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Though Westwood is no longer known for its vibrant nightlife as it was in the 1980s, local business owners say the Village is still a pulsating college town that grows and changes with the times.

Over the past few years, chain stores such as Urban Outfitters, Bebe and California Pizza Kitchen have moved into Westwood, drawing students into the Village, said Clinton Schudy, general manager for Oakley’s, a family-owned barber shop that recently celebrated its 75th anniversary.

The introduction of these businesses was part of an effort to increase interest in Westwood since the town became quieter following a shooting in the 1980s.

Schudy said Westwood lost business as competing shopping districts sprang up nearby, but the recent increase in retail stores has partly made up for that.

Students said they have noticed the change in storefronts.

“I’m sad that the (Westwood) Farmers’ Market has been moved. I also miss various stores such as U-Dog that have closed, but I think there have been great shops that have come to fill their spots,” said Grant Kim, a fourth-year economics student.

Schudy said additional parking has also added to Westwood’s popularity.

He said a new policy requiring builders to replace parking spaces they build over keeps visitor traffic flowing in and has helped the city recover.

All these factors have combined to make Westwood a more viable area than it was a few years ago.

“We’re looking at a much healthier village than we were,” said Sandy Brown, president of the Holmby-Westwood Property Owners Association.

And the Village is likely to improve in the near future, she said. The UCLA graduate housing on Weyburn Avenue and the construction of Palazzo Westwood, a mixed-use complex with apartments and retail spaces currently being built, are likely to further improve the city by bringing in additional residents, Brown said.

This year, Westwood will also play host to the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, an annual 10-day festival from June 22 to July 2 that showcases American and international cinema to audiences of more than 60,000.

Brown said the festival is expected to draw over 100,000 people.

But some business owners said the changes Westwood has experienced in the past few years are making the Village less community-oriented.

“It’s definitely gotten more corporate than it was 10 years ago, which makes it harder to have an identity (of) being a small village,” said Phil Gabriel, owner of Scrubs Unlimited on Weyburn Avenue.

He said that many mom-and-pop shops have been replaced by corporate entities which do not have a vested interest in the city, making cooperation to improve the Village difficult.

“We have really tried to cater to the UCLA crowd by offering packages and pricing and passing out flyers and coupons,” Gabriel said.

Some students said the Village helps college students by providing them with a place to hang out or study when they are off campus.

“A lot of things that you don’t find on campus can be found in Westwood, and Westwood’s merchants do a pretty good job, especially with their discounts,” said Scott Lee, a fourth-year psychology student.

Lee said while the city does not satisfy every single need of a college student, the Village meets many of students’ daily necessities.

Gizelle Strohkendl, one of the owners of Mural Chastanet Fine Jewelry on Glendon Avenue, said bringing in students from campus requires getting them excited about the services merchants offer.

Simply providing good services that spread by word of mouth is one of the best business tactics, said Andrew Gordon, general manager of Enzo’s Pizzeria.

Lee said the general impression that Westwood has left on him has made his time as an undergraduate at UCLA enjoyable.

“Looking back on my time here, I’m glad we have Westwood nearby,” he said.