Wednesday, 2/26/97
The word on the street
What happens after dark?
Westwood regulars provide a glimpse into the nightlife of UCLA’s
little college town.
By Rachel Munoz and Michelle Navarro
Daily Bruin Contributors
As the sun goes down and the stars illuminate the sky, the noise
created by the busy streets of Westwood Village is replaced by the
soft chattering and and murmuring of those dining or enjoying a cup
of coffee, experiencing what the village has to offer after
dark.
A wild and effervescent night life is something unknown to the
tiny town adjacent to UCLA. Instead, the after-dark scene emits a
placid, laid-back kind of atmosphere.
"Westwood is calmer. I come here to get away from the noises, to
get away from a lot of things," said Erik Correa, a third-year
undeclared Santa Monica Community College student. Correa watched
the cars pass on Gayley Avenue as he ate his roast beef sandwich at
the Subbies Roll-Inn, commonly known as $1.50 Sub to students.
Matt Leiber of Marina Del Rey said Westwood was "in between work
and his way home."
He was drawn to Westwood last Thursday night because of the
atmosphere that the Italian restaurant Don Antonio’s provides.
The quiet, serene mood coupled with several coffee houses
sprinkled around the village also gives students ideal studying
grounds for exams.
"I usually either go to the Gypsy Cafe or here (to the Coffee
Bean). It’s one of the few places that won’t kick you out," said
Akemi Kawaguchi, a second-year medical student at UCLA, as she
looked up from her open books strewn over the petite coffee
table.
Although the locale can serve as a quiet haven, it can also be a
curse when looking for something more than some good food and a
little conversation.
Many students complained that the town boasts too many
restaurants and movie theaters and not enough entertainment outlets
like billiard rooms, night clubs or bowling alleys.
"Westwood needs more social type stuff, like a dance or night
club," said Thu Hoang, a third-year cognitive science student.
"Those things would help instead of just a bunch of food
places."
Another student agreed, blaming the absence of such businesses
on the residents and the commuter population of the area.
"There are no night clubs. We need to convince all the old rich
people to move. Also, so many people have cars, so it’s cooler to
go elsewhere," said David Jones, a third-year economics student,
while playing a card game over a pizza dinner while waiting in line
for a screening of "The Empire Strikes Back."
A popular rumor that circulates around campus is that no night
clubs exist in Westwood because they are prohibited.
However, according to the Westwood Village Specific Plan,
adopted in January 1989, nightclubs are permitted. The catch is
they must coexist with a restaurant and a conditional permit must
be granted.
Similar conditions were established for bars at the time, but
hotels were added as an acceptable counterpart to the bars, in
addition to restaurants. Current examples of such arrangements are
Maloney’s and Monty’s.
Kawaguchi, who is a West Los Angeles resident, said the village
did not always have such a sleepy nightlife where sometimes the
chirping crickets are audible.
"It used to have a good nightlife. I’m from around here and when
I was in high school it was a lot busier. There were a lot more
people on the streets and there were no stores out of business, now
it seems kind of dead," Kawaguchi said.
The holes left from Westwood Village’s unsuccessful companies
were a major complaint among the village’s regulars.
"There are so many empty shops – it’s like businesses are doomed
to failure," Jones said.
One term that seems to be widely used in describing Westwood is
"dead." But at least one student had trouble with this
assessment.
"I don’t know if Westwood is dead because I don’t have anything
to compare it to," said Bob Buch, a fourth-year political science
student.
Leiber was not too concerned with the liveliness of Westwood but
rather with the other problems that seem to affect the area.
"Westwood is a lively place, but parking is terrible. I don’t
come here as often because of parking," he said.
Parking has been considered a major problem by many in Westwood.
Other problems voiced in the village is the issue of high school
students roaming the area. In addition, the village spreads out
over a large area, having no center. Finally, some believe there is
little cohesion between the big university and the small
village.
"I’d rather go somewhere else," Steven Cleveland, a fifth-year
African American Studies student, simply stated.
Susan Kim, a fifth-year physics student believes that the
village is a distinct college town.
"My friends come and visit me from other schools and they think
that it is great that we have this," Kim said.
Julie Han, a fourth-year English student, joined Kim for a cup
of coffee. Han thinks that as a college town, the village is too
expensive.
"As college students, people don’t have that much to spend," she
said.
One of the main magnets of the village is it’s plethora of movie
theaters. The combination of dinner and a flick makes a good mix
for a dose of weekend affair.
"Once a week, I go to the movies or I eat dinner. I really like
the college atmosphere here," said Marisa Dirstine, a second-year
anthropology student.
Others, such as Ed Fok, come to Westwood Village to just pass
the time or "people watch."
Long after the sunset pinkens and the streetlights brighten,
Westwood takes on a different face of its ever alternating persona.
The busy streets of the day, filled with high rise employees and
bustling students, shed their stress and turn their attention to
the lively bar scene.
The late hours, between 10 and 11 p.m., produce heavy lines at
the Westwood restaurants with bars. Despite their popularity, one
student seemed dissatisfied with what was available.
"The nightlife pretty much sucks," said Christian Ramers, a
fourth-year microbiology and molecular genetics student.
He feels the bars in Westwood are somewhat faulted due to
overcrowding or a low UCLA student customer base.
However, Damian Matthews, manager of Maloney’s says his customer
base is composed of UCLA students although the tavern style
restaurant does serve a variety of people.
The unpredictable amount of business the restaurant has is
evened out by sporting events and the weekends, he said.
The inconsistencies don’t bother Maloney’s as much as the lack
of competition.
"We would like more competition," Matthews stated. "The more
places that open, the more people will come to Westwood. We need
competition for more business."
Another hot spot for bar-hoppers is the steak-house Monty’s. Lee
Chandler, manager, expressed similar conditions concerning a
variety of people coming into the restaurant but insisted that the
base clientele is not students. She said the students come in
around 11 p.m. while the earlier part of the night consists of
crowds ranging from their 30s to late 50s.
Stressing the idea that they cater to all, Westwood Brewing
Company is another popular option for the bar scene.
PJ Dahling, manager of the restaurant/bar, says the Brewing
Company serves a wide range of clientele, including students of age
to members of the upper class.
Dahling agrees with Matthews that competition is good for the
business.
"Without competition we wouldn’t be what we are today," Dahling
stated.
The lack of entertainment choices in the village, such as bars
or nightclubs, are reasons why several have opted to go elsewhere
to spend the evening. Other blemishes of Westwood Village,
including dirty, uneven streets, and limited parking make Third
Street Promenade and the Century City shopping center preferred
locations.
"Westwood’s very urban and dirty. You want somewhere that’s
cleaner and pleasant," Danielle Bartov, a second-year theater
student said.
Although Westwood Village has its fair share of imperfections, a
large amount of regulars and newcomers are content with the
nightlife it supplies.
"I like the social life here – the UCLA crowd," said Chris
Gorham, a fifth-year economics student, while waiting in line for a
movie at the Fox theater. "Being a college town, it comes alive at
night and I come to hang out and just relax," he said.
JAMIE SCANLON-JACOBS
The Westwood dome at night is a well-known landmark of the
village. This intersection, always busy in the day, looks all but
deserted.
JAMIE SCANLON-JACOBS
UCLA students Cenon Adbincula and Robert Fielding, have a late
evening Italian meal in Westwood with a friend.
JAMIE SCANLON-JACOBS
Susan Kim (left) and Julie Han have coffee on a quiet evening in
Westwood village. Many students frequent cafes to study and
talk.