4 Finds on Abbot Kinney Blvd
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4 Finds on Abbot Kinney Blvd

By Jenny

Hey friends, This past weekend my friends and I went to Abbot Kinney Blvd, on the other side of LA.GQ thinks it as “the coolest block in America.” After our visit, I think we can all say that we agree. Parking was a little difficult to find, but it wasn’t too terribly expensive. (I think Imight have finally gotten used to the concept of paying for parking everywhere out here in California…) The cloudy day was perfect for photos (:

We had lunch from Abbot’s Pizza Company and explored the many different [not-student-budget-friendly] stores of the street. We didn’t get much time to explore, but here are a few of my favorites from the afternoon: **Tortoise General Store + Tortoise** This is a store opened by a Japanese couple. The store was composed of two parts, a general store in the front and an art showcase/shop in the back. Upon entering the shop, one is affected by the peaceful and comfortable atmosphere. Many of their household products were made of wood and bamboo and stone and clay, and all of them called out to my fingertips.

(Photo credit for this last photo goes to my friend Gauri!) **Blue Star Donuts** This donut and these people. As we stood in line (we were lucky and it was short and actually in the store), we watched the bakers throw lumps of dough on the counter, over and over.

Cuyana I’ve been browsing Cuyana for a while. As they explain on their website, Cuyana means “to love” in Quechua. They produce aquality products and endorce a “fewer, better things” sort of lifestyle. Their store was as delightful as their website. One shopkeeper arranged flowers for free to go with any purchase, and croissants and orange juice lay on the counter for customers. The leather wallets felt really great, and they offered free monogramming. One day, I might just go back…

Marine Layer Really soft shirts. And this fun chair. And this great photo in their store. (Gauri took those two photos, too.) All these different wonderful reasons to go back.

There are still many things I want to do in LA, and coming back to Abbot Kinney (and Venice Beach) is definitely one of them! Please comment if you have any other suggestions of places to go before I graduate! (: keep lookin’ up, jenny.

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