I know, I know. We were supposed to be a little bit further into this series by now than just two posts, but don’t we all have projects that get put on the back burner for just a tad too long? Well, I’m back, I’m bad and I’m unemployed, so let’s do this!

This time we’re going to be telling you a little bit about those three little but awesome places that occupy the strip in between The Echo and the travel agency: Future, Origami Vinyl and Two Boots.

Future just moved into their current spot at 1814 Sunset this past November. I really can think of no better way to describe this place than to use the owner, Will’s, own words: “good times and cool clothes.” When I went in they had a screen and a projector set up with which to watch skate videos. They gave me two free Bill & Ted’s trading cards. They have a bench out front emblazoned with lines from 80s films for their friends to skate on. They have an impressive selection of VHS for sale. And in their store I found the most mouth-watering (maroon, leather, Jordache!) jacket I have ever seen.

Check out their blog and their online store. Or, if you would like to actually go there, they’re located at 1814 W. Sunset Blvd. They’re open from noon to 1 am, Monday through Sunday.

There isn’t much to say about Origami Vinyl that hasn’t already been said. Every person I spoke with before going to visit them told me about Neil and how his and Sean’s store made the neighborhood an awesome place to live. They exclusively sell new vinyl and re-issues, so don’t go there looking for second-hand or vintage records to hang on your wall. To paraphrase Neil, there are just too many great new releases and re-issues to fit anything else into their small space. But he obviously adores every square foot of his little store. They get new stuff in once every couple of days, and there are shows there about once a week. Be sure to check out what’s going down on their blog.

Do you like pizza? Do you live in or near Echo Park? Well, then you should be eating at  Two Boots on a regular basis!! This goes double if you’re an east coast transplant and crave the kind of pizza that you find everywhere on the right side of the country. Oh, that delicious cornmeal-coated crust (not the type that you have to dip in ranch dressing)! Hurray for their carefully-planned-out topping combinations! Behold the pizza angel that adorns their wall! It’s not as cheap as La Pizza Loca, for example, but it’s worth every penny. And they’re open until midnight every night and 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays. You can order online here.