OpEd: The Dead Business Corners of WeHo

My first store opened at 8836 Santa Monica Blvd, where Bottega Louie now stands. On the corner was a new restaurant called Tacos, Tacos, which later became Java Detour, and then Pump Restaurant.

Across the street, the Los Angeles Sporting Club occupied the corner where Salt and Straw currently exists. The north side of Santa Monica was lined with small boutiques like All-American Boy, Transport, NY Jock, the Greenery (diner), and Marvin’s Pharmacy, a mom and pop pharmacy that cared for many as family during the AIDS crisis. Emerson locksmith was across the street, and Hamburger Haven was on the corner of Robertson and Santa Monica. One block away, on La Peer and Santa Monica, was the International Male flagship. The street opened in the morning for breakfast and lunch and then for nightlife. The little village of West Hollywood was filled with community-serving businesses. It was a gay ghetto; they called it Boystown, but all were welcome.

When you go to any mall, the anchor stores draw the traffic – Macy’s or Nordstrom, Penney’s, and more. In between those anchor stores, small businesses thrive.

When we talk about a city, the anchors are the corner locations, premium spots. Think Gay Starbucks on the corner of Westbourne and Santa Monica, think Pump on the corner of Robertson and Santa Monica. But WeHo is filled with dead corners.

From the moment you enter West Hollywood’s borders going eastward on Santa Monica, we hit the Melrose Triangle, one gigantic hole in the ground with no real way out. It’s not getting built. The permits are active, but the project is dead. We are ten years away. Gone is the Shoreline Moderne that residents fought to keep and housed many of Hollywood’s oldest businesses and finest history.

The next major intersection is at the corners of Robertson and Santa Monica and La Peer, both under construction. Gone are Hamburger Haven and Bossa Nova. And just south of the factory is Anawalt Lumber. That property is in escrow, and soon we can kiss that goodbye too.

The next major intersection is San Vicente and Santa Monica. US Bank announced their departure, Rounderbum left, and a Mistr is yet to open. And one block away is the other anchor of the Rainbow District, at the corner of Larrabee, where Flaming Saddles used to be, empty since 2020. On the corner of Palm and Santa Monica, Optometrix is gone, and one day Kale Me Crazy will open.

Corner after corner is gone. Skip to the next block at Hancock, and there is the old Coffee Bean, a community staple of yesteryear, and the next block from that is the corner of Westmount and Santa Monica, where 24 Hour Fitness will one day become John Reed.

Right across the street at the corner of Westbourne and Santa Monica is the old Gay Starbucks corner. Both of our community coffee shops closed. Cousins Lobster next door, Sprouts Market recently did the toot-a-loo, and we haven’t even gotten to La Cienega.

At the major intersection of La Cienega and Santa Monica, Leo Flowers empty for 5 years and old-timer Raffi Jewelers sayonara; the whole center is empty. Bikes and Hikes will soon need to move to make way for a recently approved project.

Keep on truckin’ east to Kings Road corner, where there was an Aaron Brother. Flores and Santa Monica housed Basix. The Conservatory was on the next corner of Sweetzer and Santa Monica. All gone.