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Nick Metropolis Collectibles, the labyrinth of items large and small that sits on the corner of 1st Street and La Brea Avenue, is at the risk of closing down. The iconic store has occupied the corner building for close to 30 years, but a recent string of bad financial luck has made the possibility of losing the building much more likely. Nick Metropolis recently spoke to the L.A. Times and explained how his old landlord would occasionally front him some money to fill in the gap with rent. This landlord passed away last year, and new management has been less forgiving. This, coupled with a large burglary and property-damaging rain this winter, has left Metropolis in huge amounts of debt. Over $100,000, according to the New York Times.
Metropolis has worked with a judge to work out a payment plan of $4,000/week and $1,000 of back payment until his debt is buried. He has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay off his debt, because the income of a collectibles store is too erratic to rely on. If he misses a weekly payment, he could lose his business. And this on a block with high-end boutiques, a Sugarfish, Sycamore Kitchen, and third-wave coffee shops—Metropolis' property could bring in much higher rent than what he currently pays.
Metropolis sells to tourists, celebrities, set decorators, college students, and more. The street gets a decent amount of foot traffic, so often people stumble into the store and marvel at his collection. In the video for his GoFundMe page, he describes his commitment to donating to charity and supporting the homeless in his neighborhood. Metropolis has to pay the first $5,000 of his payment plan this upcoming Monday.
Nick Metropolis Collectibles is located at 100 South La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles.
(323) 934-3700
