Trader Joe's on Hyperion Expanding into Former Video Hut Store

Photo: Jessica Ritz

Though not without its charms, the always crowded, much beloved Trader Joe's location in Silver Lake is a challenge to negotiate. The headache-inducing factors include that narrow congested stretch of Hyperion, the dangerous intersection at Monon, an extremely busy parking lot, and cramped aisles. The added traffic signal at Monon and ancillary parking lot up the street has eased some of these troubles a bit.

Yet now comes another piece of good news for Trader Joe's shoppers: the adjacent Video Hut store, which recently (and not surprisingly) closed, will house an expanded TJ's. An employee was spotted painting a mural announcement yesterday. The store apparently doesn't have all its permits in place and whatnot, so it could still be a few months until the wall is broken through, the graphic carpet replaced with slick linoleum tiles, and good stocked on shelves. Customers might need that time to figure out their parking plan, in case the bigger market attracts more people, thereby overloading both parking lots.