Melrose Ave is the perfect meet-up point for a Tinder soirée with a wide variety of destinations from bars and restaurants to coffee and dessert shops. Whether you’re looking for a daytime espresso and jaunt down the boulevard or an evening cocktail with small plates, Melrose has it all. The centrality of Melrose makes it a great meeting point for those on opposite sides of the city and there are conversation starters everywhere you look, like world-class street murals, unique establishments, and cutting-edge fashion. Here are some ideas for creative dates around the Melrose block. MELROSE UMBRELLA COMPANY Melrose Umbrella Co. is craft cocktail and burger bar decorated with antique old timey furniture that would fit well in a haunted house. Cocktails range from $12-14 with a Happy Hour offering a House Old Fashioned option for $9 and Schlitz beer for $4. The crowd is a mix of eclectic hipsters, tourists, laptops, dogs, etc. The vintage décor and ambience is the winning factor here, combo’d with the full bar and food options. You can dress casual hip or come from work and fit in nicely either way. MELROSE UMBRELLA COMPANY 7465 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles 90046 (323) 951-0709 melroseumbrellacompany.com MILK BAR […]

Got a hard-to-buy-for Mom? Tired of the same old card and flowers gift? Then you’ve come to the right place. The shops and restaurants on Melrose have gifts that for sure will keep you her favorite kid. BEND GOODS If your mom was really into your school arts & crafts, she might love a slightly elevated piece of art. Bend Goods has this amazing custom combo of modular art and macramé. Totally ‘70s and totally cool. BEND GOODS 7007 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles 90038 310.265.3939 bendgoods.com GENERATION 8 TATTOO Yes she can! Mom can get some ink. She just needs a little nudge from you, and the right place to do it. Take her to Generation 8 where no matter how small or big she wants to go, the piece will be something to celebrate on her special day. GENERATION 8 TATTOO 7216 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles 90046 323.591.0808 generation8tattoo.com HOUSE OF INTUITION House of Intuition put together a special Queen Mother Gift Box. It includes the Moon Arcana Mystics Spray, Mermaid Tea Bath, a You Are Loved Magic candle, and more to help her nurture herself and soak up some much needed relaxation. HOUSE OF INTUITION 7449 Melrose Avenue, […]

If you’ve walked around Melrose Ave. lately, you may have smelled some mouthwatering scents wafting through the air. That’s in large part thanks to the numerous rich pizza options that have popped up within the 21-block area from Fairfax to Highland. Pizza lovers from all over the city have begun flocking to Melrose, testing out all the savory pizza types and attempting to decide upon a favorite. If you’re overwhelmed at the number of pizza options or perhaps want to cater your pizza experience to a specific style, here is a definitive guide to all the pizza places on Melrose. Blackbird Pizza Come for the deep dish pizza, stay for the microbrews. A casual newer pizza joint that serves both deep dish and thin crust options, Blackbird is a great place to hang with friends when you want to unwind and be a bit decadent. Since good deep dish pizza isn’t always easy to find (outside of Chicago, of course), people seem to love the yummy cheeses and extra crunch the deep dish has to offer at Blackbird. The pizzas here come in full size only – no slices available. You can order the eponymous Blackbird pizza for a great mix […]

In L.A., “historical buildings” are hard to come by; you pretty much have the pink wall and the La Brea tar pits. But the 7600 building has been a staple on Melrose Avenue since 1982. The following year they were featured in People magazine, pictured above, referenced as the place where goths, weirdos and high heeled ladies could all come to shop. The owners, Deny and Sylvia, who have been there since the beginning, are still dedicated to curating cool new businesses and stores. 7600 is truly a one-stop-shop for the coolest services and clothes. And with Coachella around the corner you’ll definitely want to go check it out for all your festival fabulous needs. Garnish Music Production & DJ School Everyone wants to be a DJ these days, don’t they? If you want to be the next DJ Khaled, (he’s a DJ right?) David Garnish is your man. He’s a DJ trainer who was born in England so you KNOW he’s good. So good he trained Paris Hilton, let’s just say that. And with Coachella coming up around the corner, you may want to go check in with David and see if you can get the talent to go […]

The Melrose Trading Post has become one of the greatest success stories of the LA Unified School District raising over $7 million for Fairfax High organizations since 1997, growing to attract 5-8K thousand visitors every Sunday. Even if you are unfamiliar with the Melrose area, you have probably witnessed the bustling bazaar it all its glory while driving past the iconic Fairfax High on any given Sunday. What you probably haven’t heard about is the Trading Post’s concert series. It is easy to miss the live music stage among the vast selection of vendors and top-notch people watching complete with star-studded appearances by celebrities like Taylor Swift, Kendall Jenner, Lana Del Rey, Matt Bellamy of Muse, band members from the Chainsmokers, Tyler the Creator, Willow & Jaden Smith and Kehlani. Upon entering the food court, you will be greeted by the Greenway Arts Main Stage resting underneath a shady tree, inviting those with tired legs and a plate of food to chill and check out the local talent. FYI, the food court is filled with intoxicating fragrances from delicious foods like crepes, tacos, acai bowls, infused teas or just about anything you would want. In most situations, local talent refers […]

There’s a new hot sushi place in town – and it’s right on Melrose Ave. Owned by the crew behind Jinpachi, Fish Eight offers high-end sushi at exceedingly reasonable prices by keeping the menu simple and the fish melt-in-your-mouth fresh. Sushi starts at just $5 for two pieces, so there’s plenty of reason to try just about everything on the meticulously well-curated menu. Since the restaurant’s recent opening, owner and chef Hirotaka Fujita has been rocking the former Kawaba Rice Ball space—now a sleek, modern room that seats 24. The restaurant, open for lunch and dinner daily except Monday, serves traditional sushi and sashimi as well as handcrafted rolls, and even a sushi taco, a fusion of style that fits LA and the Melrose scene to a ‘T.’ Among the restaurant’s more popular dishes are shrimp tempura, sushi tacos, and the chirashi bowl, packed with premium, ultra-fresh fish. Chirashi bowls are extremely popular here, and there are both a basic and premium variety. Either way, sushi lovers will find plenty to enjoy. Chirashi means “scattered” and what’s scattered in these bowls is a fresh mix of vegetables such as seaweed salad, sliced avocado, and sliced cucumber with cooked fish like […]