Exclusive | LAs Fairfax District now a ghost town of empty storefronts as biz owners blast greedy landlords squeezing survivors

Once a vibrant strip of mom-and-pop shops and tentpole retailers at the center of Los Angeles, Fairfax Avenue’s famed business corridor is now a shell of its former self.Steps from the Farmers Market and Rick Caruso’s tourist-packed The Grove, the district, home to legendary restaurants like Canter’s Deli and Genghis Cohen, should be thriving — not facing a nearly 20% vacancy rate.But that’s cruel reality in 2026, say desperate business owners, who are now speaking out about the growing number of blighted, empty storefronts — as leaseholders flee stubbornly high rents at the heart of one of the priciest commercial rental markets in the country.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story “When I was a kid, the people who owned the properties were people who lived in the area,” said Nick Starr, who grew up in the neighborhood and owns Cofax Coffee on the struggling strip. “Now it’s their children or their grandchildren.

They’re really more interested in extracting the highest rent than they are of taking care of their properties,” he told the California Post.Starr thinks landlords are simply asking for too much money. “I’m aware of at least two properties where the landlords are asking what I consider Beverly Hills rents for Mid-City property,” he said.

“And so those properties have just been sitting vacant…  in some cases for years.”When streetwear juggernaut Supreme arrived on Fairfax in 2004, it gave the street a whole new identity, bringing a younger, hipper crowd. After 19 years on the block, Supreme ditched Fairfax for Sunset Boulevard in 2023.Starr said the block has yet to recover from the loss.“I think the block has been kind of trying to find its identity ever since that departure,” he explained.Simon B., manager ...