Trader Joe's to open in Hollywood, then maybe Montrose. But not downtown L.A.?

Communities around Southern California fight to lure Trader Joe's, the grocery store chain.

Some fail (downtown L.A. has been lobbying for years but still has not gotten one). But a new store in Hollywood is about to open, and Trader Joe's appears poised to come to Montrose as well.

Glendale is finalizing an agreement to lease city-owned property in Montrose to Trader Joe’s for a new store. Under the proposed lease agreement, which would require a City Council vote next week, the grocery chain would build a 14,670-square-foot single-story store at 2448-2468 Honolulu Ave.

The site at the corner of Honolulu and Orangedale avenues was previously home to a Ford dealership, but has been used as a public parking lot across from the Montrose branch library and fire station, according to the Glendale News-Press' Melanie Hicken.

Curbed L.A. reports that the long-awaited Trader Joe's will open Friday at 8 a.m. at corner of Selma Avenue and Vine Street. 

One commenter on the website laments: Ok - I'm very bitter - can't even be nice about this.
How come Hollywood gets a TJ's and not Downtown?  PLEASE TJ's - Come Downtown. I promise we will love you!"

-- Shelby Grad

Photo credit: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[My opinon means nothing]

It would be nice to have a TJ's in Montrose. I'll believe it when I see it. But, parking will still be an issue there as well. Will the one in La Crescenta close?

[Eva]

Downtown? What about the Eastside? Why not build one on Boyle or Soto?

[PaulRevere]

I guess the CEO only places brick and mortar business in cities that have money. Guess that excludes LA

[Randy L.]

No one wants to be in L.A. except illegals.

[Paul]

This will be nice as long as they've planned properly for a large enough parking lot. I'm getting a little tired of businesses like Trader Joe's and In 'n Out building tiny lots and clogging up an entire neighborhood.

[ColeslawPatriot]

Trader Joe's would probably open a downtown location if they thought it would be profitable and obviously they don't believe it would be at this time. Maybe they are waiting for the departure of Mayor Villaraigosa and his crime-ridden, high tax, business unfriendly, automobile unfriendly downtown. Trader Joe's would also presumably prefer to relocate to a neighborhood where there are people around to buy their merchandise for more than eight hours a day Monday through Friday.

[julia dewey]

Living in Montrolse I'd love it. But it's also unfair that downtown doesn't get one, or even pico rivera. The prices are so good and the quality so high, everyone deserves it.

[William Bergmann]

TJ has to replace the Santa Monica store. The new Crescent Heights location has problems too.

[D]

According to TJ< the Montrose stores opening will not affect any current stores, so even though La Crescentas is less than 2 miles away, it will stay open for the time being.

It really is baffling that TJ's wont open in Downtown LA. There are over 40,000 residents that make over a 100,000 on average. They should open in the historic core or on 7th street and they would make a killing. its so obvious.

[TheBigPicture]

I think the Eastside already has a LAS TRES SIERRAS...anyway, who TJ going to cater to downtown, the transients....

[Doug]

Davis, CA. does not have a Trader Joe's.

[Vitner]

@ Paul Revere: Last time I checked, Hollywood is part of the city of LA.

@ Randy L: Why does everything have to be about "illegals"? Get over yourself.

[F. Randy]

Forget downtown. Bring it to the arts district or even better USC. UCLA has one.

[Monica]

(1) The Hollywood store is probably opening to more or less replace the store closing at the east end of West Hollywood, on Santa Monica near La Brea. There's a newer store (about five years old) in Boystown, and the shopping center the other WeHo TJ's is in is slated for demolition.

(2) TJ's won't open in Downtown because the rents are PROHIBITIVE. They're not a high-end store; their fixed-markup system doesn't allow them to hike prices to pay higher overhead at a fancy location. The only way you'd get a TJs in downtown is if the City picked up half the rent tab. Even then, parking would be *insane*... it's horrible at every TJs I've ever seen, everywhere (except that one that's closing down in West Hollywood), and put that in Downtown? Traffic cubed.

There are *tons* of TJs stores in the city of Los Angeles, so this is a pathetic excuse to bash the Mayor. Heck, this story is *about* them opening a branch in the City of Los Angeles (Hollywood's secession bid didn't ever gain traction), which makes the comments doubly ridiculous.

[Brian]

Trader Joe's is the best.
Ralphs - Higher Prices Lower Standards
Vons - Junk Food for Life.

[Richard Sullivan]

At least you people can DRIVE to a Trader Joe's. In Hawaii we've been wooing, cajoling and fighting for TJs to open island stores for years.

[SMEAR]

Cause Hollywood is Hollywood...and downtown is just downtown...thats why we get a trader joes..........I dont know what all that monterrose nonsense is all about.

[Rich]

Some of these comments are ridiculous, from the guy who's always going on and on about "illegals" -- get a life already -- to the person complaining about high rents in Downtown, while completely negating the fact that the Hollywood/Vine location is in a BRAND-NEW luxury complex.

Downtown's rents aren't that much higher than the citywide average, and far less than other locales with desireable ZIP codes.

Not only has Downtown reached the 40,000 population mark (more than the Silver Lake neighborhood), but there are over 400,000 daytime workers in the offices and factories and lofts in the neighborhood.

Anyone who doubts that Downtown has arrived is living in the '90s still. Come down and check it out for yourself. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

[Wooly Bully]

There's already a TJ downtown, Little Tijuana that is! Has anyone gone downtown? Broadway looks just like being in Tijuana.

[Fez]

I live in "LA" and i have a TJ nearby in Westchester and yes parking is a pain at times.
A TJ would be nice in Koreatown, "transients" arent the only ones living in that area. And it is a nice are in downtown that is building up...