For Holmby Hills and Little Holmby, Westwood Village is the closest walkable main street. This summer it got a new landlord. In early August, Commercial Observer reported that the Regents of the University of California paid $49.8 million for a 16-property portfolio just south of UCLA. The deal covers 181,855 square feet of retail, office and open space on about 2.6 acres, mostly along Westwood Boulevard, with more on Kinross Avenue, Gayley Avenue and Lindbrook Drive.
No specific plan for the properties has been announced, and UC Investments, the university system's asset management arm, declined to comment. On the blocks the university now controls, longtime tenants are leaving. A few streets over on Broxton Avenue, new food and a revived film culture are moving in on their own schedule.
A $49.8 Million Purchase From the Family Behind UCLA's Business School
Much of the Village's ownership had a long local history. Commercial Observer identified the seller as Anderson Real Estate, the family-owned company tied to the late John E. Anderson. The Anderson family gave more than $140 million to UCLA, and the university's business school carries the Anderson name.
Two properties have been identified publicly. 1000-1010 Westwood Boulevard spans 64,491 square feet and traded for about $5.75 million, or $89 per square foot. The other is the Kinross Cornerstone, built in 1930 and since renovated. Accounts differ on the size of the deal. Commercial Observer counts 16 properties, and the Daily Bruin describes a 14-property "Westwood Village Collection" bought in July. For scale, Commercial Observer puts UC Investments' total portfolio at $190 billion. At that size, a block of storefronts on Westwood Boulevard is a long-horizon holding. The university doesn't need it to produce rent by next quarter.
The Closures Line Up Behind the Sale
Tenant changes followed within weeks of the sale. The Daily Bruin reported that Urban Outfitters at 1028 and 1038 Westwood Boulevard closed after 22 years following the UC Investments acquisition.
Aahs! The Ultimate Gift Store came next, through a separate deal. The costume, prop and novelty shop opened in 1981 at Westwood Boulevard and Kinross Avenue. It is the chain's last remaining store, and its owner of 43 years, Jack Bhasin, sold the property to UC Investments in September. The store plans to close Nov. 3, so this Halloween will be its last in Westwood. In the same Daily Bruin report, Bhasin described what keeps a Village block working:
"One business feeds off the other. If you come to eat ice cream, you'll come into our store, or you come into our store, you'll go and eat ice cream."
Other closures were already underway. The Daily Bruin lists Broxton Brewery, Urban Outfitters, Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers and Espresso Profeta among the Westwood businesses that shut in the past year. Espresso Profeta, at 1129 Glendon Avenue for 20 years, closed the week of Sept. 22 and cited rent it could no longer afford.
| Business | Address | Status as of Oct. 12, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Outfitters | 1028 and 1038 Westwood Blvd. | Closed in August after the acquisition |
| Espresso Profeta | 1129 Glendon Ave. | Closed in late September |
| Aahs! | Westwood Blvd. at Kinross Ave. | Closing Nov. 3; property sold to UC Investments |
| Raising Cane's | 1008 Broxton Ave. | Opened July 13 |
| Sana'a Cafe | 939 Broxton Ave. | Opened Oct. 5; grand opening Oct. 15 |
Broxton Avenue Took the Openings
The two clearest openings of the season are both on Broxton. Raising Cane's opened at 1008 Broxton Avenue, at Weyburn Avenue, on July 13. The Daily Bruin noted the location took three years to arrive.
For a morning walk, the bigger addition is Sana'a Cafe at 939 Broxton Avenue. It opened Monday, Oct. 5, serving Yemeni coffee and tea, pastries and study seating, and its grand opening is set for Oct. 15. It opened the same fall Espresso Profeta closed on Glendon, so the Village still has a new independent coffee counter.
Off Broxton, the Westwood Village Improvement Association's September newsletter reports that Pretty Bird has brought Nashville-style hot chicken to 10840 Wilshire Boulevard.
What's Announced but Not Yet Confirmed Open
The same WVIA newsletter lists a "Coming Soon" group, with most of it on the 900 block of Westwood Boulevard. None of these had a confirmed opening as of Oct. 12:
- Boichik Bagels, 911 Westwood Blvd. What Now Los Angeles reported it in early September with no opening date.
- Ghost Sando, 901 Westwood Blvd. Its owner told What Now Los Angeles he expected to open by the end of September.
- The Melt, on Westwood Boulevard. A Daily Bruin preview projected a fall opening at 931. The chain's location directory lists 913.
- Better Buzz Coffee, 951 Westwood Blvd.
- Chill Since '93, 923 Broxton Ave.
If they all open, the corner of Westwood Boulevard and Kinross could have a bagel shop, a sandwich counter and two more coffee options within a few doors of each other. None of the five have been publicly tied to the university's portfolio.
The Two Theaters Separate After 80 Years
The Village's movie houses carry the most weight on Broxton. The Westwood Village Theater and the Bruin Theater both closed in July 2024 when their leases expired. This year they took different paths.
The former Fox Westwood Village Theater at 961 Broxton Avenue is now called the Directors Village. The nonprofit American Cinematheque runs it in partnership with the Village Directors Circle, a group of filmmakers that includes Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas. The Daily Bruin reported that the theater reopened temporarily this summer for a 70mm festival and a three-week 70mm run of "The Odyssey" that raised money for its restoration. It was then set to close for fall renovations and reopen in 2027. The Daily Bruin also lists Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro and Jason Reitman among the buyers and puts the renovation at $25 million.
The Bruin is moving on a faster schedule. Toronto-based exhibitor Rui Pereira signed a lease in mid-July. He plans 35mm and 70mm screenings and will keep the existing seats instead of putting in recliners. As of August, the theater was expected to reopen as soon as October. As of Oct. 12, no reopening date has been confirmed publicly. Movie theater historian Bill Counter told the Daily Bruin that the two theaters had been under joint ownership for more than 80 years and that the Bruin will now have its own bookers for the first time. In the same article, he described how the Village used to feel after a show:
"It was festive, with hundreds of people, if not thousands, coming out after a show and wandering around, patronizing local businesses."
This is the same idea of businesses feeding each other that Bhasin described.
The Places That Stay Put
Some parts of the routine below Sunset haven't changed hands. The Hammer Museum on Wilshire has a full fall season. Huguette Caland: A Life in a Few Lines runs Sept. 27, 2026, through Feb. 28, 2027. Mavis Pusey: Mobile Images opened Oct. 11 and also runs through Feb. 28. Shorter projects by Vibeke Mascini, through Jan. 17, and Gê Viana, through Feb. 7, are also on view. The museum lists a free weekly Mindful Awareness Meditation on Thursdays, including a session on Oct. 15 at 12:30 p.m.
Closer to home, the Holmby Park lawn bowling club posts play on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10 a.m., Sundays at 3 p.m., and twilight bowling on Wednesdays at 5 p.m.
Two Metro closures over the next two weekends will affect the drive down to the Village. According to the WVIA's October newsletter, the southbound I-405 on- and off-ramp to eastbound Wilshire Boulevard will close for about 55 hours each time:
- Friday, Oct. 16, through Monday, Oct. 19
- Friday, Oct. 23, through Monday, Oct. 26
The same newsletter says sidewalk repairs are continuing at several Village locations and may limit pedestrian access at times.
Westwood Village has moved from a family landlord with deep UCLA ties to the university itself, and its main street will change on the university's schedule. Nichole Shanfeld follows how changes like this one affect the Holmby Hills and Little Holmby streets above the Village. If you'd like a private conversation about what it could mean for a specific property, Request Private Access.
