 Photo via Village Tavern Instagram Atwater Village is about to get a new bar/restaurant on Glendale Boulevard! The Village Tavern, opening hopefully very soon, will focus on craft beer and good food, and we are pretty darn excited!
Construction on the 1,774 square foot retail storefront started in May last year, and included an entire renovation of the former String Surgeon, which was part of the Racket Doctor next door. Owner Maurice Rodriguez had a decent challenge turning the space from a retail joint to a restaurant, and included re-zoning the space for a kitchen and full liquor license. They built benches along one side and a bar made of reclaimed wood on the other, and new plumbing, electrical and mechanical was also needed.
 Before and after  12 taps at the Village Tavern In the kitchen is Chef Marcel of Stop, Guac n’ Roll created a unique Mexican/BBQ fusion menu. In addition to rotating 12 taps dedicated to local and California craft beers (including Golden Road and Eagle Rock Brewery), a selection of bottles and cans will be available.
Maurice, who is a 33-year resident of Atwater Village, also brought in local artists to create two murals: One dedicated to the Red Car trolleys created by Devon Paulson, the other on the front patio a collaboration by Steven Melgar, Jorge Ruano, and Eyeone.
“I’m really excited about the direction Atwater is headed with lots of new shops popping up on the Boulevard bringing lots of excitement to my neighborhood,” Maurice said in an email, “I hope that Village Tavern will be a different and exciting new restaurant/bar experience on the Boulevard.”
Now that all the heavy lifting is about finished up, they are completing the final touches and are hoping to open in early May.
The Village Tavern accommodates 50 indoor seats and a 310 square foot outdoor patio with 22 seats, and is licensed from 11:30 am to midnight Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 am to 2:00 am Friday and Saturday.
The new Village Tavern is located at 3216 Glendale Boulevard.
You may have heard… Atwater Village is getting a beer festival!
It’s a great idea, especially with all the popular craft beer locations popping up in Atwater Village and the area, including Link N Hops just last year, The Morrison, and The Village Tavern (opening soon).
This is the first year for the Atwater Village Beer, Wine & Food Festival, but certainly not the last – Andy Hasroun, who owns 55 Degree Wine and Link N Hops in Atwater Village, will be holding the festival annually. Based in the parking lot of his two businesses, the festival will have a wine and beer garden for those 21 and overs where you can sample over a dozen local and West Coast craft beers (like Eagle Rock Brewery, Tap It, Firestone, Golden Road) and a selection of wines.
Food trucks including CoolHaus, Sam Choy’s, Munchie Machine, Me So Hungry, and Gourmet Genie (plus more) will be parked out front alongside Glendale Boulevard. DJ Poet and Delta Force from the Black Eyed Peas will be one of the performers on stage as well.
Advance tickets (food sold separately) are $30 regular admission (12 tastings), $40 for VIP tickets (24 tastings + extras), and $15 for designated driver (includes soda and sausage sandwich). Prices go up the day of, so they recommend buying your tickets in advance. Additionally, VIP tickets are running out!
The event is also sponsored by the Atwater Village Chamber of Commerce.
We are very excited to attend – see you there!
Atwater Village Beer, Wine & Food Festival
April 28 from 1-6:00 pm
AtwaterVillageFestival.com
Click here for tickets
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The small, skinny space nestled between Kaldi Coffee and Atwater Grill on Glendale Boulevard has been recently going through a transformation from an Optometrist’s office to a brand new, organic cold-pressed juice bar.
Simply (and aptly) called “The Juice,” owners Melissa Cronkhite and Elizabeth Halpern have partnered up to completely renovate the space down to the studs. Hoping to open within the next month or so, the duo are “very excited to be part of the Atwater community.”
In addition to 12 daily menu offerings and daily specials of cold-pressed juice, they are also offering a variety of smoothies using vegan ice cream (like frozen banana and raw almonds) or as scoops. The juice menu includes offerings from the simple Carrot and Coconut, to bright greens like Apple, Celery, Kale, Romaine, Parsley, Lemon and Ginger, and Cucumber, Kale, Romaine, Parsley and Lemon. On a hot day, we’d recommend trying the Pineapple, Parsley and Mint (one recipe we often do at home!). You can also purchase 16 oz or 32 oz of fresh coconut or almond milk.
Pricing is not bad although not cheap – $8 will get you a 16 oz. juice, but it is organic, and cold-pressed juices are incredibly flavorful and healthy. If you’re breaking a sweat down at Heartbeat House just a couple of doors down, this will definitely be a great option for those looking to finish off a workout with something nutritious!
Additionally, all fruit and vegetable scraps will be going to L.A. Compost and Enrich LA to be turned into composted used for gardening projects across Los Angeles.
Welcome to the neighborhood! The Juice will be open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, seven days a week. They are located at 3145 Glendale Blvd.
The Atwater Village Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Candidate Forum for the upcoming City Council District 13 election on Wednesday, January 30, 2013.
The forum is intended to introduce candidates to Atwater Village, which is part of CD 13, and provide an opportunity for residents to ask questions. CD 13 is a huge district that covers Atwater Village, Echo Park, Silver Lake, Hollywood and more, and the person elected will be dealing with issues like public safety, infrastructure, traffic, jobs, etc.
The Chamber of Commerce is asking for stakeholders to submit questions for the candidates, which will be selected prior to the event.
To submit your questions, click here.
See you there!
CANDIDATE FORUM
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 – 6pm
Atwater Ave Elementary – Auditorium 3271
3271 Silver Lake Blvd.
ELECTION DAY
Primary Nominating Election Tuesday, March 5, 2013
For more information or questions about the Candidate Forum, email board@atwaterchamber.org or call 818.732.1413
Holy smokes we did it! In 2011, Santa Monica may have beat out our little-known neighborhood in the very first round for a mere 2.8% of votes. But with 54.8% of the vote, Atwater Village beat out the very popular Silver Lake for Curbed Cup’s 2012 Neighborhood of the Year.
Ever since the New York Times discovered the Atwater Village scene in July 2012, it feels like things have gotten a little more… crowded? Or is it just us? The Sunday afternoon Atwater Village Farmer’s Market seems a little bit more competitive, and getting a cup of coffee is a serious time commitment. But we do have a lot to be proud of in the past year or two – new additions to our scene like Link N Hops, Bon Vivant Market, Atwater Crossing, Atwater Village Farm Market, and Golden Road have all been great additions offering a variety of dining options and healthy food. There’s also a slew of things to do in the neighborhood, as per this article.
So we are edging on the side of good, but share your thoughts in the comments below!
After just a few months of renovating the former Kama Sushi on Los Feliz Boulevard, The Morrison will officially open this Monday, December 17.
There are over 40 beers on tap with a price range from $6-9. Belgians, California microbrews, IPAs and more – our favorites include Mikkeller, holiday beers like St Bernardus Christmas Ale, and even a couple of sours. There’s also a craft cocktail list.
Vegan eaters may want to stick to the bar, as the menu is the typical meat-heavy Scottish fare. Menu items include Roasted Chicken with Wild Mushroom Hash and Leeks, Black Pudding Risotto, Haggis Sliders, Meat Pie, and Ice Cream Sandwiches.
 The Morrison took over the former Kama Sushi location in August The Morrison is located at 3179 Los Feliz Boulevard.
 The annual Curbed Cup is back – an online competition where the website Curbed LA pegs eight neighborhoods against each other, competing for LA’s best neighborhood by vote. Atwater Village is in the first round of competition, and is up against heavy hitter Santa Monica.
While Santa Monica is a pretty big city compared to our little ol’ neighborhood, we’re confident Atwater Village will at least progress to the next round – right?
Here’s how Curbed LA describes the neighborhood:
Quiet little Atwater Village is like that duck looking all chill as he glides along the water (but not the LA River) with his legs churning wildly underneath–sure, it seems like just a good ‘hood for Sunday brunch, but there’s always some kind of action when you go looking for it. This was a very parks and parking year: the city created the Atwater Village Pedestrian Oriented District, which allows reduced parking along Glendale Boulevard, the North Atwater Park opening signaled the beginning of the LA River’s big comeback, the park under the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge broke ground(technically Silver Lake, but we’re calling it for Atwater), and even the bridge itself is getting an overhaul. Meanwhile, rents are getting up into the Silver Lake zone, actor Giovanni Ribisi moved in, and there were a handful of trendyrestaurant openings
Click here to vote. Atwater Village is currently winning with 61% of the votes, so keep it going!
We’ll be taking photos at the annual Atwater Village Tree Lighting Ceremony tomorrow night, Thursday, December 6, and we hope to see you there!
If you’ve been to the local Griffith Station Post Office to drop off your mail the last few months, you may be in a parking lot battle that rivals any LA area Trader Joe’s.
Yet it wasn’t always like that – the post office now offers only ten parking spots after budget cuts over this summer eliminated its lease of an adjacent parking lot. Those 20 extra parking space, which was up for sale in July, are collecting dead leaves behind a fence, completely unused.
The Atwater Village Chamber of Commerce is fed up with the traffic and safety issues the lack of parking has caused, which during the busy times of the day at the Post Office causes issues on Glendale Boulevard. In a letter to Councilmember Eric Garcetti, the Chamber expresses these concerns:
The parking lot is often in a state of anarchy, with cars stopped in the red zone by the mailboxes and cars piled up on Glendale… sometimes four deep… waiting to make a right into the lot. Adding to the anarchy frustrated postal customers often idle their cars in a live lane on Glendale Blvd to post a letter. In addition, pedestrians are often caught is the crosshairs as they try to cross the Blvd to Revere St.
Something needs to be done now to address this important safety issue. The Chamber urges the immediate posting of a Traffic Enforcement Officer on site to help direct traffic and cite offenders as needed; and for the long term we urge working with the Postal Service to find a long-term solution.
Do long lines both inside and outside the local post office keep you from going there?
Friday is the annual Trick or Treat on the Boolevard in Atwater Village!
Bring the family – the kiddos, even your little doggies in those cute costumes, for a fun and safe way to trick-or-treat.
The festivities take place all along Glendale Boulevard from 4:30-6:00 pm. Visit as many Atwater Village businesses as you can!
Happy Halloween!
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