All stories about "Ethel"

Click the image above to view the full photogallery.

Saturday's West 3rd Street Summer Sidewalk Sale was hot . . . in more ways than one. The style hounds came out in droves, despite some sweltering temps (nothing a free snow cone couldn't cure). Is there anything a free snow cone can't cure?

Anyway, whereas past 3rd Street sales were confined to the shops themselves, this weekend's event spilled out onto the concrete: swanky garments, decor items and more sat waiting to be plucked from $10 bins like so many flea market finds. The chic shops' normally immaculate saleswomen--from Milk and the like--slouched bake sale-style behind folding tables and under umbrellas for shade.

Most offered at least 50% off the outside merchandise and, an air conditioning respite inside, rewarded shoppers with at least 10% off the entire stock in stores like Malgosia, Flight 001 and Palmetto. Sigerson Morrison (don't even get us started on these great deals) also launched their bi-annual 70% off sale a day early. Apparently Summer Sidewalk Sales are recession proof, as ethel owner Deborah Wolsh raves, "It was so successful that we are going to make the next sidewalk sale an entire weekend!" Snow cones for everyone. We can't wait.
· Block Party: West 3rd Street Summer Sidewalk Sale [Racked]
· Neighborhood Watch: West 3rd Street Upping Its Game [Racked]

West 3rd Street had its last shopping event in May, and seems to be continuing a push in visibility via the West 3rd Street Business Association. The association launched its website in conjunction with the last event—this time public relations firm KPR has been hired to get the word out. The West 3rd Street Sidewalk Sale will be Saturday, August 2 from 11am-6pm, a change from its usual post-work shopping events. Discounts include up to 75% off shops such as Ethel, new boutique Twenty Two Shoes, Plastica, Douglas Fir, Flight 001, Polkadots and Moonbeams, Plushpod, Hillary Rush, OK, Sigerson Morrison, Meg, Kingsbury, and Milk. Lemonade, margaritas, snow cones and the like to accompany the day.
· Block Party, West 3rd Street's (Sorta) Late Night [Racked]
· Deals Mounting, This Time for W. 3rd St. Block Party, Plus Rodan vs Griffith Summer Preview [Racked]
· Neighborhood Watch: West 3rd Street Upping Its Game [Racked]

Click the image above to view the full photogallery.

Like much of LA retail, West 3rd Street shops generally shut down around 7pm, leaving only restaurants and a couple bars open. A couple times a year, the retailers host a block party from 6pm-9pm, which gives the area a new energy, simply because there are people filling the streets and later opportunities for commerce. The juicy moments for us from last night's block party were finding out about the new real estate/retail developments on the block and catching Lindsay Lohan on a determined shopping mission, but we chronicled as much via photos here. People can't help being tempted by food freebies, so the taco trucks at Douglas Fir and Rodan vs Griffith, and the gelato stand at Noodle Stories garnered crazy lines. And people were washing it down with beer, wine, champagne, margaritas and sangria. That being said, there was plenty of shopping going on as well: Ethel, Aero & Co, OK, Polkadots & Moonbeams, and others were flush with customers. This is when we feel retail envy for true late-night cities like NYC, where you can sleep less and browse more.
· Neighborhood Watch: West 3rd Street's Future Looking More Like Robertson [Racked]
· Sellebrity Shops: Lindsay Lohan Buys Kiddie Clothes at Rodan vs Griffith [Racked]
· Neighborhood Watch: West 3rd Street Upping Its Game [Racked]

A rendering of the block on West 3rd Street, between Harper and Sweetzer, is three levels

West 3rd Street had its block party last night, which we'll shortly post about, but, first, the big retail/real estate news of the night. Looks like Dembo & Associates is out to change the face of the street, by tearing down the block at 8231 West 3rd Street, between Harper and Sweetzer, and erecting a three-level 24,000-square-foot retail/office building with two levels of underground parking (rendering shown above). Who's not going to be happy with this? For one, tenants Ethel boutique and Flight 001, who will have to move. Also, Toast, which is just on the other side of Harper, will be very compromised in terms of outdoor seating during a lengthy—retail availability in the new space is slated for early 2010!—construction process. Inno boutique just down from Toast on Harper will be very affected as well. Not to mention people who live and work in the area—construction and debris, resulting traffic. The downloadable flyer on Loopnet.com is listing $6/sf/month for ground level rent and $4/sf/month for upper level rents. West 3rd Street current retailers think this could mean an influx of chain stores, which will raise rests and oust the indie boutiques. [RackedWire]