Studio City West

Just outside the main hub, there’s a happenin’ stretch of Studio City that’s fast becoming the SoHo of the Valley.

You’d have to be a hermit not to notice what’s been happening in Studio City over the past couple years. As one gal I know somewhat gleefully put it, “It’s like we have our own little SoHo right here in the Valley!”

Studio City has indeed become an urban hotspot, even spawning some smaller mini-hubs, which are attracting crowds in their own right. The area along Ventura Boulevard between Coldwater Canyon and Fulton Avenue is one of them.

On any given day, you’ll find lots of leggy, tanned soap opera actor-types sipping coffee and working at laptops along one of the many outdoor eating areas like Le Pain Quotidien (1), (13045 Ventura Blvd.) and Il Tramezzino (2), (13031 Ventura Blvd.).

Women, from dedicated yogis in workout wear to impeccably groomed Hollywood execs, come here to beautify. They dart in and out of Drybar (3), (13019 Ventura Blvd.) for blowouts and Bellacures (4), (13033-A Ventura Blvd.) for “mani-pedis.” (Regulars know to check for monthly specials on the blackboard.) Often there’s also an impromptu pit stop at longtime retailer Stacey Todd (5), (13025 Ventura Blvd.) or Canyon Beachwear (6), (13035 Ventura Blvd.) for swimwear—from sexy to subdued.

In the “new” category, candle shop Voyage et Cie (7), (13037 Ventura Blvd.), offers some perfectly intoxicating scents. (Owner Melanie Apple learned her craft in Grasse, France, the perfume capital of the world.) And the Pressed Juicery (8), (13033-B Ventura Blvd.) also recently opened its doors—the Westside-based chain’s first store in the Valley. The celeb fave sells hydraulic cold pressed juices (with the chill you apparently get more nutrients than with a hot press) by the bottle ($6.50), or you can get cleansing mixes by the day ($48.50).

The chic retailer Rona (9), (13021 Ventura Blvd.), may remind you a bit of the old Belle Gray in Sherman Oaks. That might be because the gal who owns it came from there. Lines like Gypsy and Diane Von Furstenberg are offered in all their colorful glory. A few doors down, Presence (10), (13033-C Ventura Blvd.) has an impressive selection of paper invitations (yes, there are still a few places that offer them—thank goodness!) as well as elegant gifts.

Finally, don’t miss Garden Temple (11), which displays an exceptional array of indoor and outdoor garden decor items as well as some exotic-looking, pristine plants. Spend a few minutes in the outdoor garden, listening to the trickle of the fountains. The experience might be the most Zen moment of your day.