Robertson's out-of-sight rents

Some of the high-end boutiques within a couple of blocks of The Ivy are shelling out $17 a square foot, compared with just $5 in 2000. That's the price you pay to have celebrities like Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears shop at your store. But it's likely to push out the more successful independents in favor of big corporate retailers. Coach just announced plans to open a boutique called Coach Legacy at 112 S. Robertson; other recent examples include Ted Baker and BCBG Max Azria. The lesser-known parts of Robertson between Third Street and Melrose Avenue are still affordable ($3.50 to $11), but they're also less trafficked. From California Apparel News:

Robertson’s boutique owners are getting jittery that skyrocketing rents will put the street in danger of –losing its independent identity, said Alison Muh of Los Angeles–based accessories brand Surly Girl, which has a store at 116 N. Robertson Blvd. “It’s a trend-setting place where boutiques take a lot of risks on new designers,” she observed. “It won’t happen if Coach and BCBG take up the street.” Big companies with well-known brand names are typically the businesses that can afford to pay high store rents, as witnessed on Rodeo Drive, which is filled with global brands. On Rodeo, stores are renting for $35 a square foot and more.