Former MOSCOT Space at Melrose & Edinburgh Is Officially Leased
The most-watched corner east of Melrose Place, dark for what felt like only a moment after MOSCOT's move west, now has a new tenant. In a corridor this coveted, the rent does not flinch.
LOS ANGELES — The former MOSCOT space adjacent to Community Goods has been leased, market sources confirmed. The incoming tenant has executed a long-term lease on the northeast corner of Melrose and Edinburgh and is believed to be one of Europe's fastest-rising brands, preparing to debut its first U.S. flagship at the location.
MOSCOT, which recently relocated further west on Melrose between North Knoll Drive and Westmount Drive, occupied the space for nearly seven years.
The transaction marks the first major lease completed under the property's new ownership, Avondale Equities, which acquired the asset for $3.55 million roughly three years ago.
The landlord was represented by Aubrey Hinkson, Jonathan Schley, and Andrew Turf of Newmark, while the tenant was represented by Cristian Goodson of CBRE.
Neither party was available for comment.
Highstreet Teams personnel are actively monitoring the situation as efforts continue to confirm the identity of the incoming brand.
Market Economics: The Corner Doesn't Care
Inflation is still running hot. The labor market continues to soften. Fuel and electricity costs are moving higher, with the Iran conflict and the contested closure of the Strait of Hormuz adding more pressure.
The best retail corners do not seem to care.
Demand for trophy frontage is still holding, and the rents are saying the quiet part out loud. We're told 7977 Melrose initially went out at $78 PSF per year, NNN. The brand now taking the corner is rumored to have paid above ask. We have not confirmed the final number, so treat that as market chatter, not record.
But the broader point is harder to ignore: the strongest brands are still chasing the best corners, even as the macro picture gets worse around them. They are underwriting growth, visibility, and cultural relevance while everyone else is reading inflation prints and geopolitical headlines.
That has always been the strange thing about scarcity. The truly irreplaceable locations tend to detach from the cycle.
The question is whether scarcity wins again, or whether the corner finally catches up to the cycle.
Market Notes
The Melrose/Fairfax corridor keeps pulling capital, with a new wave of operators beginning to settle in. Architecture Books has been open for well over a year. Holiday, which celebrated its one-year anniversary last week, has given the block another quiet signal of staying power. Revice is the newest arrival, having opened less than two weeks ago.
The newcomers are only half the story. Across the street at 8000 Melrose, directly opposite 7977, Reformation has held its corner since 2017. That patience now looks less like brand marketing and more like real estate discipline.
On June 25, the company filed for a U.S. IPO, with plans to list on the NYSE under "REF." The filing follows more than $500 million in annual revenue and 20 consecutive quarters of double-digit growth.
For the incoming tenant at 7977 Melrose, that is the tell. In a choppy market, a neighbor with that track record (and now a path to public capital) is evidence that the corner still pencils, even if the face rent looks aggressive.
Scarcity is not always rational. But on the best corners, it remains very bankable.