Mission Street Gears Up
While some shopping districts are trying to deal with the strains of their success, others are just getting off the ground. One area in Southern California that is sprucing up in anticipation of the July 2003 opening of the Metro Gold Line is the Mission West district in South Pasadena.
Known for its coffee houses, antique stores and weekly Farmer’s Market, the sleepy area near Mission Street and Meridian Avenue expects a jolt of activity next year with its new Mission Station train stop.
Already, two clothing boutiques have opened and Mission Street Yoga is on the way. The studio is a venture by Mara Trafficante, sister-in-law of designer Richard Tyler.
And, development plans call for the conversion of the street’s historic Firestone Tire building into four retail spaces.
Newcomers hope to see the area blossom into a thriving shopping street with character.
“We know [the Gold Line is] going to bring a huge mix to the area,” said Melissa McElrath, a former designer who opened the Femme boutique on Mission one month ago. “We don’t want this place to become a mall or like nearby Old Pasadena. We just think there’s hip, wellto- do people who live here who don’t have a lot of shopping options.”
Femme offers clothing in generous sizes to cater to the more mature local customer, McElrath said.
“We don’t get a lot of miniature Fred Segal people shopping here,” she said.
Her 1,000-square-foot store features a clean look of hardwood floors, a wall mural and a concrete-looking riser to set off the clothes. Along with buying some men’s clothes for her female customers, she stocks Max Studio, Joe’s Jeans, Paper Denim & Cloth, Flax and Rhyme.
McElrath is bullish on the area, especially after opening Melissa M, her contemporary boutique, less than a year ago on South Fair Oaks Avenue, less than a half-mile east of Femme. Until the train arrives, she expects each store to generate about $200,000 in sales.
Jewelry designer Liza Shtromberg, who opened Island in Silver Lake and LS in Los Feliz, bowed her third store at the corner of Mission and Meridian two months ago. Called Chi-Chi La-La, the 1,400- square-foot boutique features clothing, accessories, jewelry and gift items, with prices ranging from $60 to $250 for the clothes and $15 to $500 for the jewelry.
Shtromberg said she is trying to strike the right balance between hip and conservative lines that she carries to appeal to the local customer. Most of the clothes come from smaller manufacturers such as Nish, Ohm, Din and Gigi.
“We see some style resistance,” Shtromberg said. “Some customers say they may love something, but they wouldn’t wear it. So, we’re trying to shape the store and see what people are comfortable with.”
As a result of her learning curve, she expects the store to bring in about $350,000 the first year. Yet, she remains optimistic about the possibilities of the street.
“We’re definitely setting the tone for this intersection,” Shtromberg said. “I try to stay away from the main drags. It’s much nicer in an area where you get local clientele as opposed to a place where there’s not much repeat business.”
—Nola Sarkisian-Miller
