This Is the Coolest Street in L.A. — With Cutting-edge Art Galleries, Must-visit Restaurants, and Excellent Shops
North Sycamore Avenue has become the capital of cool in Los Angeles. Here's how to spend a day exploring it.
Innis Casey Photography/Courtesy of Mr. T Los Angeles; JOSEPH NICHOLAS DUARTE/COURTESY OF MR. T LOS ANGELES
Outdoor seating at Mr. T Los Angeles; a Gin & Juice cocktail at Mr. T Los Angeles.North Sycamore Avenue is the quintessential Cinderella story. Formerly an industrial back lot for Los Angeles’s motion picture industry — its warehouses stored props and set materials — the thoroughfare is finally stepping into the spotlight. In the past few years, the neighborhood has welcomed Jay-Z’s Roc Nation studios, two groundbreaking art galleries, outposts of Paris and New York boutiques, and celebrity-filled restaurants.
Sycamore is the kind of place where you stumble onto an unassuming record store (Supervinyl) and find out it has hosted record-release parties for Beyoncé and the Rolling Stones. “There are so many creatives walking around day and night,” says Lina Lee, vice president of development for CIM Group, which was responsible for the makeover. Here are the spots to know.
Just One Eye
John Linden/Courtesy of Just One Eye
Inside Just One Eye, a hybrid fashion and art gallery.This eclectic fashion and art store has works by emerging designers, like God’s True Cashmere, and blue-chip artists, like Damien Hirst (one of his cherry-blossom paintings hangs front and center). There’s also jewelry and furniture (some designed by Brad Pitt) and cinematic cred: the lofty art deco building was once Howard Hughes’s headquarters.
Sightglass Coffee
Courtesy of Sightglass Coffee
The counter at Sightglass Coffee.The people-watching is second to none at this warehouse-style café, wine store, and grocer. Join the remote-working crowd in the morning or linger until the late afternoon, when espresso (small-batch beans roasted on site), pastries, and clicking keyboards turn to wine, charcuterie, and creative chatter.
EX NIHILO
Courtesy of Ex Nihilo
Perfumes at Ex Nihilo.The only U.S. location of this Parisian perfume house is stocked with fragrances, oils, lotions, and home sprays — including Hailey Bieber’s signature scent, Fleur Narcotique. You can even create your own custom blend with one of the store’s perfume masters.
Mr. T Los Angeles
Innis Casey Photography/Courtesy of Mr. T Los Angeles; JOSEPH NICHOLAS DUARTE/COURTESY OF MR. T LOS ANGELES
Outdoor seating at Mr. T Los Angeles; a Gin & Juice cocktail at Mr. T Los Angeles.Tsuyoshi Miyazaki (“Mr. T”) hired L.A.-born chef Alisa Vannah to bring California flavors to this American version of his Paris hot spot. Nab a seat on the tree-lined patio, order a cocktail named after a hip-hop song (like the Gin & Juice, made with, yes, gin and lemon juice, topped with Prosecco and boba pearls), dig in to the bigeye-tuna crudo, and you’ll see she understood the assignment.
Fig Bar
COURTESY OF NINA RUGGIERO
The exterior of Fig Bar, a skin-care store.The Canadian skin-care brand Formula Fig makes its U.S. debut, offering fast yet effective 30-minute facials. Products are science-backed and treatments are performed by medical professionals, so while the space is full of mirrors, there’s certainly no smoke.
Jeffery Deitch Gallery
CHARLES WHITE/COURTESY OF VANESSA BEECROFT AND JEFFREY DEITCH, LOS ANGELES
Vanessa Beecroft’s “Rules of NonEngagement” at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery.The pioneering contemporary art dealer opened this immersive space as a museum-caliber platform for lesserknown artists. This past spring, the gallery held the first major solo exhibition by Refik Anadol, a digital artist who makes AI-generated moving LED paintings.
A version of this story first appeared in the December 2023/January 2024 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."
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