Savory eateries lure many to Westwood
Restaurants, cafes in Village cater to local workers, not just students
With or without students, life goes on in Westwood Village.
The 10900 west block of Lindbrook Avenue, for example, comes to life early in the morning, as bagel lovers choose from a variety of shmears at Noah’s Bagels.
Like many businesses in Westwood Village, Noah’s Bagels does not depend entirely upon UCLA students for its customer base.
Manager Gary Brothers said the restaurant serves a mixture of campus and business people.
This block where Noah’s Bagels is located represents the other side of Westwood.
This is the Westwood of restaurants and cafes belonging to a larger sphere than the campus and its academic population.
Like Noah’s Bagels, many restaurants cater to those who work in and around Westwood.
Brenda Robinson, who works at the nearby Federal Building, comes to Westwood about once a week on her lunch breaks.
“It’s got some really good restaurants,” she said.
Her favorite is City Chop, where customers can create their own salads from a variety of ingredients.
Anne Thomas, manager of City Chop, said the restaurant’s busiest hours are during lunchtime, when business people and campus workers come in to eat.
She said about a quarter of her customers are students.
Brian Hudson, a Federal Express delivery man, comes to Westwood almost every day.
He listed Baja Fresh, Togo’s, Subway, Headlines, Whole Foods and In-N-Out as some of his favorite Westwood restaurants.
Hudson also noted the ways Westwood has changed.
“It used to be ritzy. It’s changed a lot, but it’s still very vibrant,” he said.
Jason Schiffman, an instructor of the Berkeley Review who has lived in Westwood since 1991, has also seen many changes in the neighborhood.
He remains loyal to his favorite Westwood spots, including the Starbucks Coffee at the corner of Westwood Boulevard and Lindbrook Avenue.
In explaining his choice of coffee, Schiffman said, “Starbucks gets me more jacked. It’s a more euphoric caffeine.”
He earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from UCLA and is preparing to enter medical school at the University of Southern California in August.
Schiffman isn’t the only crosstown rival to be attracted to Westwood.
Gina Santangelo and Gaby Valencia, nursing students at USC, stop by Jamba Juice for smoothies.
They compared Westwood favorably to the commercial areas around USC.
Valencia, dressed in a bright red USC T-shirt, said, “We don’t have all the cool places.”
Scot Krupa, assistant general manager of Jamba Juice, said the store targeted a general population of “people who are breathing.”
He said customers include members of L.A. Fitness coming in after a workout and people who want to “substitute (a smoothie) for a meal.”
Despite Westwood’s wide appeal, UCLA students remain a vital part of the Village’s customer base.
Krupa said many students “make an effort” to come to Jamba Juice, despite the distance from campus.
Brothers said entire athletic teams would come to eat bagels before a game.
He said the women’s tennis team, and the men’s and women’s water polo teams were frequent visitors.


