Off Rodeo Drive: Where To Swipe Your Plastic In Silverlake's Sunset Junction

December 18, 2009 at 4:09 PM | by Heidi Atwal | Comments (0)

Just six more friggin' shopping days 'till Christmas. Sorry to be the bearers of bad news, folks, but if your tree isn't yet surrounded by metallic-wrapped gifts, you're going to have to hop to it. In Los Angeles, we're steering clear of malls, especially after a psychotic trip to The Grove last night saw us almost being run over by the circling trolley.

This weekend, we're heading East to a neighborhood popular among Ray Ban and gourmet coffee aficionados: Silverlake. We've heard many a disgruntled Westside friend criticize the area for being impossibly hip, and that it is, but it's also charmingly eclectic, laid-back, and there's never a dearth of activity to speak of. On the stretch of Sunset Boulevard known as Sunset Junction, there are a healthy handful of stores to shop at for the vintage lover, barfly, and comic book fan in your life. Here's our Off-Rodeo Guide to shopping 'tha Junction, after the jump.

Intelligentsia Coffee
We've called out Intelligentsia in the past for being a stellar Starbucks alternative, but it's also a worthy place where you'll find accessories for coffee connoisseurs. Think water kettles, decanters, fancy French presses, and coffee, of course�some of the best you'll find in the city.

Bar Keeper
We're going from espresso to spirits with our next pick, which might take home the prize for being our favorite store on this short round-up, chiefly for its cool factor. If you know an aspiring mixologist, Bar Keeper will help them turn their Manhattan dreams (the cocktail, that is) into reality. The space is bursting with absinthe spoons, recipe cocktail shakers, wine stain removers, and a collection of cool, food and wine-centric books.

Secret Headquarters
You won't find a proprietor similar to The Simpsons' Comic Book Guy behind the counter at Secret Headquarters, a small store located just steps away from the heavily-trafficked Pazzo Gelato. They carry the requisite selection of perennially popular DC and Marvel comics, but also graphic novels, art by up-and-coming locals, and we spied�pun intended�a gigantic compendium of New Yorker cartoons that we're currently lusting after. It would be disingenuous to label Secret Headquarters' shoppers nerds; they're merely the kids�and adults�in the know.

The Cheese Store of Silverlake
Somewhat hidden from street view, as it's nestled in between Intelligentsia and French restaurant Cafe Stella, this is where you go when you want gourmet...anything, really. We've seen fancy jams, wines worth splurging on, and cheese, of course. It would be easy to pull together a nice gift basket for the foodie in your life by shopping the Cheese Store, but those tiny glass bottles of organic something-or-other can get pricey, mind you, so make sure you watch what's going into your basket.

Undefeated
Undefeated is for serious sneaker fiends. We witnessed a line stretching clear around the back alley when a newly reissued pair of Reeboks went on the market, beats blaring from inside the light-filled store. Tees, graf-inspired wear, and even L.A.-friendly TOMS are available here, but really, it's all about the classic and modern kicks, from Nike to Puma and everything in between.

[Photo: rawkblog4]

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