Bikes & Hikes L.A. sped away from their home on the southwest corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and La Cienega in West Hollywood this week, leaving the highly visible storefront in a state that surprised passersby and people on social media — and not in a good way.
“Gosh #WeHo is getting more ghetto by the minute,” wrote Instagram user noahjr80s.
Photos taken Wednesday show the small building suddenly stripped of its awning, boarded up with plywood and covered in graffiti directing customers to the store’s new location. The site stands in stark contrast to the charming, homegrown hub for cyclists that West Hollywood had come to know it as.
“You should be charged with graffiti vandalism,” wrote micktaylor9, after which the store’s Instagram commented, “Come visit us at 7740 Santa Monica Blvd!”
Councilmember Lauren Meister told WEHOonline that the graffiti on the building had been scheduled for removal.
The bicycle shop and tour company was founded in West Hollywood nearly 15 years ago by Danny Roman, who in recent years served on the Public Safety Commission.
West Hollywood has struggled with urban blight, particularly on corner properties with high exposure, many of which remain available for lease because of high rents. But sudden changes at the former Bikes & Hikes L.A. location may be due to other reasons.
“The lease on that Kiley billboard is almost up and the owner has been wanting to sell that corner for 25m,” wrote Brandon Polley of Coldwell Banker Realty.
This business engaged in the same form of childish prank as when Horvath and Erickson oversaw the illegal painting of an identity flag at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and San Vicente Boulevard. As with that reprehensible behavior, there will be no consequences this time. We need to put West Hollywood back into the hands of adults.
Terrible. They lost my business.
It’s not just high rents that are causing these empty store fronts, the cost of doing business in the city is also a major contributing factor. Our city is no longer competitive with the surrounding cities. Why would anyone want to open a business in this city when you can go to the cities on either side of us and have your operating cost be a lot less. The guy that owns this bike shop should be charged with vandalism for what he did to that building and imposing urban blight onto its residents. I wouldn’t recommend his business now… Read more »
You could not be more wrong. The business was forced to move because a large apartment complex is set for this location.
I was commenting on this quote, “West Hollywood has struggled with urban blight, particularly on corner properties with high exposure, many of which remain available for lease because of high rents.” Not necessarily about this property in particular. Commercial properties in WeHo in general don’t remain available for lease just due to high rents.
I live just off the corner of Sunset and Sweetzer, which is now a Dead Zone. The Standard, Trocadero, Cabo Cantina, and the office on the NE corner are all EMPTY. The “office” at 8282 Sunset serves as an illegal parking lot for the Sunset Tower hotel. The parking is not sanctioned, illegal, and after years of complaints the only response from Code Compliance is “this is a continuing and ongoing investigation.” Correction; the Trocadero is now occupied by a homeless man who regularly scrams and spits at passersby, and wakes us up at various times after midnight SCREAMING that… Read more »
Danny Roman has no respect for anybody or anything but his own over inflated ego. He’s a terrible boss who demeaned me every day.
The pottymouth commissioner shows what he is made of.
A former protege (until he was fired) of Hollywood’s most notorious bully, Scott Rudin. That speaks volumes of this dude’s toxicity. Combine that with a Napoleonic complex.
Really?! That does say a lot.
Is this any worse than another Jay Luchs for rent sign? I don’t know which is worse. The town is plastered with those horrible signs.
It is very disrespectful that they left this location with the unnecessary graffiti. West Hollywood should cite them for this. Some other businesses/landlords whom need to be cited as well are. West Hollywood itself. A globe lanterns improperly lit and broken B. blue lamp posts dirty broken globes and desperate for new paint C. leftover concrete pads for public art in medians D. neon public art broken 2.Roberston Lane unsightly former business buildings rotting away 3 Roosterfish (former Pump) work stopped because lost a business partner for this location 4 Blazing Saddles location 5 Shake Shack burnout on signage 6… Read more »
8. trashed and broken down utility boxes by Abbey (for 5 years) 9. raised and open hole grating around street trees tripping people 10. stained and deteriorated wood on park benches and new street benches 11. ugly and filthy rainbow crosswalks 12. graffiti and “keyed” glass in bus stops 13. removed fountain art NW corner Robertson /SMB 14. holes in sidewalks.
“sped away from their longtime home on the southwest corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and La Cienega in West Hollywood”
Brandon, this isn’t true. They had only been at that location for a few years. Previously they were at SMB/Harper (where OPVS is) and before that, they were at SMB/Hancock.
Longtime home?! Maybe since you moved here a few years ago.
Thank you for noting this error!
They were at this location for over 5 years. So while Brandon may not recall I do. In retail that is a full lease term. And they took the space with the understanding a development would follow. But that is not an excuse to trash the space, graffiti it, and show little respect for the neighborhood.
Exactly‼️👏👏
💯, & BTW, why in hell does a 3 yr. term vs a 5 yr. term make one once of a GD difference to the topic of this post, they trashed the site & left us with blight – PERIOD!!! Now, fine these morons & make them come to repair & paint the structure!
That’s exactly the point, they acted like fools and trashed the area as they indeed sped away. Some commenters on here think they are the conscience of a community and rely on often ignorant pedanticism in defending the cliques of other morons who treat the city and its governance like they are on a high school prom committee.
Some commenters here use anti-semitic phrases repeatedly even when it has been pointed out to them. It is shameful and I will make sure it follows their name as long as they live.
I attach my name to every comment I make and I need no anonymous troll redefining what Britannica and other sound scholarly sources confirm. Words often get bastardized when competing in the Oppression Olympics. For people on an eternal search for outrage there’s offense to be found in the color of the sky.
Saw it earlier today. Unbelievable but not surprised. A simple printed sign with the new location is what is expected. Doing it with graffiti is disrespectful and shows a lack of understand of what community is. Not surprised.
Yup.
Someone should urge the SHA – – SH – – – on that same corner area to get the dark & dead letters in their sign relit/repaired. Business signs with burned out lights are also a sign of blight & you usually only see it in less affluent places. It’s tacky & unsightly & also beneath their dignity. It’s been burned out for about a year now, & I know they know it & the neighborhood would appreciate it if they’d get on the ball.
Can’t say WeHo didn’t invite this level of debauchery. Actions (and virtue signaling) have consequences.