Some longtime merchants and residents say Abbot Kinney’s change from gritty to glitzy over recent decades is not all for the better.
Read more: Abbot Kinney Boulevard’s renaissance a mixed blessing
Arlene Tucker, left, and daughter Michele enjoy the fresh evening air at First Fridays on Abbot Kinney, a monthly event when food trucks park along the street and people from all over flood the area for a night out. (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)
The lights of upscale store Velvet glow as people stroll Abbot Kinney. The arrival of higher-end establishments on the street has been pushing out some old mom-and-pop shops. (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)
Food trucks pack any empty lots and parking spaces at Abbot Kinney’s monthly First Friday street event. (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)
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Street vendor Shameka Banks, left, helps fasten a bracelet on Cori Clymens’ wrist during First Fridays on Abbot Kinney. (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)
Alexandra Hoover, left, looks over jewelry with Carol Tantau, owner of Just Tantau, at the store. It has been on the now-popular Abbot Kinney street since 1982 and is set to close because of the rise in rent and change of clientele. (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)