Sawtelle Japantown

I was up in Los Angeles for the day because I was going to pick up people at the airport later in the evening. To pass the time, I decided to wander around and visit a couple of places related to vinyl toys on the west side of town.

I first went to the Toy Art Gallery, but it was not open when I arrived. I had checked Google the night before, and I could have sworn that it said they were going to be open until 5:00 pm.

The storefront does not have a sign that identifies it, but it is covered with artwork that makes it stand out from the other buildings in the neighborhood. Looking through the dusty glass front door, I couldn't really make out much inside, but it looked like it had been long abandoned (the presence of the van in the back was the only indication that maybe somebody still occupied the building).

Are they still in business? I don't know, but their website is still up. It was kind of disappointing, but since we were getting hungry and Pink's was less than a mile away, I guess it was not a completely wasted trip.

I parked on one of the back streets off Melrose and took a leisurely stroll over towards La Brea.

There was a long line as usual, but sometimes you need the time to decide what you want to get. I really wanted to have a Lord of the Rings Dog, but ended up getting a basic New York Dog with a side of onion rings so I could share the fried goodness.

Pink's is one of the locations visited by Kussun and Rippi in 2015 for the Iida Riho to Kusuda Aina no Memorial Journey - Ripikusu Sanpo in LA (飯田里穂と楠田亜衣奈のメモリアルジャーニー ～りぴくす散歩 in LA) DVD.

After a quick stop at UCLA, we went to Sawtelle Japantown, formerly known as Little Osaka. The neighborhood was settled in the post-WWII era by families who had been displaced from their homes because of Executive Order 9066. There are a lot of Asian restaurants in this district centered on Sawtelle Boulevard, so parking can be difficult to find.

This is the location of the Giant Robot Store and the GR2 Art Gallery. The Giant Robot Store carries Giant Robot gear, books, and the usual Asian kitsch goods. There was one small glass case of collectibles and used vinyl figures, but the store was otherwise unremarkable.

We decided to get some crepes next door, and then left for the airport afterwards. I would have liked to have visited the GR2 Gallery which was just a short walk down the street, but I didn't want to be rushed either going to the airport or enjoying the gallery, so I'll have to visit some other time.

Millet Crepe