Can there be such a thing as too many Trader Joe's?

TOO MANY TRADER JOE'S? There could eventually be three Trader Joe's along the West 3rd Street corridor. One is planned for Burton Way near San Vicente Boulevard. And there are now reports of another being considered for 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue (there is already one at 3rd and La Brea Avenue). Curbed L.A. skillfully sorts this all out and reports on neighborhood concerns about selling alcohol at the La Brea location: A local neighborhood council "voted to oppose TJ’s application for a renewal of its conditional use permit to sell liquor at the Third and La Brea store. The council opposed the CUP out of principle -- they want the store to address some of their concerns."

JERRY'S LIST: CalWatch undercover a "Specials List" from Jerry Brown's first stint as governor: "The list of about 100 names includes fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, a longtime friend and recent campaign contributor; pop singer Helen Reddy and her then-husband and manager, Jeff Wald; Hewlett-Packard co-founder David Packard; and David Karr, a politically connected Renaissance man later named in published reports as a source for the KGB."

LIBRARY BLUES: L.A. school protests library cuts. (L.A. Weekly).

STRANGE BANK ROBBERY: In Marina del Rey, sheriff's deputies search for bank robber, arrest witness. (Argonaut).

SPACELAND LANDED?: Has the venerable Silver Lake club found a new home? (Eastsider L.A.)

CUTS: San Bernardino County considers vacation caps. (Press-Enterprise)

-- Shelby Grad

On Twitter: @shelbygrad

Photo: Credit: L.A. Times

Comments

[Leric Goodman]

1. Does anyone else find it odd that "neighborhood groups" oppose Trader Joe's because the local drunks might be alcohol there? Surely the neighborhood drunks could find more bang for their buck elsewhere. Two Buck Chuck may be cheap, but it isn't that strong or that cheap to go to the top of the list for the down and out set.

2. If a place is already zoned commercial, then on what grounds can Trader Joe's application be refused?

[Alhambran]

No! Please bring a TJ's into our town — we desperately need one! Beats me having to go shopping for QUALITY food in South Pasadena.

[Anne]

What if a Ralphs were coming to the same location? Would the neighborhood groups object to that?

[Truthclaw]

Why stack Trader Joe's stores on top of each other when there are no stores in North Hollywood, Echo Park, etc?

[Roberta]

There's a big Ralph's across the street from TJ's on 3rd/LaBrea. They are probably behind all of TJ's liquor troubles! And by the way, there could never be too many TJ's!

[*~*]

NO! Trader Joe's wants you to "drive to their stores" no matter how "out of the way it is for you". They don't want to put stores in the neighborhoods they "deem' sub par... or ethnic... That's what I've been told when I asked why...I live in a nice stable area between the Culver City Store 4 miles, Westchester 8 miles and they said my other option is LaBrea/3rd 8 miles... They also have 3 stores in west LA within a 5 mile radius... CC, National/Westwood and Palms/Sepulveda .... As much as liked TJ's, their unwillingness to go into ethnic neighborhoods east of LaBrea in LA proper to Pasadena has me shopping at "Sprouts Farmers Market" ironically in CC... Cheaper and better quality.

[Adia V.]

I agree that there are quite a few TJs in the same area. I live in Hancock Park and someday I cannot make up my mind on which TJs to go to. Unfortunately, such statistics as average annual income per household and average educational level determines these things including insurance costs. All of these are high in my hood. I wish there was at least one store in places like Commerce where I work, but the stats do not add up.