With or without students, life goes on in Westwood Village.
The 10900 west block of Lindbrook Avenue, for example, comes to
life early in the morning, as bagel lovers choose from a variety of
shmears at Noah’s Bagels.
Like many businesses in Westwood Village, Noah’s Bagels
does not depend entirely upon UCLA students for its customer
base.
Manager Gary Brothers said the restaurant serves a mixture of
campus and business people.
This block where Noah’s Bagels is located represents the
other side of Westwood.
This is the Westwood of restaurants and cafes belonging to a
larger sphere than the campus and its academic population.
Like Noah’s Bagels, many restaurants cater to those who
work in and around Westwood.
Brenda Robinson, who works at the nearby Federal Building, comes
to Westwood about once a week on her lunch breaks.
“It’s got some really good restaurants,” she
said.
Her favorite is City Chop, where customers can create their own
salads from a variety of ingredients.
Anne Thomas, manager of City Chop, said the restaurant’s
busiest hours are during lunchtime, when business people and campus
workers come in to eat.
She said about a quarter of her customers are students.
Brian Hudson, a Federal Express delivery man, comes to Westwood
almost every day.
He listed Baja Fresh, Togo’s, Subway, Headlines, Whole
Foods and In-N-Out as some of his favorite Westwood
restaurants.
Hudson also noted the ways Westwood has changed.
“It used to be ritzy. It’s changed a lot, but
it’s still very vibrant,” he said.
Jason Schiffman, an instructor of the Berkeley Review who has
lived in Westwood since 1991, has also seen many changes in the
neighborhood.
He remains loyal to his favorite Westwood spots, including the
Starbucks Coffee at the corner of Westwood Boulevard and Lindbrook
Avenue.
In explaining his choice of coffee, Schiffman said,
“Starbucks gets me more jacked. It’s a more euphoric
caffeine.”
He earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from UCLA and
is preparing to enter medical school at the University of Southern
California in August.
Schiffman isn’t the only crosstown rival to be attracted
to Westwood.
Gina Santangelo and Gaby Valencia, nursing students at USC, stop
by Jamba Juice for smoothies.
They compared Westwood favorably to the commercial areas around
USC.
Valencia, dressed in a bright red USC T-shirt, said, “We
don’t have all the cool places.”
Scot Krupa, assistant general manager of Jamba Juice, said the
store targeted a general population of “people who are
breathing.”
He said customers include members of L.A. Fitness coming in
after a workout and people who want to “substitute (a
smoothie) for a meal.”
Despite Westwood’s wide appeal, UCLA students remain a
vital part of the Village’s customer base.
Krupa said many students “make an effort” to come to
Jamba Juice, despite the distance from campus.
Brothers said entire athletic teams would come to eat bagels
before a game.
He said the women’s tennis team, and the men’s and
women’s water polo teams were frequent visitors.