On York Boulevard, 40 shops formed the York Small Business Association to strengthen their positions as store owners in LA, member PJ Roden said.
Roden owns the market Sip Snack and interior design shop Matters of Space, which are next to each other on the corner of York Boulevard and Avenue 50.
“We, as business owners, are trying to keep York local, vibrant and exciting for people wanting to come here and make a difference with their shopping dollars,” Roden said.
Marcy Guevara-Prete is the owner of The Plus Bus, a boutique that specializes in plus-sized clothing. The Plus Bus has recently closed its doors on York Boulevard, but reopened as a mobile shop. According to Guevara-Prete, the York Small Business Association has held events such as Halloween trick-or-treating and bingo for patrons.
“The York small business community has been a mighty force on the Eastside for many years,” Guevara-Prete said. “In the last year, we have been really consistent about getting together and partnering and making sure that York stays small. We have this little coalition that meets once a month of all the small business owners, and it’s been amazing to see what we can do as a group. We have some big goals and big dreams.”
According to Guevara-Prete, her role with the York Small Business Association involves communicating with owners about initiatives and plans for the street. The coalition is committed to creating a small-town experience for the Highland Park neighborhood, she said.
“We have to work really hard to keep [Highland Park small], because as our rents increase, we’re going to have an insurgence of big businesses that want to take these spots,” Guevara-Prete said. “Frankly, they’re going to be the only ones that can afford it if the landlords don’t understand the legacy of Highland Park and the small businesses they are helping by creating affordable rent.”
Diane Foster is the owner of Meadow, a new co-working space on York Boulevard. Foster said owners lead various initiatives to support one another, including working to improve safety measures and hosting events.
“There’s no one that really started it or is leading it, but we are all just kind of pitching in when we can, how we can,” Foster said. “I love being a business owner on York Boulevard.”
According to Roden, the business owners have started a fundraising effort to install string lights for two blocks along York’s main business corridor. Roden said the business owners hope the lights will create a wider presence for York Boulevard while creating a safer atmosphere at night, as many shops close early, despite bars, such as The Goldfish, staying open well past dark.
“The idea seems simple, and then it’s kind of a bigger thing than what we thought,” Roden said. “But, we’ve gotten support from our local City Councilwoman Isabel Jurado and CD-14. They have been super supportive to small businesses – they actually come to our local business meetings.”
According to Foster, Meadow helped create an unincorporated non-profit organization amongst owners so that the association could open a bank account to hold funds for the project.
“The idea is that [the lights are] beautifying the street, encouraging people to come and shop,” Foster said. “Ultimately, it’s just a way for all the small businesses to come together and support each other.”
According to Roden, as the world of online shopping grows, owning a small business in LA becomes more difficult due to rent increases and a high cost of doing business.
“Oftentimes, running a retail business is a labor of love,” Roden said. “We are trying to spread a message that it’s really important what decisions people make about their purchasing, and that it’s the difference between having a street that’s full of chains — soulless, corporate chains — or empty storefronts.”
Contact Abigail Montopoli at montopoli@oxy.edu
