Mom & Pop Shops are the lifeblood of any community and L.A. is no exception. From its oldest bar to its oldest tattoo shop, most of these family-owned businesses have been around for over 100 years and need your support to be around for 100 more.
LessLA’s Oldest Indie Bookstore: Joe Chevalier established his iconic bookstore in 1940, making it the longest running shop of its kind. Chevalier's Books specializes in bringing literature that isn't on the NYT bestseller list. Each pick of the week is meticulously curated by the staff who aim to find nonconformist, contemporary verse and prose for every age group and personality.
LA's Oldest Toy Store: Kip's Toyland has been delighting kids and adults since 1945. For a city that goes through trends like people go through undergarments that's quite a feat. The Kipper family still owns and operates the toy store and Don Kipper is proud of the fact that they don't sell "anything that you can plug in." The secret to their survival is to offer the types of toys that have survived joysticks and smartphones.
LA's Oldest Bakery: In Chinatown L.A.'s oldest bakery whips up sweet and savory delights. Phoenix Bakery specializes in airy baked confections as well as Chinese treats. Strawberry cream cakes, mochi, steamed buns, and traditional sticky sugar butterflies are a few of their tried and true specialties. Don't forget to stop in during major Chinese holidays when you can get hard-to-find fresh-baked goodies such as Mid-Autumn Festival mooncakes!
America’s Oldest Tattoo Shop: The last remaining business from the original historic area that was once called "The Pike," Outer Limits Tattoo & Museum is the oldest continuously operated tattoo parlor in the entire USA, open since 1927. The Pike was once a seaside amusement area with bath houses, arcades, food stands, and tattoo parlors.
Downtown LA’s Oldest Bar: More comfy than upscale, Golden Gopher is downtown L.A.'s oldest bar. It has remained open since 1905 - a place where the regular folks of the city look to have a relaxed conversation with friends without the nightclub ambience that L.A. is known for. Friendly servers, great cocktails, microbrews, and vintage arcade games have helped this place flourish for more than a century.
LA’s Oldest Bowling Alley: Highland Park Bowl opened in 1927 at the same time the television was first invented. It would take the cathode ray box to make an appearance in family homes so pastimes like bowling were safe for decades. Another reason it was so popular - it was a great place to get "medicinal" whisky during Prohibition. Highland Park Bowl has remained open since the Prohibition era, catering to a diverse crowd looking for an escape from streaming TV and smartphones.
LA’s Oldest Church: Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church or "La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles" in Spanish was first founded in 1814 by a Franciscan priest. The structure was first completed in 1822 but renovations and a bell tower were added in the 1870s.
LA’s Oldest Surviving Record Shop: Canterbury Records established in 1956 has outlived the greatest record giants of all time - Virgin Megastore and Tower Records to name a couple. Perhaps the family-owned store's secret is that it caters to music-lovers of all genres. Vinyl enthusiasts in particular will love the selection, but you can also find a good variety of CDs.
LA's Oldest Indie Grocery Store: Galco's Old World Grocery is an Italian-style deli and grocery shop famous for its selection of more than 700 bottled sodas - many of them small batch hard-to-find brands from Europe and North America. There are also snacks, candies, and chips to choose from, but this is a place that will tickle the fancy soda connoisseurs.
LA’s Oldest Cafeteria-Style Restaurant: This eatery is the oldest cafeteria-style restaurant in L.A. and the largest in the world. Here you can get those comfortably familiar Jell-O cups with whipped cream. Don't expect cafeteria prices - your tab will be comparable to any mid-priced restaurant in L.A. Unlike the common cafeteria this has a full bar built from a church altar!