SPIKE’S JOINT

Imagine a Hallmark shop that sells hip urban street wear and you’ll get the gist of the new Spike’s Joint West store, which opened on Melrose Avenue last weekend.

With its white walls, oak floors, gray industrial carpeting and grid display shelves, Spike’s Joint West might be more at home in a suburban mall. In fact, everything about the store is so darn pristine and generic, it could easily be turned into a Disney store--just replace the baseball caps with Mickey Mouse ears and replace the “Mo’ Better Blues” videos with “Bambi.”

In short, the place has franchise written all over it.

It also has success written all over it, judging the by 200-plus people who waited outside in the rain on opening day to get a gander at the goods. Or perhaps they were just aching for an autograph from Lee, who presided briefly at ribbon-cutting ceremonies before making a quick getaway.

Spike’s Joint is filled with postcards, books and video cassettes from the director’s film library. But for the most part, the store has none of the gritty urban atmosphere associated with the director’s work. There are no baggy, colored denim jeans, no skull caps, funky vests or sleeveless woven shirts. Just lots of basic T-shirts emblazoned with advertisements for Lee’s films, simple knit shorts and sweat pants, chambray shirts, baseball shirts, varsity jackets and, of course, the signature baseball cap with an oversized X .

The clothes could have come from Lee’s personal wardrobe. Or even . . . the Gap. Except that they feature some sort of Spike Lee identification, either printed or embroidered on it. And everything is priced to sell, from $18 T-shirts to $350 varsity jackets.