Melrose District
The eastern end of the district, which runs from Fairfax to Highland Avenue, became a popular underground and new wave shopping area in the early 1980s. Pioneered by adventurous independent retailers and restaurateurs, Melrose Avenue captured the global imagination as the birthplace of Southern California's New Wave and Punk cultures. Rapid notoriety quickly lured movie stars, moguls, and style seekers, leading the press to dub Melrose Avenue "the new Rodeo Drive." Ready for its close-up, the avenue enjoyed its share of TV and movie cameos, and appears regularly today in Jay Leno's "Jaywalking" segments, in addition to pop culture gems like Entourage and LA Ink.
Melrose District got its notoriety in Aaron Spelling's 1990s soap opera on the Fox network Melrose Place.
As a constantly evolving merchant district, it has featured stores such as Vinyl Fetish, Harvey's On Melrose Golden Girls Rattan Furniture and Retail Slut, They all closed several years ago, Harvey's has made a come back after 20 years but on Beverly the new Melrose while The Burger That Ate L.A., a landmark fast food stand, was in recent years replaced with a Starbucks. The original Johnny Rockets opened in this end of Melrose in 1986. Long-term stakeholders like The Groundlings, l.a.Eyeworks, Angeli Caffe and Sportie LA have shown continued dedication to the community. In 2005, musician and director Joe Hahn, member of the rock band Linkin Park, opened his concept retail store SURU on the 7600 block of Melrose. Canadian designer John Fluevog opened on Melrose in 2003. As one of the city's most walking-friendly neighborhoods, this must-see destination has maintained its reputation for an original, alternative and independent experience for more than three decades.
At the corner of Highland and Melrose is what has been described by the Los Angeles Times as the "boss of LA's Italian dining scene", Osteria Mozza (See Los Angeles Times, Thursday, August 7, 2007, pg. E46), which marks the eastern end of the Fairfax District.
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Famous quotes containing the word district:
“Most works of art, like most wines, ought to be consumed in the district of their fabrication.”
—Rebecca West (1892–1983)