NE1 Skate Shop Supports Local Designers, Musicians and Artists

I’m walking to on a Tuesday evening, and the only thing I can think of is what to say when I’m asked if I need help finding anything. Between the aroma of gourmet coffee at  and the scent of cheese steaks at , I become distracted and forget about coming up with a cool and convincing answer.

This writer is not exactly a skater girl. I can barely rollerskate in a straight line on flat pavement, much less keep both feet planted on a board for 10 seconds.  My knowledge of tricks is only thanks to the video game Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and I couldn’t even pass for a poseur if I tried.

I quickly realize it’s not strictly for skaters when I step inside the loft-style store. There’s something for everyone — body chains for fashionistas, street art paintings, and of course, boards & wheels. In the front are rows of urban tees and tanks; there's graffiti art on canvas and two paintings of what looks like an East-L.A.-pre-gentrification interpretation of Herman and Lily Munster in the back. A giant, colorful graffiti mural takes up nearly half of the opposite wall, serving up an urban vibe.

Devon Mix, who’s one-third of the NE1 team, peeks his head out from behind the counter to welcome me into the store. We start talking, and he tells me they’ve been open since mid-December of 2011 but didn’t get the wheels fully rolling until this January.

Everything in the store is locally made, Mix tells me. He and the store’s co-owners, David Babin and Nate Childress, reached out to local indie designers and artists to showcase their work in the shop. They also offers apparel printing, graphic design services and more. Mix says he, Babin and Childress are committed to offering the space to anyone (hence the shop's name, "NE1") – DJs, graffiti artists, fashion designers, etc. – who needs help getting exposure.

“We try to support the (NoHo Arts) District as much a we can,” he says.  Customers who show a receipt from a local business will get 10 percent off their purchase, and the store regularly hosts music and art events every weekend. 

NE1 is also collaborating with their NoHo neighbors — they’re sponsoring a cups-and-balls tournament at the Wednesday, May 2, and an art show at is in the works for September.

The skate shop is every bit your neighborhood hangout — its proximity to the  makes it a local go-to spot, but Mix says the store has its non-skater regulars, too.

While we talk, a short, middle-aged man in a white button-up shirt, red pants and glasses walks in.

“Have you listened to my music yet?”, he asks Mix. The man introduces himself to me as Carmine and says he’s a musician who makes “everything from rap to country.”

He doesn’t skate, he tells me, but he lives within walking distance and likes to stop in for a chat quite often.

Use my music in your skateboarding videos, Carmine insists. “You’ll make lots of money!”

“I’m down,” Mix says. He seems wary to make any promises, but his approach echoes the store’s philosophy – people from all walks of life, skaters or not, are always welcome to hang.

NE1 Skate Shop is located at 11114 Magnolia Boulevard in North Hollywood.  Business hours are Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.