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Studio City's boutiques, eateries and beauty businesses bring a West Side vibe over the hill. The area's no Robertson Boulevard or Melrose Place, but what it lacks in prestige and top-shelf flagships is made up for with free parking, less attitude and no blinding paparazzi flashes.
STUDIO STORES
While the stretch of Ventura Boulevard between Colfax and Whitsett Avenues has its fair share of the chain outposts (Banana Republic, DSW, Urban Outfitters, Anne Taylor Loft), it is also home to several independent retailers peddling hip and high-end garments and accessories.
Maxine is one of the newest additions to the mile, having opened last May. Its crystal chandelier, glossy black shelves and fresh bouquets trigger an immediate expectation of elegance. The modern, sophisticated and striking inventory, which includes offerings from Karen Zambos, Mara Hoffman and Sheri Bodell, follows through on that first impression. Many area stores focus on casual offerings, so Maxine's stock of decidedly dressed-up duds fills a valley void. (Maxine, 12354 Ventura Boulevard, 818-623-9900. Open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.)
Bulk candy? Check. Missoni wedges and Tarina Tarantino baubles? Got 'em. Scanty PJ sets, JimmyJane candles and Malin + Goetz skin care products? You betcha. Mimi & Hy, the black-and-white Mod-looking boutique owned by two born-and-bred Valley Girl sisters, has a woman's main needs - sugar, shoes, smells, sleep and sexy-time aids - covered. Videos like "The Devil Wears Prada" are projected on the back curtain at this self-proclaimed "general store for the fabulous." (Mimi & Hy, 12019 Ventura Boulevard, 818-761-2202....