For a Costume Shop, October Is the Whole Year
A cluttered rental and resale shop makes the bulk of its living in a handful of autumn weeks. Its owner spends the other eleven months getting ready for the ones that pay the rent.
Business
Commerce on the Boulevard and beyond.
A Weeklong Heat Wave Empties the Sidewalks, and the Boulevard Chases Shade
With temperatures pushing past 100, the businesses that live on foot traffic are improvising — misting fans, later hours, and the fruit vendors who follow the shade around the block.
A Softer Summer on the Boulevard, With Fencing to Blame or Thank
Souvenir sellers and tour operators say the crowds came this summer but spent a little less and lingered a little shorter, with the repaving fencing steering foot traffic and taking some of the shine off the walk.
After Decades at the Griddle, a Family Luncheonette Passes to the Next Cook
The couple who ran a memorabilia-covered counter for thirty-one years are stepping back, handing the grill to their daughter with the menu unchanged and the landlord, for now, holding steady.
A Small Recording Studio Survives by Saying Yes to Almost Anyone
The big rooms that recorded the hits are mostly gone. A modest Hollywood studio hangs on by tracking local bands one week and podcast hosts the next.
A Boulevard Diner Changes Hands, and Its New Owner Vows Not to Change It
After forty years behind the counter, the couple who ran a beloved Hollywood coffee shop have sold to a longtime cook — who says the menu, the booths and the regulars' usual seats are staying put.
A Third-Generation Shoe Repairman Keeps the Lights On as the Repairs Grow Rare
The shop has resoled Hollywood's shoes since the 1950s. The grandson who runs it now says the trade survives on the customers who still believe a good shoe is worth saving.
A New Wage Floor for Tourism Workers Arrives, and Boulevard Kitchens Do the Sums
A higher minimum wage for hotel and tourism workers took effect with the new year. The restaurants that live off the same visitors say they support the raise and are quietly raising prices to meet it.
One Licensed Kitchen, Rented by the Hour, Feeds a Dozen Small Food Businesses
A shared commissary off the Boulevard gives caterers, bakers and market vendors a legal place to cook, and a foothold most of them could not afford alone.
After a Slow Year, a Franklin Avenue Restaurant Is Counting on December
Fewer studio lunches and a thinner weekday crowd have made 2024 a lean one for a family-run kitchen. The owners are betting the holiday season, and its parties, will close the gap.