Though Westwood is no longer known for its vibrant nightlife as
it was in the 1980s, local business owners say the Village is still
a pulsating college town that grows and changes with the times.
Over the past few years, chain stores such as Urban Outfitters,
Bebe and California Pizza Kitchen have moved into Westwood, drawing
students into the Village, said Clinton Schudy, general manager for
Oakley’s, a family-owned barber shop that recently celebrated
its 75th anniversary.
The introduction of these businesses was part of an effort to
increase interest in Westwood since the town became quieter
following a shooting in the 1980s.
Schudy said Westwood lost business as competing shopping
districts sprang up nearby, but the recent increase in retail
stores has partly made up for that.
Students said they have noticed the change in storefronts.
“I’m sad that the (Westwood) Farmers’ Market
has been moved. I also miss various stores such as U-Dog that have
closed, but I think there have been great shops that have come to
fill their spots,” said Grant Kim, a fourth-year economics
student.
Schudy said additional parking has also added to
Westwood’s popularity.
He said a new policy requiring builders to replace parking
spaces they build over keeps visitor traffic flowing in and has
helped the city recover.
All these factors have combined to make Westwood a more viable
area than it was a few years ago.
“We’re looking at a much healthier village than we
were,” said Sandy Brown, president of the Holmby-Westwood
Property Owners Association.
And the Village is likely to improve in the near future, she
said. The UCLA graduate housing on Weyburn Avenue and the
construction of Palazzo Westwood, a mixed-use complex with
apartments and retail spaces currently being built, are likely to
further improve the city by bringing in additional residents, Brown
said.
This year, Westwood will also play host to the Los Angeles
Independent Film Festival, an annual 10-day festival from June 22
to July 2 that showcases American and international cinema to
audiences of more than 60,000.
Brown said the festival is expected to draw over 100,000
people.
But some business owners said the changes Westwood has
experienced in the past few years are making the Village less
community-oriented.
“It’s definitely gotten more corporate than it was
10 years ago, which makes it harder to have an identity (of) being
a small village,” said Phil Gabriel, owner of Scrubs
Unlimited on Weyburn Avenue.
He said that many mom-and-pop shops have been replaced by
corporate entities which do not have a vested interest in the city,
making cooperation to improve the Village difficult.
“We have really tried to cater to the UCLA crowd by
offering packages and pricing and passing out flyers and
coupons,” Gabriel said.
Some students said the Village helps college students by
providing them with a place to hang out or study when they are off
campus.
“A lot of things that you don’t find on campus can
be found in Westwood, and Westwood’s merchants do a pretty
good job, especially with their discounts,” said Scott Lee, a
fourth-year psychology student.
Lee said while the city does not satisfy every single need of a
college student, the Village meets many of students’ daily
necessities.
Gizelle Strohkendl, one of the owners of Mural Chastanet Fine
Jewelry on Glendon Avenue, said bringing in students from campus
requires getting them excited about the services merchants
offer.
Simply providing good services that spread by word of mouth is
one of the best business tactics, said Andrew Gordon, general
manager of Enzo’s Pizzeria.
Lee said the general impression that Westwood has left on him
has made his time as an undergraduate at UCLA enjoyable.
“Looking back on my time here, I’m glad we have
Westwood nearby,” he said.