Touchups for Starbucks on Glendale Blvd.

Atwater Village Mural Clean Up, originally uploaded by Luis Lopez.

LOOKS LIKE THIS corporate coffee shop isn't yet on the chopping block.

'Full of All Kinds of Goodness'

Kaldi, originally uploaded by seanbonner.

METROBLOGGING'S SEAN BONNER gives Atwater Village caffeine-dealer Kaldi Coffee (3147 Glendale Blvd.) the once over: "There's free wifi, comfy seating, and the staff gets the top rating so far in my book. I've been here off and on for months, but only regularly the past week, and they already know my order before I get to the counter - and actually care about making a good cup of coffee. "Think Kings Road vs Starbucks. Which is amusing because there's a brand new Starbucks that just opened up a block or so away and when I passed it this morning it was empty." The rest of the Village seems to agree with Sean. For the most part. Starbucks still has a few slight competitive advantages: 1) Their patio is elevated 2) They open when they say they open 3) They take plastic If Kaldi evolves to include #2 and #3, the block is theirs for the keeping.

Atwater Chatter: First Day of Summer Edition

Comments, opinions and questions from in, around and adjacent to our funny little flat neighborhood of Atwater Village: Should Silver Lake Worry About These Freaky Statuettes? "Here's what I am concerned about: Theres a gun with 'bang' written as the blast. An explosion with the word 'toast.' Blood on the knife. Menacing faces." [jeeto.com] 'Not Only Did We Get a Starbucks, But We Got One That Sucks' - "I went in there and the place was a mess. No one seems to clean up the inside or out. The staff was lame, there was a line almost to the door and it was a Sunday at like 2. Also its like a mini version of a Starbucks or something. Its all dark and cramped." [atwatervillage.org] Carb on Carb Action - "Tacos Villa Corona serve up Potato Tacos which is pretty rare in this taco town." [goodgoings.com] Mourning Medication - Kevin Paine, artist opening and reception, Saturday June 23, 7:00pm, LittleBird Gallery, 3195 Glendale Blvd. [littlebirdgallery.com] Any, Um, Second Opinions on Coral Reef? - "Just awful - truly out of yesterday in the worst kind of way! Oily/greasy shine to much of the food." [chowhound.com]

Hot & Local: More News from Street Fest

STARBUCKS AIN'T THE NEW KID on the block any more. Two new Glendale Boulevard retailers sampled their wares yesterday at the Atwater Village Street Festival. Woof, a dog clothing and food boutique, opened its new storefront and staffed a tent outside. Is this a new location for the Woof in beautiful downtown Burbank? Crispy Crust, an offshoot of the Hollywood pizza joint, is still a week from opening but handed out free slices, hot from the oven, all day long. And dance/fitness studio Heartbeat House provided its own hotness, pictured above, with a performance that threatened to upstage nearly everything but the cookie contest. 83 Photos from Luis Lopez [Flickr] 20 Photos from Me [Flickr] Puppies & Cookies from BrainyLAGirl [Flickr] Also ran: Italian Orange-Chocolate Sandwich Cookies [exeunt omnes] And the Farmer's Market, Too [Atwater Village is for Lovers]

Neighborhood's Next $100,000 Car Not Such a Gas Hog

IF YOU SPEND ANY TIME around the corner from our new Starbucks, you see them - the Bentley, the Escalade, the Humvee - parked along Glenfeliz Blvd. While Atwater Village must have its fair share of residents who can afford to leave six-figure vehicles on city streets, the more likely culprits are visitors to the recording studio on the block. And one of them has a new car to pay off. The New York Times automotive blog reveals that Black Eyed Peas member Will.I.Am spent "roughly $100,000 with options" for a Tesla Roadster, the all-electric sports car that zooms to 130 MPH, and zero to 60 MPH in four seconds. He's slated for the 59th Roadster from Tesla's factory, behind George Clooney (8th) and Governor Schwarzenegger (10th). Start ducking into your driveways this fall, as the first round of customers take delivery in October. All Amped Up [nytimes.com] Tesla Roadster [wikipedia.org] ABC News: No Gasoline, Plenty of Juice [freerepublic.com]

New Life Rises From Ashes

WE MAY HAVE LOST much of Griffith Park, but we seem to have gained new life on Glendale Blvd. Starbucks is open. At last. Thanks to Miles for reporting it amidst all the smoke.

Meanwhile, Kaldi Coffee, the Block is Yours

OUR GREAT STARBUCKS MYSTERY popped up today on Curbed LA: "What's up w/ that Starbucks in Atwater Village? It's had a 'Coming Soon' sign on it for 5 months." More like nine months, but who's counting? Certainly not neighborhood fave Kaldi Coffee, a few storefronts up, cashing in (literally; no credit cards taken) on its latte domination of central AV. The phone number listed for the Glendale & Glenfeliz SBUX just rings. And rings. And rings. Yet the store is still coming "soon," insist the banner and web site. "You keep using that word," goes the famous quote. "I do not think it means what you think it means."

Where 'Soon' Means 'Come Back Next Year'

WHILE THE NEIGHBORHOOD waits and waits and waits more than seven months, so far, for the new Starbucks on Glendale Blvd., yummy things are going on up the block at Atwater Village fave Kaldi Coffee. From Chowhound: Kaldi (3147 Glendale Blvd.) is my regular place for coffee since it's so close to my house. I bypassed my usual (expensive and sweet) coconut mocha and tried their "cold press coffee" something they had been touting with a little info card on the counter. Apparently it's popular in the Midwest. Basically, you soak coffee grounds in cold water overnight, then when you filter out the coffee, you are left with a concentrated cold coffee. You dilute it with water to serve. To serve hot, they steam water and add it to the syrup. I have to say, it was a really great cup of coffee. There was very little bitterness and it's gentler on the stomach. It's also way cheaper than a mocha! Kaldi roasts all their own beans... and they pull a decent espresso too. A new Starbucks is opening a few doors down, but as long as Kaldi starts accepting credit cards, I think they'll survive.

Neighborhood Skeez Rate Drops in First Month of 2007

Statistics at the end of January show a major decline in skeez in the northeast Los Angeles neighborhood of Atwater Village. A prominent landmark at Glendale Boulevard and Glenhurst Avenue - given worldwide notoriety last May when the Washington Post profiled it as "dilapidated," "drab" and "skeezy" - has completed a renovation. The formerly drab exterior is now a rich chocolate brown, with red-orange accents. Invitations to revisit the infamous structure - and perhaps attend the grand opening of the adjacent Starbucks - are forthcoming to Post reporter J. Freedom du Lac. UPDATE! Exclusive "after" photo:

Funny Name for a Wine Bar

There's a new and seemingly decisive entry in the wine-bar, not-a-wine-bar debate over 3111 Glendale Blvd. in Atwater Village. Crispy Crust, known for its "really good" pizza by at least one guy I saw today who had ordered from the original store on Vine St., is opening a second location.

We'll see if Crispy Crust can pry Villagers' fingers from around their Giamela's slices - though this isn't exactly the same Goliath-and-David moment that awaits when Starbucks finally opens a block from hood fave Kaldi Coffee.

Wonder which place this commuter from around the corner will choose.

Welcome New Readers

Happy new year and welcome to Atwater Village Newbie, a nominee for LA City Nerd's 2006 Blogger, a proud member of the blog-LA-sphere and, in the words of our esteemed blogging colleagues at LAist, "quite a good neighborhood blog." What is Atwater Village? A banana-shaped Los Angeles neighborhood, just inside northeast city limits, with about 8,000 residents. In ways a microcosm of LA: average housing prices (for LA), a mix of people and languages, palm trees and graffiti, struggles between tradition and progress. Unlike some LA hoods, though, a distinct village feel: outdoor movies, well-heeled sidewalks, holiday trees, mom-and-pop shops, farmers markets, and bickering about Starbucks. Where is Atwater Village? Between I-5 and the Los Angeles River to the west, highway 134 to the north, railroad tracks and Glendale to the east, and highway 2 and the Elysian Valley neighborhood to the south. Is Atwater Village on the east side of LA? Depends. It's east of the LA River, so yes. And it's 20 miles from the nearest beach. But it's north of downtown LA, and it's not adjacent to Latino-dominated East LA. Plus it's next to Glendale. And Burbank. Which might, to some, make Atwater Village part of the San Fernando Valley. (Definitely not the east side). To keep people from getting itchy, it's best not to say, "Atwater Village is eastside." Try instead, "Atwater Village is on the east side." Get the difference? No? Me neither. Who Is the Newbie? In 2006 Mrs. Newbie and I migrated from Colorado to California. In March, when we reach our one-year anniversary here, we will no longer be newbies and will be, according to the LA Times, LA veterans. (Subject to approval by other members of the blog-LA-sphere.) Looking for more? Perhaps these previous posts will help answer recent requests: Is the new Canele bistro on Glendale Blvd. any good? Do the Black Eyed Peas have a recording studio in Atwater Village? Didn't the Beastie Boys have one too? Sad about Atwater resident Matthew Merrill. What happened? Any giant new housing developments in the neighborhood? Or college campuses? What post, if any, riles up the most people? (See here for most recent riling) Is this blog really the #1 Google result for trendy red wine? Speaking of trendy, isn't Atwater Village one of those up-and-coming hipster hoods? Latte, anyone?

Perhaps There Will Be a Wine Bar After All

At first it looked like Fergie and her bandmates would be stuck with mere lattes and taxes adjacent to their "dilapidated" studio. But pedestrian passersby and these meeting minutes from an Atwater Village Neighborhood Council seem to indicate a third, higher purpose for the former Atwater Ranch Market site:

Wine tasting business proposal for 3111 Glendale Blvd. was presented by Andy Hasroun. [Right, in photo, with LA City Council President Eric Garcetti.]

He indicated that beer consumption would be limited to twelve ounces per person at the store. Wine would be inventoried upstairs and storage would be located on the lower level. Hours of operation will be from 10:00am to 11:00pm, or less during the week days.

Another tenant in the center, H&R Block, is seasonal and will not use required spaces for most of the year.

Mr. Hasroun assured the committee that the new sound wall being built at the rear of the parking lot would prevent nearby homes from being affected.

No indication of when Atwater's answer to Eagle Rock's Colorado Wine Company might pop its first cork, but if it takes anywhere near as long as Starbucks has to get going, don't hold your breath.

Nothing Is Certain But Lattes and Taxes

Despite hairdresser rumors to the contrary, the space next to the space housing Atwater Village's second Starbucks store will not may not be a wine bar after all.

The Glendale Blvd. location is home to Atwater's first H&R Block office.

Leaving Pasadena for Nirvana

Exasperated with Hollywood's "exaggerated ballyhoo" and Glendale's "relative boredom," the food critic for Pasadena Weekly falls under a Zen spell in Atwater Village.

I had not yet reached nirvana, but when I arrived at Atwater Village for lunch in the reputedly 'Zen-inspired setting' of Asia Los Feliz restaurant, I felt that something good was coming to pass...

(In my early review, it never did.)

And in what becomes a mini-profile of AV's trendiest block - till Starbucks and H&R Block open on Glendale Blvd., that is - Dan O'Heron ventures beyond Asia's valet:

I decided to see if Zen vibes escaped the restaurant. Next door, at the pastoral Rancho Los Feliz apartments, a woman told me she didn't mind high rents but objected to the $400 deposit she had to pay for her cat.

Yeah, same reason we didn't want to live there.

Previously:

• Keeping the A in Asia
• 'AmericanEast' Goes Far East
• Hot Sushi on the Sidewalk
• Restaurant Review: LA Speak

Starbucks Takes First Casualty

Neighborhood activists, start your lawn signs. With less than two weeks till opening, the new Starbucks store on Glendale Blvd. in Atwater Village may have already claimed its first victim.

Just this side of Hyperion Bridge, within foaming distance of the new SBUX, once perched a too-cute coffee-cup sign above neighborhood joint Creative Grounds. (Recently the same block opened kiddie education store Segray and Squires.) But the giant cup is gone, as are the Grounds themselves, says an email from the proprietor:

yes, creative grounds is no more. the landlord decided she wanted to go a different direction. thanks for the interest...

Watch your back, Kaldi Coffee.

PREVIOUSLY: Life In a Theme Park, It Might Be a Mega-Chain Coffee Shop If...

Diminutive French Pastry Could Save Neighborhood

Zooming down Glendale Blvd. at 45MPH - tsk, tsk - you might miss little Canele, but it's making a big difference in Atwater Village. (What, you mean Starbucks isn't going to save us?) So sayeth the Los Angeles Times:

Open only a few weeks, it's still green, but Canele could be just what's needed to rev up the neighborhood...

Canele is named for the diminutive French pastry cooked in fluted copper molds. After you've finished, as you head out the door, you're offered a warm canele.

These are notoriously difficult to make, and Canele's bakers don't have them quite down. They'll get there.

Right now it's the gesture that counts. It's a little something to say thank you for coming.

PREVIOUSLY: Newspaper Only 15 Days Behind Blogs, Everyone Is Talking About Canele

[Image from shes-krafty]

My Sunday at the Glendale Galleria

Is it too much to hope that 2006 will be the year retailers figure out how to treat customers with online coupons? Starbucks didn't exactly raise the bar with its now-you-see-it, now-we-don't-take-it fiasco. And now Lenscrafters shows its own blurry vision.

I've submitted this humble retail tale to my favorite consumer advocacy site, Consumerist.com:

Question: When is an online coupon not a valid coupon?

Answer: When it's on a Blackberry!

My wife and I found a sweet $75 off coupon at Lenscrafters.com. We found it on our Blackberry, driving up I-5 at 75 MPH. (I was driving, she was Blackberrying.) I just had an eye exam and needed new glasses. In about an hour.

Needless to say, we didn't have a printer in the car, so we called the nearest Lenscrafters, at the Glendale Galleria, to see if that would be a problem. We reached Oscar.

Oscar: It's not a problem.

Mrs. Newbie: Are you sure? Should we save the page and bring my Blackberry into the store?

Oscar: That's a good idea.

Mrs. Newbie: Should I ask for you when we get there?

Oscar: Yes.

It turns out the phone number for the Glendale Galleria Lenscrafters doesn't actually reach the Glendale Galleria Lenscrafters. No one named "Oscar" works at the Glendale location. We had reached "Oscar" at a distant call center.

And it turns out "Oscar" was lying. "Yeah," said the Glendale manager, "we have that problem a lot."

So it turns out you cannot just show Lenscrafters their coupon on your Blackberry. You must exit the store (Lenscrafters has no Internet access, they said, though they offered to email my exam results), drive home, print it out, drive back and hand in the printed coupon.

Even though the coupon code is the same whether you view it on screen or on paper. And even though the presumed marketing objective of the coupon - getting people to visit Lenscrafters.com - works either way.

But no matter. There are trees to kill! And $500 orders to lose!

When will retailers catch up?

Best of Atwater Village Forums

Technically the plural of forum is fora, but I don't want anyone to think flora and expect to see a gallery of pretty gardens. Leave that to Flickr.

• YEAH! STARBUCKS! My house just went up in value! [What's Happening at the Ranch Market?]
• I still haven't been able to get a straight answer out of anyone as to what all this UNDERGROUND MUSIC STUDIO jibber jabber is all about. [Beastie Boys? Black-eyed peas? In Atwater?]
• STOP TRYING TO SCARE PEOPLE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD YOU DOUCHE [Car Burglary & Theft on Finch Street]
• Is there a way to make it impossible to flatten a 900 square foot home to put up these horrible 2500 square foot 2 story eyesores? [Can we stop building HUGE houses...?] *
• I appologize for the douche comment [Car Burglary & Theft on Finch Street]

* Some "2 story eyesores" have been in Atwater Village as long as any single-family home, some 70 or 80 years. Stroll the sidewalks. You'll see at least one or two duplexes (maybe even three- and four-plexes) per block, not necessarily McMansions, but some well over 2,000 square feet.

It Might Be a Mega-Chain Coffee Shop If...

1. Nearby mega-chain coffee shops post "Now Hiring" flyers
2. The contractor for more than 1,000 mega-chain coffee shops posts construction signs
3. The other coffee shop on the block is a well-liked mom & pop
4. The Washington Post writes up the neighbors
5. A giant, new banner proclaims it's going to be a mega-chain coffee shop

More: Atwater Ranch Market mural photos [LA Taco]
More: What's Happening at the Ranch Market? [AV Forum]
More: Unarrested Development [AV Newbie]

Next: The other side of the building might get something more interesting like, say, a wine bar, if...

Welcome to Gentrification Village

Interesting LA Weekly article about re-births of neighborhoods across Los Angeles:

Like most weather patterns that sweep across Southern California, gentrification primarily moved from west to east throughout the late 1990s... As the 20th century drew to a close, the weather pattern kept driving east, making its way into Silver Lake... [Then] north and northeast, into middle-class neighborhoods like Atwater Village and Eagle Rock.

David Zahniser writes as if entire neighborhoods jump on the improvement bandwagon all at once. But as someone new to LA, and new to this little corner called Atwater Village, I can report property pride often rises house by house, block by block. You get $90,000 landscape improvements across from people who still park on the lawn. Fancy Asian bistros down the block from shuttered dives. Coffee Beans next to Black Eyed Peas.

Scratch that. The old Atwater Ranch Market will house a Starbucks after all. A flier at the Los Feliz Blvd. store announces SBUX is hiring for its new location at Glendale & Glenfeliz.