My Town Monday: Gina's Westwood Village

Blogger Travis Erwin started a weekly feature, My Town Mondays, and we at Titlewave are going to be regular contributors. We believe this format presents us with a wonderful opportunity to talk about the places we write--and that have made us writers, since we are literally from all over North America, with roots abroad.

I'm first out the gate and am sharing a Magical History Tour I took about two years ago when I re-explored my childhood--actually my pre- and teenage years--when two girlfriends (aptly called the twins because they are) came to town who I had seen in lets-not-count-how-long joined me and another dear friend ambling through an old stomping ground: Westwood Village. It was the first time we'd been together as a foursome since we were about fourteen.

Westwood Village sits just south of U.C.L.A. One thing about the place: it's always in flux. Stores opening. Stores closing. Buildings torn down. Buildings built. Nevertheless, when we agreed to meet at the Hamburger Hamlet we didn't expect to find this:


I could swear I'd just seen it in operation, but based on the condition of the paint it'd been closed for at least six months.

Undaunted, we found a new place for brunch, which wasn't a problem since there's always a ton of places to eat in Westwood. Then we had a blast walking around doing the remember whens...and trying to figure out what was where. This was the only store I saw that had been in business since I moved to that area when I was ten:

Yup. The Campus Shoe Repair was still there. Who would have thought?


I found a bit of period tile on the side of what used to be....Bullock's Westwood, but is now:


There was a time in the 80's when there were NO supermarkets in Westwood. The Safeway I'd grown up with had been converted into movie theatres, and the super expensive gourmet market, Jurgensons (who delivered to the folks in Bel Air who didn't want to do their own shopping), was gone. Here's a relic for you, the side of the building still advertises the store:


Well, since then, they put that Ralphs in at the old Bullock's Westwood and now the Safeway that became movie theatres has become a Whole Foods Market. So I guess that's progress.


And they are STILL tearing down and building. This is across from what was Bullocks. I can't completely remember what was there. Campbells Tolstad Stationers...some dress shops...


And this is the building at the corner of Westwood and Weyburn that was once a drug store (Rexal? not sure) that had the bus stop in front where I waited endlessly rain or shine, day after day for the bus that took me to Junior High and then High School--along with the twins.


This last picture is of the building I worked in when I sewed Indian bedspread dresses for a lady named Merita. EB Games is where a Wherehouse Records used to be.

Although the landmarks had changed significantly, some things remained the same. Students (now on cell phones) were everwhere. The Fox and the Bruin movie theaters were still there. And it was impossible to find cheap, convenient parking.

But after all, this is L.A.

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Gina Black's Restoration set historical romance, The Raven's Revenge, is now available in paperback from Amazon.com, and it can be ordered from your local bookseller.