Sunday, October 29 is the date of the Larchmont Family Fair.
The Fair will have booths for neighborhood charities to raise
funds, and rides for the kids. New this year are activities for
adults including a concert in a beer garden and a
barbecue.
The Fair, which draws thousands to the boulevard, is sponsored
by the Larchmont Boulevard Association (LBA). Monies raised from the
Fair support security, provide landscaping and holiday events on the boulevard, from First Street to Melrose.
The area was first developed in the late 1800s, becoming a "streetcar suburb" by 1920. Midwest developer Julius LaBonte (1879-1968) is largely responsible for it's unique design and layout, and credited with building 70% of the structures.
Today, Larchmont Boulevard is a quaint old-town shopping street -- between Beverly Boulevard and W. First Street, west of N. Gower Street -- featuring many unique shops and restaurants. Larchmont Boulevard is the home of Chevalier's Books, the oldest independent bookstore in Los Angeles.
The Larchmont Boulevard Association (LBA), organized in 1965, is a non-profit volunteer, cooperative organization of businesses and professional firms and property owners located mainly on Larchmont Blvd. between 1st Street and Melrose Avenue -- our special village within our big city. The LBA members pay annual dues to fund the Association's activities and services to the community. Some of these important services are:
This is a busy year for Mel Miyamoto, a CPA with offices at 444 N. Larchmont. In addition to his accounting practice, Mel heads his high school class 50th reunion. He has been president of the school's Alumni Association for the past seven years, and is also working on plans for the school's 100th year celebration. And he serves as treasurer of Larchmont Boulevard Association. He lived briefly in Hawaii and moved with his family to Los Angeles. After graduating from Belmont he went to USC, and found a job after graduation with Ron Duba, who had an office on Larchmont. Mel opened his own office in 1987. His daughter Jill works in Mel's office as the office manager and accountant. His son Jack is chief chemist for the City of Santa Monica. He's grandfather to his son's daughter Chloe.
"We have a great variety of gifts for men and women," says Louis Eafalla, proprietor of Village Heights at 122 1/2 N. Larchmont Blvd. The shop specializes in home decor and personal accessories, plus, a fun selection of greeting cards, journals and candles sourced from local vendors and artists. After a long career in television production, Louis purchased Village Heights 17 years ago, A native of a Boston suburb, he is a graduate of Bradford College and received his masters degree in Higher Education Administration & Management from The College of William and Mary. He spent five years as the Assistant Director of Admissions for the American University of Paris in both in New York and Paris.
©2023 Larchmont Boulevard Association. All Rights Reserved. Photos: ©Gary Leonard Members
