This is the final story in a new series exploring the sights, tastes and culture of stops along the newly extended L.A. Metro A Line.
Rebecca Keeler
Special to the Campus Times
When departing from the La Verne station, a 49-minute train excursion brings the rider to the lively city of Los Angeles, which has 20 stations. The Highland Park station, located at the intersection of North Avenue 57 and Marmion Way, is in the center of the historic neighborhood, and one stop away from Chinatown.
Since Sept. 19, 2025, the newly extended Los Angeles Metro A Line that launches from the city of La Verne has made traveling west to the Pasadena area, then going south to Long Beach, a whole lot easier, quicker and more convenient.
The Highland Park station in Los Angeles is within walking distance of multiple interesting culturally and ethnically diverse businesses, restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, salons and boutiques.
Tenshoppe, a family-owned women’s clothing store that specializes in producing quality trendy apparel at an affordable price, has served the community since 2021. Amy Rosales has worked as a key holder manager at Tenshoppe for one year. She said she has not noticed many customers who visit from the A Line; nevertheless, she encourages Metro users to visit the store due to its proximity to the station.
“This is a very unique and modern business compared to other clothing stores in the area,” Rosales said. “Because our products are designed for women, we offer a wide variety of stylish, trendy items you wouldn’t normally find elsewhere.”
Tenshoppe offers a variety of festival and western-inspired attire, along with workout sets, swimsuits, dresses, accessories and purses. The store features clothing priced between $16 and $40, while accessories such as handbags and jewelry range from $20 to $100.
One block from Tenshoppe, Highland Park Florist is another family-owned and operated business that uses high-quality flowers in its bouquets and custom arrangements. For the past 35 years, the popular floral design shop has enticed customers with its colorful and vibrant creations.
Griselda Hernandez has worked as a customer service representative at Highland Park Florist for 20 years. She said she has noticed many customers visiting from the A Line and that customer care and satisfaction are top priorities at the shop.
“We have many customers that come in for our most popular flowers, which are red roses and sunflowers,” Hernandez said. “Since opening in 1991, we have loved serving customers and supporting the local community through school and church fundraisers.”
Highland Park Florist offers carnation bouquets for $10, floral arrangements for $20, and custom arrangements priced individually, which can include roses, tulips, lilies, orchids, dahlias and hydrangeas.
Across the street from Highland Park Florist, Gimme Gimme Records is a popular vinyl record shop that carries both new and used records. The shop first opened in 1994 in New York City and moved across the country to its current location in Highland Park in 2015.
Joe Gaer, manager at Gimme Gimme Records, has worked at the shop for 11 years. He said the shop is known for buying and selling records across a variety of genres, including heavy metal, rock, classical, jazz, reggae, pop, disco, hip-hop, soul, Spanish-language music and punk.
“Our store is definitely worth visiting because it is located in one of the few walkable areas in Los Angeles,” Gaer said. “Currently, I would say our most popular records are by Taylor Swift and The Beatles.”
Gimme Gimme Records offers a variety of modern, vintage and rare individual records and box sets that range in price from $1 to $200.
Eagle Rock resident Jordan Curiel said he regularly takes the A Line to visit the record shop.
“I enjoy their selection of R&B and hip-hop records,” Curiel said. “I would absolutely recommend this shop to others because it is a one-of-a-kind business with many unique items to choose from.”
Regarding the atmosphere of the area, Rosales, Hernandez, Gaer and Curiel all agree that Highland Park is a welcoming community with many gems and wonderful family-owned businesses worth visiting.
During my trip to Highland Park, a tropical floral hair claw clip from Tenshoppe attracted my attention for its vibrant design, and a $10 carnation bouquet caught my eye for its colorful appearance. While exploring Gimme Gimme Records, a Charlotte Moorman Cello Anthology box set piqued my interest in a new musician. I found my various experiences in Highland Park to be nothing short of an adventurously memorable day.
Other notable businesses within walking distance of the Highland Park station are Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, a dessert shop; Mason’s Dumpling Shop, a dim sum restaurant; and The Bearded Beagle, a vintage clothing store.
Additional information regarding Tenshoppe tenshoppe.com, Highland Park Florist highlandparkflorist.com and Gimme Gimme Records gimmegimmerecords.com is visible on their websites.
Rebecca Keeler can be reached at rebecca.keeler@laverne.edu.
Metro A Line: Before you Board
For rider convenience, below are answers to frequently asked questions about the Metro A Line departing from the La Verne station:
- How often does the A Line operate? Roughly every seven minutes.
- What are the hours of operation for the A Line? 4 a.m. to midnight on weekdays. 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekends.
- Where does the A Line go? 48 stops spanning nearly 60 miles from Pomona to downtown Long Beach.
- How much does the A Line cost? $1.75 regular fare. 75 cents for seniors ages 62+ and for customers with disabilities. Prices are for a one-way trip and include two hours of free transfers when paying with a $2 reusable TAP card.
- How long does it take the A Line to get to the San Dimas station? Departure from the La Verne station to Highland Park takes approximately 49 minutes.
- Is there a monitored metro alert system? There is a regularly updated L.A. Metro rider alert account on the social media platform X. The account can be found under the username @metrolaalerts.
The L.A. metro rail schedule is subject to change due to delays. Visit the L.A. Metro website for more information.
Rebecca Keeler, a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations and a music minor, is a staff writer for the Campus Times.
