A Local’s Source for Beach Cruisers & Repair Is an Apparent Victim of Gentrification
By Nick Antonicello
Another Venice institution has closed its doors for good.
Manny’s Lowrider Bikes, located on Lincoln Boulevard for some four decades, is no more.
A true venue for Venetians seeking spare bike parts, flat repairs and vintage Schwinn bicycles, the longtime retailer downsized about three years ago when there was a change in building ownership.
The smaller space was vacated as of August 3, and the phone number is disconnected.
That strip of Lincoln just south of Lincoln Hardware has seen a plethora of new stores with many of the businesses struggling to stay open. In the case of Manny’s, it was a hangout of sorts as regulars would flock on the weekends to check out the vintage items or purchase their beach cruisers which sold for a shade above $300.
Sources say the store was struggling with diminishing customers and extravagant rent hikes which made keeping the business afloat all the more improbable.
I was last there in early June and there was no indication the store was closing or relocating.
Nick Antonicello is a thirty-one year resident of the neighborhood and covers all things Venice. Have a take or a tip? Contact him via e-mail at nantoni@mindspring.com
