest, most current styles for men and w omen at great prices
(stylists and costumers often use DNA as their resource for sitcoms and feature
films). You'll find all your major brands as w ell as their own private-label wear,
and fresh stock arrives weekly. Take a br eak to eat at one of the boulevar d's
many restaurants, including
Joe's
(the best C alifornia cuisine in L.A.; p . 114),
Primitivo, Axe, Lilly's, Jin's Patisserie, French Market Café,
newcomers
AK
Restaurant
and
Gjelina,
and , of c ourse,
Hal's Bar & Grill ,
with its liv e jazz
music. Heck, there are even 2 hours of free street parking.
9
(
&
310/829-3990
), for gr eat people-watching thr ough its floor-to-ceiling glass win-
dows; the original
Father's Office,
1018 Montana Ave. (
&
310/393-2337;
www.fathers
office.com), for micr obrews and one of the city 's best burgers; or
R+D Kitchen,
1323
Montana Ave. (
&
310/395-3314
), for classic California cuisine and cocktails.
THIRD STREET PROMENADE
(3rd St. btw. Wilshire Blvd. and Broadway Ave.; www.
downtownsm.com) Packed with those ubiquitous corporate chain stores, restaurants,
and cafes (gee, another Starbucks), Santa Monica's pedestrians-only section of 3rd Street is
one of the most popular shopping areas in the city. The Promenade bustles all day and well
into the evening with a seemingly endless assortment of street performers among the shop-
pers, bored teens, and home-challenged. There are, however, a few shopping gems squeezed
between Gap, Abercrombie & F itch, and O ld Navy. You can easily br owse for hours at
Hennessey & Ingalls,
214 Wilshire Blvd. (
&
310/458-9074
), a bookstore devoted to art
and ar chitecture.
Restoration H ardware,
1221 Third S treet P romenade (
&
310/458-
7992
), is still the r etro-current leader for r eproduction home furnishings and accessories.
Puzzle Zoo,
1411 Third Street Promenade (
&
310/393-9201
), voted “Best in L.A.” by
Los Angeles
magazine, is wher e you'll find the double-sided World's Most Difficult Puzzle,
the Puzzle in a Bottle, and many other brain-teasing challenges.
