Arcana Books Settling Into New Home at Helms Bakery

Relocating 100,000 books from their longtime home at the Santa Monica Promenade to Helms Bakery District in Culver City has proven to be a stressful, but amazing experience for the owners of Arcana Books on the Arts.

From 1989 until February of last year, the specialized mom and pop book-retailer owned by Lee and Whitney Kaplan rented a space on the next door to what is now a .

The Kaplans grew to detest the area, which had grown from "no man's land" to a "totally depressed walking mall," they told the LA Weekly in a story published Monday. Finally ready to move on and with their sights set on Culver City, they were "wooed" by Wally Mark of Helms Bakery, which offered a space that's like "a big glass box that's surrounded by windows on three sides," Lee told the paper.

"Between the cost of all of our grandiose notions of moving and being closed for an extra two months without having any income," it's been difficult, Lee told the Weekly. "It's been the most stressful thing I've done in my adult life, probably Whitney too, but it's been really amazing."

As for the old Arcana space on the Promenade? It's undergoing .

For the full story, visit the LA Weekly

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