Lucky Stop Liquor Getting The Boot Off Abbot Kinney

Update 5/9/18:

The new owner, Jesse, contacted me to let me know that Lucky Stop will remain a liquor/convenience store ... they will remain open while a remodel happens after they take over on May 16th. They say they will remain affordable, have new products, and will be offering Door Dash delivery. I guess if they're willing to pay the new outrageous rent that pushed our old friends out, we can be willing to give them a chance in the neighborhood. Best of luck!


Well, I stopped in to see my friends at Lucky Stop Liquor on Abbot Kinney today, and found out that the bad news rumor is true. They are closing for good in a couple of weeks. The spot that everyone on the block goes to for their various daily items will be no longer, because the owner thinks that they should jack up the rent from $15,000 a month to $30,000. They already forced the store to cut itself in half a few years ago to create the Will Leather store (when their rent already went up from $7,000 for the whole big space to $15,000 for half the space), and now they're just getting the total boot.

In yet another example of complete greed and no bigger picture, Abbot Kinney is getting less and less cool every day. It's getting to where only corporate retailers are able to pay this highway robbery called these outrageous rents. I've been friends with Lucky Stop's Justin Cho for a long time, and he could only laugh about it today. Because it's laughable - if it also weren't so awful and downright sinister.

Cho thinks it might still be a liquor store, but a fancy one, if some chump wants to pay that much for that little. We both looked across the street at Abbot's Habit still sitting there empty after almost a year since closing, and just shook our heads at the greed and shameless money grab that continues to go down in our community. That is, in fact, killing our community.

Hey, Landlords ... how about have a heart? How about getting the fact - once again - that people do not come to Venice to see the same old chain stores everywhere else in the world has. They come to see unique, cool things, in one of the most unique and cool places on Earth ... for now. Stop trying to homogenize everything ... how much money does any one person need, anyway? You can't take it with you. When no one bothers to come to Venice anymore because it's the same as every other generic town, then who is going to pay your jacked up rents? Have some vision.

I'm disgusted. And I'm really going to miss Cho and Company there on the block. Dumb.

Huset - Your Home For Scandinavian Design In Venice

I love Huset. I've loved Huset since even before they opened, so it was high time I finally sat down with its owner, Holly Hallberg, and talked about how great it is to have a place for Scandinavian design (and treats) right here in Venice on Abbot Kinney!

Now, I'm 100% purebred Norwegian, and there are certain traditions that go along with that. I host a Christmas Glögg party every year, and I like to wear a little something that makes me look even more Viking. One year I was searching online for just the right frock for that year's shindig, and came upon a website called "Huset" (meaning "Home" in Swedish). Every single thing was adorable. I noticed that the site was based out of Malibu, California, so included an invitation to the owner to join us for glögg if she was able, and that's how I met Holly Hallberg.

Hallberg was unable to join in the festivities that year, but we kept in touch online, and in 2010, I received the good news that she was going to open a physical store on Abbot Kinney! We met in person, and Hallberg was just as lovely in real life, and it's been a true delight to see her store - and herself - thrive here in Venice.

A native Californian, Hallberg grew up with designer parents, so that aesthetic was in her blood. While working in the film industry in the sound department, she met her Swedish husband, Per Hallberg (an Oscar winning sound editor), and was soon an honorary Swede (but I still like her. That joke is for the Norwegians). Spending a lot of time in Sweden led Hallberg to wonder why there was no real great spot to get all the wonderful Scandinavian goods available over there, here in the U.S., and set out to do something about it. Huset was born online in 2007, and Hallberg has been procuring gorgeous, beautifully made Nordic items - from candy to fashion to housewares - ever since.

Abbot Kinney was always the spot that Hallberg envisioned for her store, and when the former maternity store (the name escapes me right now) space opened up, Hallberg leaped at the opportunity. Her dad did the build out for her, and the beautiful space was soon open for business, with all the Scandinavian flags represented in this destination for goods from the (my) old country.

"I felt like we would be appreciated here," Hallberg told me, correctly. "Abbot Kinney had a good vibe, it fit our demographic, and I wanted to create a full Scandinavian experience for both the locals and tourists." To transport everyone to the nations that always come in first in the happiness polls (and educate them), Hallberg spins Scandinavian music playlists, you are welcomed in by birch trees and blondes speaking Swedish, the air smells great from the scented Nordic candles, and you can taste the same candies that kids of all ages eat up all over Northern Europe (with extra special treats available on the weekends!).

The sweets section was really amped up when Hallberg expanded her store's space late last year, and Huset is one of the only places you can find the loose, bulk candy that is so beloved - and so good! - by anyone who grew up with it. In fact, I offered some to my Danish friend, Tim, last night at the VNC meeting, and he already had some in his pocket! Good stuff.

As Abbot Kinney rents remain ridiculous, Hallberg invited her friend, Anthony, to open up a shop within a shop (as is done all over Europe), and The Mac Studio opened up for business in the back of Huset when she expanded. Not to be confused with the makeup store, The Mac Studio is your place in Venice to get your Mac items fixed. You can bring in your computer or phone or Ipad for repairs, service, data recovery, education, or whatever it needs, all without waiting forever for one of the "geniuses" to help you at the Apple store in a mall. Fast, reasonable, awesome. Put this info in your back pocket for the next time your tech goes nuts and stroll on over!

Hallberg loves Venice, and recently got an apartment in town, because Malibu doesn't have the same vibes as Venice does ... or the Huset store! "Venice is special. No other beach city has what Venice has, and we need to protect it." She's speaking my language (which is good, because I don't speak Swedish). If you've been in Venice for any decent amount of time, you know what we're talking about. Venice has been like a sanctuary, with an invisible moat around it, protecting it from lameness and closed minds and Republicans (often one in the same) since its inception, and YES, we need to protect that. You know. Hallberg explains, "Venice has its highs and lows, but that mix is what makes it cool. We're not Beverly Hills, and we're not deep Compton, we're somewhere in between. I love the eccentricity." And I love her for loving it.

There's truly something for everyone at Huset, where the whole family can shop together. Mom will love the beautiful clothes and household goods, Dad will dig all the new items for men that are coming in (think knives, cool accessories, Viking needs), and there are a zillion darling things (THE cutest clothes ever) for kids - plus all that candy. There's also something for every price point, from real expensive Scandinavian designed furniture and centerpieces to a marble eraser from Denmark for 50 cents (plus all that candy!).

LA Magazine voted Huset the "Friendliest store in L.A." a few years back, and Hallberg is very proud of that. She makes sure that Huset embodies the Danish concept of "Hygge" (cozy and charming living) and "Fika", the Swedish word for a cozy coffee break, and soon you begin to understand just why those countries have such a high quality of life (and clean up at the Olympics! Go Norway!!!) I asked Hallberg what her most favorite item in the store was, and without hesitation she walked me over to a basket full of sheepskins called "Gotlan". They are the coziest things imaginable, and Hallberg knows the very farmer that makes them. As cold as it was in Venice yesterday, this is just the right thing for your chilly, starry nights by the fire. Hygge!

Hallberg's own Venice go-to's are getting her coffee from Menotti's, and her gifts from another design wonder shop, Tortoise (who I also still have to sit down with and learn their tale). The merchants of Venice are all great about shouting out the places that they love and support, and that gives me some hope that there is still a grass rootsy aspect to our dear Venice. And, as almost all of my interviewees say at some point, that Community is also vital to Hallberg, and why she chose to work and now live within that spirit. And - again - to protect it.

Viking friends (or "Scandophiles" as Hallberg refers to herself), there are weekly arrivals of fantastic pieces coming to Huset from Europe, so there is always something new to discover when you stop in for your own dose of hygge.

SKOL to Holly's Huset!

Huset is open every day from 11-7.
1316 Abbot Kinney
Venice
#424-268-42143


The Mac Studio
#855-622-3497

Amiga - A Place For Friends

I'd been hearing great things about Amiga, the new lifestyle shop on Lincoln Boulevard, and finally got there myself the other day. Amiga is the vision of friends, Sadie Gilliam and Nicole Reed, who came together after their respective businesses (Freedumb Founded Jewelry by Gilliam, and the Lincoln & Rose blog by Reed) often found them at the same pop-ups. A friendship was born between the Venice native Gilliam and the San Pedro bred Reed, and they talked about looking for a space for an actual shop site. Gilliam's mother was shopping at the antique store, H. Bleu, on Lincoln, when its owner, Sue (fourth generation Venice), told her she was looking to sublet out the space, and that she wanted it to go to Venice people. That was just last December 10th, and Gilliam and Reed had Amiga open for business by the 15th! They pretty much just looked at each other, shrugged, and said, "Let's just do it!" I love that go for it spirit, and they did it!

That Reed had just found out she was pregnant with her first child only made it all the more impressive, but with help from both of their families (with honorable mention especially to Jeremy Reed, Nicole's husband, for helping to get it ready in time), and all of their relationships with vendors from their pop-ups ready to go, Amiga was up and running just in time for the holiday gift-giving season ... phew! It was all very charmed, and seemingly very meant to be. Women power!

It's been going like gangbusters ever since they opened their doors, as all of their vendors have their own following, and when people come in looking for say, art by Priscilla Witte, they might get turned on to a whole new designer they'd never heard of that becomes their new favorite. It's just that kind of a place.

"This is such a badass spot!", said one happy, new customer while I was there hanging out, and she was not wrong. In just the time I was sitting there chatting with the amigas, we all honestly made like three new friends, and that's when I realized what a perfect name the gals had chosen for their new venture. Amiga!

I got to meet the very cool Robin Wisdom, who sells her delicious "Peace, Love, and Wisdom" candles out of Amiga. She is the wife of artist Norton Wisdom (member of the Cali Locos!), whose drawings adorn her candles. Their daughter did the sketch for the Venice candle, and its wonderful graperfruit aroma make it a best-seller.  Mrs. Wisdom also does the tarot card readings when Amiga hosts their fun events ... aaaand I can't wait until the next one.

They recently hosted a make your own Valentine afternoon, and it was fueled by the Menotti's coffee truck that pulls up to their space on Sundays from 8 am - 2 pm. It's a really good hang, and this past Sunday they had free donuts and coffee, just for fun in the sun.

Amiga also carries Mrs. Lilly Apothecary items, clothing from Jasmine St. D'Aigneaux, chocolates from Rose Avenue Sweets, vegan jewelry made out of recycled bicycle inner tubes from Beatrice Holiday, greeting cards from The Good Twin, and plants from Amiga themselves.

I learned a new word while visiting Amiga ... "Flintknapping". It's the method of making stone tools, and the very cool knives they carry look as if they were carved out of dragon glass. They would be a very cool V Day gift for your dude ... or anyone, for that matter.

Gilliam told me that there is finally a "Venice" ring in the works from her Freedumb Founded line, and I'm already in line in front of you, so you better get in there to get yours! She is also adding hats to her line in April, and if they're as cool as her jewelry ... I'm so excited.

"We just feel lucky to be here, and give local artists and makers a home," explained Gilliam. To that point, I witnessed no less than three people come in while I was there to see if Amiga might like to carry their wares. It's a true community store, by and for the members of our community. When I asked her what she liked most about Venice, she laughed and said, "The traffic on Lincoln. It makes people see our sign and stop in!" In addition to that traffic, she loves Hinano's for burgers, Animal House for clothes, Windward Farms for their ceviche (what?! I didn't even know.), and the view of the palm tree clusters at night.

Asked the same question, Reed digs that Venice is flat, and makes for great bike rides. She loves the old cars, the artist community, and the fact that we're all mashed up here. "Extreme wealth and extreme poverty are all right here, and we're forced to figure it all out together. We're exposed to so much in one place ... if I could pick anywhere to live, it would be here."

You never know who you'll meet next at Amiga, and connections happen all the time. I wasn't kidding that we all made three new friends while sitting there -  like exchanged info and hugged goodbye new friends - and it was easy to see why when they were brainstorming for their business name they insisted that it had to have something to do with "Friends". They knew that their motto would be "You - Me - Us", and that's exactly who Amiga is for. Stop in any day of the week, 10-6 (except Sundays when it's 8 am for that Menotti's coffee!) and experience this delightful new addition to the Venice family of friends. (Just in time for Valentine's Day!)

Amiga
2124 Lincoln Boulevard
Venice
www.amigalosangeles.com

Wayward Debutante - Shop On A Bus!

 UPDATE: The Wayward Debutante bus is now closed. For now, you can find Ali and some of her treasures at Principessa on Abbot Kinney.



Just when we're all lamenting the change (and sameness) of corporate b.s. and greed trying to change our Venice, you get some rays of hope that cool people still live here ... and cool people still move here BECAUSE of the way Venice has always been. Like Ali Jenkins.  I met her at a party at Principessa last weekend, and she told me about her shop, Wayward Debutante, that she operates out of a decked out old bus at the Love Shack site at 2121 Lincoln Boulevard.

Jenkins grew up on the east coast, and spent 13 years in New York City modeling and working in the fashion world. She always had a passion for clothes, and was inspired by Patricia Field, Anita Pallenberg, Kate Moss and Jane Birkin. Like those icons, Jenkins calls her personal aesthetic, "High society meets rock star." I get it.

After visiting her cousin who lives here a few times, Jenkins kept thinking, "Why am I not in Venice?" So now she is. When looking around for a space to house her idea for a vintage clothing store, she heard about an empty bus available to rent from Udi Levy at the Love Shack. The idea of Almost Famous's Penny Lane, traveling on the bus with the band in her excellent threads was appealing to Jenkins, and she knew it would also be a fun experience for her shoppers. To climb aboard the funky, painted bus and be surrounded by lovely articles of clothing and accessories makes you feel like you're going somewhere yourself ... somewhere fun, somewhere exciting, somewhere where anything might happen.  It gives you ideas. "I want it to be more than a store, I want it to be an experience." And it is. You can almost see Janis Joplin sitting right there, with her feet up on the surfboard table.

Beautifully refurbished pieces share space with upcycled bags like the Birkin-looking one that local artist and friend of Jenkins, Jules Muck, has adorned with the Rolling Stones tongue. Another features Kate Moss with a Union Jack. Muck also created the logo for Wayward Debutante, which Jenkins has silk-screened on a variety of vintage shirts that look ultra-fresh. One of a kind, locally found and created gifts (for yourself or a loved one) can be found aboard the bus, and given with the knowledge that for sure no one else is going to have it. You won't get that same satisfaction shopping at Lucky Brand (or any of the other posers that have nothing to do with Venice). The difference here too is that, "All is done with love." That you can feel.

Another real inspiration for Jenkins is Patti Astor, who founded the Fun Gallery in New York. Astor put on art shows for the likes of Basquiat and Keith Haring, and created a whole scene around those artistic, hip hop times of the 1980's. Jenkins feels like that same kind of vibe exists in Venice (STILL!), and the whole Love Shack zone is made up of a collective of artists, "A little family," doing things from paintings to wooden tables to bean bag chairs, all supporting and enjoying each other. The artists and the clients are a mixture of all walks of life, and as we sat chatting on the couch in front of the bus, you could feel the stares of the faces sitting in Lincoln Boulevard traffic, wondering what might be going down at this colorful scene.

The vintage treasures that hang in, on and around the bus are found by Jenkins at flea markets, estate sales, and the like, and it's clear that she has a great eye, and great taste. She is open to selling other peoples' things on consignment, and excited about sharing her space with customers and collaborators alike. As Wayward Debutante gets really going, Jenkins intends to branch out into street/skate wear and will also offer custom styling, so if you have a special event coming up, she can deck out from head to toe, again, in a look that you can be sure no one else will be wearing.

Since arriving in Venice about a year ago, Jenkins has fully embraced what Venice is - and should be. "I love the bohemia of it all. There's such a vibe, and aura, and with all the eclectic people, I couldn't be in a more perfect place for Wayward Debutante." I was relieved she thought this, as so many old school people seem to have kind of given up on all of that. There's still hope!

Especially when you get people like Jenkins adding to the vibe that has been carefully curated here for decades, and I thanked her for helping us to keep it alive.  She loves the things we all love here, like biking and skating at the beach, sitting in the cafes watching all of Venice go by, but "You don't really have to go anywhere. You can just sit back and soak it all in." So that's exactly what we did.

Climb aboard the Wayward Debutante bus! Stop in for a glass of Jenkins' special jalapeno water, get a new frock, get styled, feel the love, and thank her for this cool new space in our town.

Wayward Debutante is open 11ish - 6:30ish at 2121 Lincoln - on the bus.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wayward-Debutante/645177052209953

Twitter: @waywardebutante

Organic Bling By Kiki Designs In Venice

Sisters Kiki and Kenna Pagador were born and raised on O'ahu (Mililani), and you can feel their Aloha Spirit the instant you enter their darling, golden-floored jewelry store, Kiki Designs, on Pacific. They have the Hawai'ian tunes playing, they welcome you with warm smiles and open arms, and the gems they work with all have that organic feel that comes from the love of nature the ladies developed growing up on the island.

They came to the Mainland for school, attending Santa Monica College and Loyola Marymount. At LMU, Kiki developed a non-profit called MAD IDEA (Making A Difference Initiating Dialogue on Equality for All), where she ran the program with speakers and panels discussing equality in race, gender and sexual orientation. I knew there was a lot going on with these girls from the moment I met them, but just now found out exactly how much.

 From the non-profit, Kiki went on to work at an Arts and Healing center in Santa Monica, and then when Kenna came over for school too, they both got jobs at Ritual Adornments, the late, great bead shop on Main Street (which has since moved to New Mexico, and is sorely missed). There, they learned the craft of jewelry making, as well as a deep knowledge of the various gem stones out there, and began making their own pieces. They would sell these at trade shows and through word of mouth. After repeatedly being accosted by ladies' boyfriends to meet them in alleys to buy the things their girlfriends wanted without them knowing, the Pagadors decided it was time to have an actual store front where they could sell their wares without the covert ops.

Kiki wrote in her journal about exactly what she wanted in a space ... small, foot traffic, cool neighborhood ... and just like that, she found a sublet space on Abbot Kinney in the half of Urbanic that wasn't being used. That is where I became friends with the sisters, after nearly fainting over their insanely gorgeous jewels, right from the beginning. Jewels like big hot pink agate rings that cover three knuckles. Necklaces made from stones with great names like "Aventurine." Some pieces are so big you might need a weight belt to counter them, like the one Kiki was wearing on this day (Rudilated Quartz, for creative meditation) ...

Like Kenna said, it's "Organic Bling," which couldn't be more perfect for the Venice of now. "We love our stones," she explained, and told me about their semi-annual trips to a master cutter in Arizona, and New Mexico, to find new gems to work their magic on. People often stumble upon Kiki Design, coming from the Boardwalk or wherever, and ask, "Is this a magical shop?" It certainly feels that way, with the sparkling gold floor and the glistening stones hanging all over the shop (from the creative displays that are Kenna's domain). There is even a "Gratitude Tree," that customers adorn with leaves indicating what they are grateful for.

The Pagador sisters are nothing if not grateful, a trait we talked about as perhaps being one's most important in life. "We're already living the American Dream ... to create, to create our own store, as minority women, doing what we love ... You really can't ask for more," said Kiki.

They're also grateful that their Abbot Kinney customers have followed them to Pacific, a move that happened when Urbanic decided to expand and Kiki Design had to find a new home. At their current location, pretty much next door to Mao's Kitchen, "It's a whole different crowd," laughed Kiki, to which Kenna added, "And I love them ALL!" That love is evident here, even if there wasn't a sign reading, "Shower Me With Love." Interestingly, the ladies said that they have had no theft here on Pacific, while it was always a problem on Abbot Kinney. Sociology, man. (To that end, they have a sign in the window that reads, "Steal from WalMart" - ha!) The "Crazy diversity of the People," is what makes them love the community that they now call home.

In their new neighborhood, they frequent all the close-by spots like Mao's, Cafe Collage, Larry's, Danny's, Nikki's, Barlo, Seed, and PokePoke on what they call their "Sumo Sundays." I love them.

I love them because they are talented and fun, but also because they're always trying to improve the world, particularly in regards to women. To that end, they host Women's Empowerment classes in their upstairs room on the first Wednesday of each month, and also on Sundays (see their website or call for more info). They have jewelry making classes up there, and private parties where you can create your own pieces with their guidance - with wine! "On Friday nights, we drink," invited Kiki, and it's not unheard of that the shop turns into a dance party on those nights, after hours. Because that gold floor was meant to be danced on.

But it always comes back to the jewelry. Friends that know the sisters well can tell who made what pieces, as Kenna leans more organic, and Kiki leans more bling. "Our pieces are little pieces of ourselves, and they're meant for whomever is drawn to them. They call to people, maybe because they're drawn to something in their life that's missing ...," mused Kenna. Interesting, because on this particular day, I kept picking up things made from a stone called "Chrysocolla," which is meant to give you inner strength ... which I can certainly always use, but maybe particularly now, which is why I was drawn to it. Makes sense to me, anyway.

If you need something special for an occasion, or a ultra-unique gift for someone special to you, these dears can create something custom just for you. Specialty stores are hard to come by in these days of homogeneity and corporate take-overs. A friend's baby was being baptized recently and Kiki wanted to give them a rosary. Finding that nearly impossible to locate, she made one herself. She can do that for you too.

"We're just really grateful to be here. We love what we do, everything from painting the floor to creating the pieces, to working with our customers. Love everything with us!"

In this lovely little magical shop, that is very easy to do. Aloha!!!

Kiki Designs
100 Market Street (but you really enter on Pacific)
Venice
#310.581.7940
www.kikidesignsla.com (where they have an online shop if you're reading this from Minnesota or somewhere ...)