The story of Fairfax is the story of LA. An upbeat, diverse neighborhood that once represented the California dream — and which is now in a state of steady decline.

Drive north from the 10 Freeway along Fairfax and you can still see flashes of its the neighborhood’s past glory. Vintage shops; trendy restaurants; and, further up the way, LA’s best museums and the famous Grove shopping mall.

But there are also signs of decay. Empty storefronts; crumbling sidewalks; and entertainment venues struggling to keep the doors open.

The California Post reports how the Fairfax District has become a “ghost town,” with mom-and-pop businesses going under. Even The Dime, one of the most recognizable comedy clubs in the city, is facing closure.

Local leaders understand that the 20% vacancy rate is a real problem. Once there are enough shuttered storefronts, it’s hard to attract new businesses and residents to the area.

LA Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky admits that the streets need fixing, and that the pandemic took a heavy toll.

The COVID-19 lockdowns — imposed by Governor Gavin Newsom, and enforced under then-Mayor Eric Garcetti — came at the worst possible time for retail, when consumers were already turning to online shopping and delivery.

LA is still struggling to recover. Rising sales taxes — including a 0.5% hike on the county passed by voters in June — are just some of the new costs facing the small businesses that are the heart of the Fairfax District.

And the neighborhood is still haunted by what happened on the last weekend of May in 2020.

That’s when so-called “peaceful protests,” part of the Black Lives Matter movement, targeted Fairfax.

Mobs of rioters moved down Fairfax, smashing storefronts and attacking police cars. 

Viewers around the nation saw police cars on fire on Fairfax, with anti-police slogans scrawled in spray paint on burning cruisers.

Local business owners felt abandoned, as the city failed to protect them — while politicians rushed to “take a knee” in solidarity with protesters.

Building the district back up is going to take hard work, and political commitment.

It’s going to need a revival of jobs in Hollywood.

It’s going to need a real effort to fix local streets and clear homeless encampments.

And it’s going to need a restored sense of public safety.

The good news is that locals are ready to do what they can.

What they need now is stronger leadership from City Hall.

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