Virgil Village | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Virgil Village Location in Central Los Angeles | |
| Coordinates: 34°05′13″N118°17′16″W / 34.0868902°N 118.2878768°W | |
| Country | US |
| State |  California |
| County | Los Angeles |
| City | Los Angeles |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code | 90029 |
| Area codes | 323 |
Virgil Village is a neighborhood within East Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, United States.
In 1985, when the restaurant Cha Cha Cha opened at the corner of Virgil Avenue and Melrose Avenue, the Los Angeles Times questioned its location on Melrose Avenue and described the area as both "graffiti-splattered" [1] and "shabby". [2] Nine years later, in 1994, the Times stated that Cha Cha Cha owner Mario Tamayo had started a "renaissance" in the area. [2]
In 1994, the city, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI), installed banners in the neighborhood with the name Virgil Village. [3] Also that year, Huell Howser visited the neighborhood as part of his PBS series Visiting... with Huell Howser . [4]
In 1996, Virgil Village was one of seven Los Angeles neighborhoods to receive federal funding for improvements. Trees, street lights and bus shelters would be added to the community. [5] The funds were disbursed through LANI and the improvements were focused on Virgil Avenue, the neighborhoods major thoroughfare. [6] By 2007, panaderías, carnicerias and other small, local stores were being replaced with upscale businesses. [7] In 2011, Virgil Village received additional funding from LANI for traffic calming. [8] In 2014, bike lanes and new crosswalks were dedicated at a community event sponsored by Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell. [9]
In the fall of 2016, after 30 years in the neighborhood, Cha Cha Cha restaurant closed and the name Cha Cha Cha was re-used for a condominium development that was built on the restaurant's site. [7] In 2017, after 77 years in the neighborhood, The Smog Cutter, a local bar, closed. [7] [10]
In 2018, after a new landlord bought the building, Super Pan Bakery was given a 60-day notice to vacate. Community residents started a change.org petition to help the panadería. After 20 years in Virgil Village, the bakery relocated to South Park in South Los Angeles. [11] [12] The bakery was replaced by an upscale bagel shop. [13] In addition to bagels, the owners also sell pandulce they pick up from the South Los Angeles location of Super Pan Bakery. [14]
Located in East Hollywood, [15] the neighborhood of Virgil Village is bounded on the north by Santa Monica Boulevard, on the west by Vermont Avenue, on the south by Melrose Avenue, and on the east by Hoover Street. Virgil Village is bordered by Los Feliz on the north, and Silver Lake on the east. [16] Virgil Avenue, the neighborhood's main thoroughfare, is lined with Trumpet Trees. [17]
Virgil Village is within the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council. Virgil Village is identified as district 6. [22]
There is one public school within the Virgil Village boundaries:
....Centered on Virgil Avenue between Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard.....
"During a community meeting in September, my constituents in Virgil Village asked for a safer Virgil Avenue," said O'Farrell. "A few months later, with community input, we implemented a solution...
...the neighborhood stalwart is the Smog Cutter, a Virgil Village dive bar that's been around for at least 77 years. Its final day of service is Sunday, October 29.
Last October, she and her partner, Chris Moss, opened Courage Bagels in the Virgil Village neighborhood, in the space where Elvia Perez had previously run a bakery called Super Pan.
The Virgil Village spot held the distinction of being the first dog cafe of its kind in the U.S.
Jackson meets Ally at a drag bar. (The location used for the lip-synching drag show is none other than The Virgil)
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