'Best of LA' 2008 Winner in Atwater Village

THE LIST OF this year's 152 winners in Los Angeles Magazine's Best of LA includes just one spot in Atwater Village: The Racket Doctor. Best Tennis Shop: A technician refurbishing an expensive Volkl C-10 racket at one of the eight stringing machines at The Racket Doctor wears surgical scrubs. Clerks selling Adidas Barricade shoes and Prince tennis shirts sport shirts labeled FASHION ICU. More than just a gimmick, the staff's wardrobe testifies to the level of service it provides to rank amateurs and ranked pros. Owner Randy Kramer opened the business in 1970 after working at a shop at Griffith Park's municipal courts. He prides himself on his vast inventory (cheap balls and top-of-the-line gut string) and informed employees (who advise beginners to buy intermediate-level rackets they can grow into). 3214 Glendale Blvd., Atwater Village, 323-663-6601, racketdoctor.com LA Mag's website posts a sampling of other Best of LA 2008 winners. See all of them in August's print edition.

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.

Yard Sale! (But Not on a Ski Slope)

SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY! Friends of Glenfeliz Elementary hosts a yard sale (they call it a rummage sale) from 8:00am to noon on July 20 at 3717 Valleybrink Road. Got junk in your trunk? Donate it on Saturday before 4:00pm or call 213-200-0463.

Metrolink Killer Gets Life Without Parole

THIS JUST IN: Jury recommends life without parole for Juan Manuel Alvarez. The convicted murderer of 11 people who died in the January 2005 train crash in Atwater Village was sentenced today to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The jury reached its verdict, deciding against a possible death penalty, after less than a half-day of deliberation.

Bicyclists Have Feelings Too, AVNC Decrees

IN A LANDSLIDE last week, the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council voted to recommend the Cyclist's Bill of Rights. Among its notable aspirations: Cyclists have the right to travel safely and free of fear. Cyclists have the right to the full support of our judicial system... Cyclists have the right to be secure in their persons and property... It's about time! Now, before some punk goes and smashes in more car windows in the neighborhood, what can we do to ensure the rest of us are "free of fear," "secure" in our "property" with "the full support of our judicial system"?

Newbie Endorsement: Breakfast at Baracoa

RICE AND EGGS, sunny side up. Chorizo omelette. Plantains. All good stuff available from 7:00am at Baracoa Cuban Cafe, 3175 Glendale Blvd. And they don't even complain too much if you bring your own coffee.

Under New Management: Asia Bistro is Now Kuma Sushi

IT SEEMS THE experiment failed. Just 2 months ago, the 2-year-old Asia Los Feliz changed its name to Asia Bistro and stripped sushi from the menu. Now it seems sushi's back, under a new name, Kuma Sushi, and, according to the sign above 3179 Los Feliz Blvd., under new management. They also cut down the brown fencing around the front patio. Hey, whatever will work.

Where They Stash the Metrolink Train Wreckage

Metrolink Train Wreckage, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

THANKS TO birds-eye views from Windows Live Local, you can see where Metrolink stores its blue-wrapped wreckage from the 2005 crash that killed 11 people. Four rail cars sit near tracks south of Western Avenue in Glendale. Yesterday the trains were uncovered for TV choppers and jurors in the sentencing trial of Juan Manuel Alvarez, the man found guilty of causing the wreck about 3 miles south of here in Atwater Village. Birds-Eye View of Metrolink Storage [Windows Live Local]

Metrolink Wreckage Paraded for TV News, Jurors

NEWS HELICOPTERS circled Glendale around San Fernando Road and Western Avenue today as Metrolink displayed wreckage from the 2005 derailment caused by Juan Manuel Alvarez. Jurors in his sentencing trial are taking a field trip today to see 4 rail cars involved in the Atwater Village crash that killed 11 people. Watch the news tonight! Jurors set to view wrecked rail cars [ABC7] Alvarez Trial Jurors to View Rail Cars [KNX1070] Jurors In Metrolink Train Crash Case Sentencing To View Rail Cars [KNBC]

Crime Map Update: Someone Hates Larga Street!

Atwater Village Crime Spree 2008 Map

FROM A CONCERNED reader: "Looks like car windows are being smashed at random in Atwater. My car was hit 2x. If you could, could you alert the community via your blog?" Done. And the Atwater Village Crime Spree 2008 map is updated with reports from the AVNC Forum. We had at least 5 car break-ins on Larga Street just below Glendale Boulevard, and something that sounded more like gunshots than fireworks at Chevy Chase Park. Keep calling the LAPD, neighbors. It ain't over yet.

Atwater Chatter: Food and Fun Edition

TASTY NEWS from in and around the increasingly less gang-tolerant northeast LA neighborhood of Atwater Village: India Sweets and Spices in Atwater Village is a fantastic little specialty Indian grocery, with buttloads of hard-to-find Indian food items at reasonable prices. [Kirby Von Scrumptious] My first solo show ... comprises works on paper, two small sheet sculptures, and a large sheet window installation. We Are All Well and Fine, at LittleBird Gallery, 3195 Glendale Blvd. in Atwater Village. Through July 9. [arkalangeles] Jennifer, a fellow Kentucky girl, uses two outdoor chairs on her patio that have always caught my eye: the Hee from DWR and that vintage hoop chair from my favorite local outdoor store, Pot-ted in Atwater Village. [my little apartment] Where to eat in LA for an anniversary dinner? You could also check out Canele in Atwater Village, which is a very cute and nice bistro. [Chowhound]