and believe its time for a Merchant Assc. to be created and applied full force. There is no business plan or direction, or support.

Too much each on their own and lose the unity , community concept.

100 year anni. could be applied to 100 great things adding to Atwater Village.

More defined shopping area needs to be applied.

CLEANER-more trash cans.

Store fronts must be Cleaned up and re painted if need be. One business has two different color blinds that are broken in window. Landlords needs to follow a Clean up mandate. The business market next to me, has a 2 inch HIGH pile of pigeon feces that need to be removed and cleaned--this is unhealthy and unacceptable. CALL the Health Department and if you did already do it again and again.

Events- planning more business events that are directly a benefit in support neighborhood shoppers, and help promote neighboring areas into Atwater Village. Promote Shopping/Dining/Service. Also provide educational programs for Business Merchants .

Marketing !

Planters/Trees. Help define area and GREEN THING!

NEW IDEAS with PROFESSIONALISM!

Listen!

Work Together!

Corporation is spelled with two letters------WE !

We need to work together to help each other. We need to!

Some of these shop keepers took seconds on their homes or condo's. Their loss is greater than what we will ever know, and as a community it should concern us all. We should all care no matter how well ones doing, it is more important in how WE ALL ARE DOING !


One of the boutique is being replaced by a Hair Salon.

Please, welcome any or all new businesses. Even if it isn't your personal market, or service. It helps to add support to any new owner. Introduce yourselves, and once in a while on a brisk walk share another hello.

This does wonders for ones soul.....I know I am one of them.

Who's closing?

Well said! Work together. I know exactly what you are talking about or should I say whom. Let's not pretend that it is just the economy anymore. That's an excuse. It is the lack of cooperation. The POV (right?) that is what it is called. Only allows one Bar/Pub on Glendale Blvd if you look at club tee GEE or yee, it is lacking atmosphere, businesses need to keep up on the time it brings in people at night but bot during the day for say after work drinks. That would bring foot traffic. I am talking about allowing pubs that can serve food and neighbor can hang out in. We have restaurants and that brings people in to the neighborhood. I just made a post under events about the tree lighting, My first, I had to finally break down and do it. People need to vote this year for the AVNC and make sure that we are voting and knowing who we vote for, the chamber needs to do better. It was headed down a good road under Mark but I am not sure now, especially after the job on their first real event since he stepped down. The chamber could not even work together on that. It was not all about money. All I can say is vote the Chamber and AVNC can be really powerful if they and all the other groups worked together and not against each other. It gets me so revved up. Maybe I should run....hmmm.

How heartbreaking! I hope people can start to realize how gratifying it is to Shop Atwater First. Supporting one's community is simple and convenient and makes a huge difference in all of our quality of life.

Atwaterguy, we really need candidates for the Board of Governors and it would be great if you ran! If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me an email today:

lgershman@atwatervillage.org

My parents are in town so I won't be on the computer too much, but I'll make a point of checking and getting back to you. The filing deadline is Tuesday the 19th, and the form is right here.

Diane, thanks for your enthusiasm and continued support of our beautiful Village.

Who's closing?

It is ok for a community to consist of different groups.

Actually its a Healthy sign and welcomed and encouraged.

Having various groups in a community helps address different interest and needs.

Never can One person or One group represent an entire community and its efforts.

So the fact there are several different groups and areas of interest is WONDERFUL - is a great thing.

What would be a HUGE GIFT to every single avenue of Atwater Village- Residents, Businesses, Animals, those whom visit and potential EVERYTHING is...

COMBINING these efforts, goals, and compassion. Listening to each other! Accepting "New Ideas with Professionalism", Supporting Each other, oh my gosh can you imagine the OUT-COME!

It is Beautiful, and Exciting, and so very very HOPEFUL.

Groups, Clubs, Schools, Residents, Business, Places of Worship, Animals, People, Visitors.......here 80 years, here only one day.....or just visiting.


We all are on the Same TEAM !!!! Atwater Village! Yeah !

Woof, who is closing? Is Woof Dog Boutique closing?

Atwaterguy says "The POV (right?) that is what it is called. Only allows one Bar/Pub on Glendale Blvd"

I just re-read the Atwater Village POD (Pedestrian Oriented District), Ordinance 173,676. It makes no mention of limiting bars in the area, only disallowing nightclubs. Can you provide me what information you have that sets limits on bars opening there?

No Thankfully so...Love what I do so much its unbelievable and a lot of this passion goes to the Fact WOOF is in Atwater Village. Love it here....and so didn't they who are leaving.


You will have to wait and see. That information will present itself soon.

Can't expose who is, for that is their choice and path to share it.

But to me its more of one of US ...not in just a business sense in the Community sense.

Even if it was a business that didn't tickle your fancy or didn't personally use or regard a business -it still is a loss. When you are a community and it presents itself with these losses, feel it is an indication of planning, involvement, working together, and helping each other.

I thought I had read it on this site before. I stand corrected.

Atwaterguy, I'm not saying you are wrong, I'm just trying to find more official sources of info to add to what little information I think I know!

The Ordinance I mentioned above is available at:
http://cityplanning.lacity.org/complan/othrplan/pdf/atwatertxt.pdf

I going to say its the clothing store near crystal matrix.. i have tried to go in to buy something but the clothes there look sort of hipish but material is cheap looking...it has a going out of business sign. Also, I think Carolyn at Importante is probably about done...I bought a lot from her when she first opened and for a while after but there are rarely new items in the store anymore.

The boutique next to Crystal Matrix is (was?) called This or Die. Owner was an Atwater resident.

Just two? I don’t think so! It much more than 2 shops that have or are closing… going back a year that is. I think we are going on like 8 or 9 stores including art galleries.

I’m sorry to say this but Glendale Blvd seems to be the pits with regards to opening a business. The landlords want to charge “premium” rents and this economy and community simply can support high-end boutique shops. For all the influx of young professionals, this is still a working class community with a high residential renter rate.

I called to see how much they were charging for rent at the Funeral Casket place by the Madera island on Glendale… they want $4,500 a month. Yea right!

Businesses closing:

This or Die

Movements

By the way, for some odd reason I suddenly can't post a new topic, so sorry to ask here, but does anyone know when, where, and what time the next pot luck neighborhood group is meeting ??? Thx!

I also heard the Importante Gifts is leaving too.

ohh, i'm sorry to hear about importante. I love her store!

to bad about importante, I really like this store. I don't visit most businesses on the blvd but this one I actually do use

Wow, $4,500/month!?! Wow.

I tried Movements a few times. Every time the stuff I saw in the window wasn't as cute on or close up. Over the years, I bought one T-Shirt there.

For $4,500/month, some of these business just aren't going to survive. That's a lot of quirky gifts to sell just to make rent.

Sorry to see a business move out of AV. I stopped by Movements on Sunday and they are having some incredible sales this week. It's worth checking out since items are marked down as much at 75%.

This may have changed in recent years, certainly in the last couple of years. But I remember my business management class reading that over 50% of new businesses fail w/in the first couple of years. The biggest reason is lack of business accounting knowledge.

Some of these boutiques may be great people with very good ideas and little accounting ability. Just sayin'.

Sad to see Violet Willow close as well. Read on the Atwater Village New Blog that the owner was the one and only candidate running for the Business Representative position on the AVNC.

Such a shame that so many of our neighborhood boutiques on Glendale have closed within the last month.

It's a true heartache. Even more frustrating was reading in Lisa's email that they'd tried to renegotiate their rent to no avail.

Shop Atwater First! We must support our local businesses first and foremost.

Violet Willow was a great store - my favorite dress and my two favorite coats came from Lisa and her sister. Oh, and my favorite sweater coat too! I'll really miss them.

No matter how much we shop atwater, that wont change the rent for these poor merchants!

You're so right, Joe. But at least if they have more revenue coming in it can offset the cost of the rent!

Add Violet Willow to the list of businesses that closed. Boo hoo. What a great shop that was!

Anyone heard of the 3/50 Project? I think my "3" are 55 Degrees, Mila, and Baracoa, but we also dropped some cash on All Aboard this month. Paid 3x for a t-shirt to what it would go for on Woot, but my husband will never have that awkward moment when he's wearing the same thing as someone else at work ;-). And the "extra" will all come back to the community, rather than just disappearing into the ether.

can't wait for the crystal matrix that new age witchcraft shop needs to close down. I went there thinking I could find my son a cool prism I got a lot of mumbo jumbo all bs.

Thumbs down for this rub me down with a crystal and feel spiritual hooky-kooky place. First time I actually need something besides my Obama brownie on glendale and I get hippie magic.

Thanks a lot I'll keep shopping atwater first for all my love potions.

Buster, be careful. Prism is exactly where you'll go if you're caught refracting.

thanks for the heads up Newton.

it is sad to see these businesses leaving...i would really love to see a thriving community with all those quaint boutique stores...the street is ripe for it, why doesn't it succeed?

and, for the bldg owners...isn't it better to have a good tenant than NO tenant?? Work with your tenants...take a look at the economy!