Business & Tech

Patch Picks: Top 5 Closed Businesses We Miss the Most

A book store, a movie theater and a record store top our list.

Businesses come and go in Santa Monica. But some of them still haunt us like a dead brother. When we drive by where the businesses used to be, we accidentally perceive them—just for a second—as still being there.

Some entrepreneurs might argue, citing survival of the fittest, that it's a good thing businesses get phased out. But there are at least five that we wish had never gone extinct.

Patch Picks: Top 5 Closed Businesses We Miss the Most

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1. Midnight Books: In a metropolis with a shamefully low number of book stores, Los Angeles—not just Santa Monica—lost a treasure when this endearingly leftist store shut down. With an endless supply of overlooked must-reads, obscure finds and collectors' items, Midnight Books let independent-minded folks feel OK about shopping on the .

2. NuWilshire Theatre: Sure, the floors were nasty. The seats were uncomfortable. The sound wasn't that great. But still, in a city with many movie theaters, this was one of only two that showed new indie movies on a daily basis. (Sorry, doesn't count, although we love that place too.) It's heartbreaking to walk by 1314 Wilshire Blvd.—especially since the NuWilshire's old building still remains vacant.

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3. House of Records: We're grateful that Angel City Books (218 Pier Ave.) is stocking vinyl and other collectibles, and impressed that Second Spin (almost next door to where the NuWilshire used to be) has survived, but neither of those places has House of Records' muso appeal. With its bins perpetually filled with dust and other particles courtesy of the nearby 10 Freeway, this was the last Santa Monica haven for music geeks.

4. : It seems that, to many Santa Monicans, last year's closure of the famed deli still hasn't sunk in yet. The promenade's southern bookmark was way overpriced but had great atmosphere and a perfect view for Broadway people-watching. Fortunately, Santa Monica still has three formidable delis in , and , but as far as we know, the Broadway Deli was the only one good enough for Bruce Springsteen to grace.

5. : True, this seafood restaurant is still open, but the recent announcement that it will be closing by June 19 is sitting with us like a bad plate of oysters. We'll miss I. Cugini, which called Santa Monica home for 21 years. Catch a bite there one more time, before the doors shut for good.

Previous installments of Patch Picks:

Vegan Restaurants


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