Q&A: Westwood association chair discusses past successes, future goals

Jessica Dabney, chair of the Westwood Village Improvement Association’s board of directors, has worked to better the Village since the 1970s, most notably with her involvement in the creation of the association, also known as the BID, in 2011. The BID is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving Westwood Village, aiming to attract more visitors […]

New community official on a quest to improve Westwood Village

Niki Svara walked the streets of Westwood with a pen and clipboard, noting damaged infrastructure she would later report to city officials. Svara, the new operations manager at the Westwood Village Improvement Association, also known as the BID, said she plans to focus on attracting businesses and visitors, improving property values and helping the Village’s […]

How the new $650M USC Village stacks up against Westwood Village

Westwood Village has been a historical part of UCLA since its opening in 1929, a community USC’s upcoming university village will attempt to establish in only three years, Westwood officials said. USC is constructing a $650-million University Village that will include five-story residence halls, restaurants, shops and a large recreational plaza. The university announced the […]

Sandy, Jerry Brown reflect on 44 years of service to Westwood

After more than 50 years of marriage and 44 years as active members of the Westwood community, Sandy and Jerry Brown admit their jobs can be frustrating, but the chance to make a difference makes it worth the struggle. Sandy Brown, president of the Holmby-Westwood Property Owners Association for the past 25 years, and Jerry […]

Musashiya stirs up home-style noodles in Westwood

The owner of Musashiya Udon Noodle wanted to open his first U.S. location in Westwood Village because his father grew up in an era when the Village was considered the center of all L.A. activity. “Although the Village has changed, his dad always remembered Westwood’s reputation and wanted it to be the first place he […]

Experts, leaders discuss immigration at Global Diaspora Forum

Officials from the UCLA North American Integration and Development Center, or NAID center, announced a website Saturday that allows people to discover which immigrant communities are prevalent in certain areas. Rafael Barrientos, chief information officer of the Ministry of Economy of El Salvador who spearheaded the project to create the website, demonstrated how the site […]