"Best Restaurants" of Hermosa Beach
"Best Retailers" of Hermosa Beach
"Best Sports" and "Best Kids" of Hermosa Beach
"Best Bar & Entertainment" and "Writers Best Of" Hermosa Beach
The Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Association
City of HB Info HBNA Photo Gallery HB Crime Info HB Weblinks
"Best Restaurants" of Hermosa Beach
"Best Retailers" of Hermosa Beach
"Best Sports" and "Best Kids" of Hermosa Beach
"Best Bar & Entertainment" and "Writers Best Of" Hermosa Beach
"Best Retailers"
Parts 1 - 5The Easy Reader – March 3, 2005
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Best
Antique Store
Stars Antique -
Stars debunks the popular
caricature of the antique store as a dusty storage shed for over-priced junk.
The store is located in the Big Red Barn, which was built in 1917 and is
practically an antique itself. It holds over a century of history from
furniture, to original oils to poker chips. However, unlike a museum,
everything’s for sale.
People come to Stars Antique from all over the United States and sometimes the
world in search of the same thing: superb craftsmanship, uniqueness, and fair
prices. “Having something that looks different than what you see when you walk
into IKEA,” owner Bonnie Moton said.
Moton has owned Stars for nine years and attributes the incredible variety to
the stores 65 dealers who all have different tastes. European, American, and
African collectables are bought by kids, adults, decorators and even movie set
designers. “It is a place,” Moton said, “where it is easy to lose track of
time.” –CD
Star’s Antiques, 526 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach 543-3770
Runner-up: Le Garage, 717 S. Pacific Coast. Hwy., Redondo Beach 540-7737
Best auto
repair
Union 76 Rolling Hills -
When South Bay voters chose this shop on top of the Hill, they were making a
decidedly old school choice: the Union 76 gas station at the corner of Silver
Spur and Hawthorne Blvd. is a word-of-mouth favorite that does things the old
fashioned way. “It’s real simple,” says owner Charlie Webster. “It’s cheap talk,
but our customers know that we are competent and we try to accommodate people as
best we can. I come in seven days a week at 4 in the morning, and if I’ve got to
stay 15 and 16 hours, that’s the way it is.” Webster has been at the station 27
years. He and fellow mechanics Fred McKenna and Dave Jones try to keep things as
simple as possible for their customers, many whose cars they’ve serviced for
years and even decades. They also explain exactly what work they’ve done and why
it needed to be done, even to those who are less than motor-literate. “For me,
it’s not all about money,” Webster says. “I mean, that is why I work, but I take
satisfaction in knowing I provide a service for people, fixing cars properly and
fairly. In other words, I’m not like a lot of shops that get into this oversell,
with guys on commission saying you need this, that, or whatever, and the next
thing you know it’s sticker shock.” – MM
Union 76, 449 Silver Spur Rd., Rolling Hills Est., 377-3503
Runner-up: Auto Werkstadt, 305 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach 379-3228
Best New
Car Dealer
South Bay Ford -
If test driving the new Mustang GT is the best thing about a
visit to South Bay Ford, waiting to test drive a Mustang, or any other car at
South Bay Ford is a close second. South Bay Ford’s showroom, with leather
couches and gigantic projection screens, is more like the lobby of private club
than a dealership – a feeling reinforced by the dealership’s café.
The independent, family owned dealership has over 500 vehicles on site. Its 78
service bays are the second most of any dealership in Southern California. In
keeping with its emphasis on making the customer comfortable, service
appointments and parts orders can be made online at
www.southbayford.com/ – CS
So. Bay Ford, 5100 W Rosecrans Ave., Hawthorne 644-0211
Runner-up: Land Rover of So. Bay, 900 N. Pacific Coast Hwy., Hermosa 798-0550
Best Used
Car Dealer
Casey’s Premium Cars -
When notified that readers had
voted his four-decade-old dealership the Best Used Car Dealer, owner John Casey
responded with the following fax. Its tone alone is enough to explain why
Casey’s has maintained a loyal following in a business whose customers love to
gripe. “A 600 horsepower thank you to the South Bay for this very special award
on our 40th anniversary at 8th and Pacific Coast Hwy., in Hermosa Beach.
Like the blink of a headlight or the turn of a wheel, the time has just rolled on by. And just like good old Mother Pacific Ocean, we’re still here. Car relics John Casey, Ben Haxton, Phil Prichard, Mark Adams, Paul Romero and tire biter Wyatt, our dog, won’t press you during your quest for the ultimate vehicle.
We’ve got
handpicked new car trade-ins from Acura to Z Cars and everything in between,
including European luxury cars, trucks, SUVs, domestics, convertibles and
classics. We take the nuts, bolts and money wrenches out of your next car
purchase.” –KC
Casey’s Premium Cars, 802 Pacific Coast Hwy., Hermosa Beach. 379-5474.
Runner-up: California Sportscar, 305 S Sepulveda, Manhattan Beach 374-5349
Best Bank
Bank of America, Manhattan downtown branch -
In an age where local banks are no more than branches for
vastly impersonal banking system, the B of A branch in Manhattan Beach shows why
it was singled out as best bank in the South Bay. The staff here know the names
of its customers dogs. “We’re completely dog friendly,” said personal banker
Julian Walsh, who maintains a stash of dog biscuits beside his desk. “When the
dogs come in, they know exactly where to go.”
The bank keeps a rule similar to that held by supermarkets in their checkout
lanes. If a line takes more than three minutes, they’ll open another teller.
Walsh said it’s the personal touch and honesty the management provides that sets
it apart. “They appreciate our honesty. I tell them the way it is, not
necessarily what they always want to hear,” Walsh said. – DR
Bank of America, 1200 Highland Ave., 796-7085
Runner-up: Commercial Capitol, 1309 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Beach 379-5969
Best Bike
Shop
Beach Cities Cycle -
Running a good bicycle shop
doesn’t involve reinventing the wheel, but in the competitive world of the South
Bay bicycles (where there are more bike shops than it would seem could be
economically viable) it does take something almost as fundamental: the shop must
really, really know its customers and their needs. This is where Beach Cities
Cycles excels, with a superbly stocked parts inventory, a great selection of
bikes, and a skilled staff of mechanics and bike enthusiasts who go out of their
way to provide excellent service.
“We aren’t one of the biggest shops in the world,” says owner Brian Linquist,
“but we have pretty much any accessory anyone could need. We’re kind of a one
stop shop, and we really take care of our customers.” One key way in which the
shop serves its clientele is by staying open until 8 p.m. weeknights.
“We are
here later than any other shop, and that’s a big thing, because a lot of people
in the South Bay work downtown or in Hollywood and don’t get down here until 7
p.m. or 7:30 p.m. They need a tube or an adjustment or something and we are
here,” Linquist says. The shop has a mechanic on duty at all times, as well. “We
are great bunch of people, and we are good lucking too,” says mechanic Matt
Michaels. –MM
Beach Cities Cycle, 219 Pac. Coast. Hwy., Hermosa Beach 318-6030
Runner-up: Hermosa Cyclery, 20-13th St., Hermosa Beach 318-1283
The Easy Reader – March 3, 2005
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Best
Bookstore
Barnes & Noble -
Convenient, with lots of
choices, which means it’s a great place to browse — or to go straight for that
special book you’ve just heard about or have been meaning to pick up and read.
Is the family dictionary over 10 years old? Then maybe you should put one of
these in your cart!
Barnes & Noble also tailors its inventory to reflect the lifestyles and
interests of South Bay residents. But if they don’t have what you want in
stock—because everyone has unique tastes, right? — they’ll be happy to order it.
The store carries music as well, and contains a coffee bar that’ll give you
energy to keep browsing. –BW
Barnes & Noble, 1800 W. Rosecrans Ave., Manhattan Beach. 725-7025
Runner-up: Borders Books and Music, 3700 Torrance Blvd., Torrance. 540-7000
Best Used
Bookstore
Eclectic Collector -
In this age of purchasing
everything from home via the Internet, it’s necessary to remember that much of
the pleasure of buying used books is in the browsing. After all, it’s in the
real bookstore that we can stumble upon those gems we’d forgotten or didn’t even
know about.
Representing the best of both worlds is The Eclectic Collector, our
readers’ first choice, tucked away among Hermosa Avenue’s gaudier attractions
just south of Pier Avenue and one block from the beach. Owner Tom Allard sells
books both from the store and over the Internet, offering more than 20,000
titles. In its present location, the store has just celebrated its tenth
anniversary.
In addition to our runner-up, we recommend Sandpiper Books (371-2002) and Encore
Books (540-1106), as well as Book Again (542-1156) and Read It Again, Sam
(372-6930). –BW
Eclectic Collector, 1116 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Beach. 374-4240.
www.homestead.com/eclecticcollector1/
Runner up: Dave’s Olde Bookshop, 350 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach.
376-0879.
Best car
wash
Manhattan Car Wash -
There maybe many full service car washes in the South Bay,
but the crew of chamois wielders at the Manhattan Car Wash at 300 S. Sepulveda
reined supreme by Easy Reader voters this year.
Cipriano Carrillo, who has
worked at the location for 19 years, said the crew’s ability to go the extra
mile gives the place a superior reputation. “We try and do the best for the
customer,” Carrillo said. “We put attention to the customer if they want
something extra. We listen to what they say.” –DR
Manhattan Car Wash, 300 S. Sepulveda, Manhattan Beach, 372-0720
Runner-up: Red Carpet Car Wash, 2414 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach,
546-1693
Best
Computer/Electronic Store
Fry’s Electronics -
There was a time when dad spent
weekends at the local hardware store looking for a new lawnmower for the yard,
or a ball cock for the leaky toilet. Not any more. Now dad’s top weekend chore
is to fix the computer. One household tradition that fortunately hasn’t changed
is that the kids still have to help out. All men aren’t equal when it comes to
the fix-it gene.
Fortunately for South Bay dads, the local Fry’s Electronics has just about
everything it takes to fix balky computers, including new computers. And just so
dad and the kids don’t feel too bad over the fact that they’re spending their
weekend indoors instead of at the beach, the Manhattan Beach Fry’s has a
Tahitian theme, complete with semi-naked paintings of Polynesians. –KC
Fry’s, 3600 Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach. 364-3797.
Runner-up: Best Buy, 3675 Pac. Coast. Hwy., Torrance 791-1186
Best
Photo Store
Paul’s Photo -
Paul’s Photo, Inc., has been in
business since 1961 and though the world of photography has been remade several
times during those four decades, this venerated South Bay institution has
thrived on the strength of a few qualities owner Paul Comon has always insisted
his staff possess: they are all skilled photographers themselves, and they all
listen very carefully to what the actual needs of their customers are. “I teach
my employees that they should talk to the customer and find out exactly what
type of product they need before they even take something off the shelf to show
them,” says Comon, who runs the store with his son, Mark Comon.
“They should find out whether size is important, or zoom, or mega pixel count –
try and find out from even a person who doesn’t know these things how exactly
they are going to use the camera, what they are going to do with it.” Comon says
that there has been more change – because of the advances in digital photography
– over the last two years than in any other two decades combined. He and his
staff’s attention to the actual needs of customers has allowed Paul’s Photo to
adapt and thrive, as always. “There’s been a lot of places that have come and
gone,” he says. “Roman candles.” –MM
Paul’s Photo, 23845 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance 375-7014
Runner-up: Silvio’s, 22409 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance 791-7100
Best Day
Spa
Trilogy Day Spa -
“Rather than go to a bar or
restaurant why not have a spa day?” Trilogy director Alice Koskas asked.
Although all spas offer facials and massages, Trilogy has unique signature and
deluxe treatments that use tea leafs and essential oils from Hawaii. There is
the Maile flower melt and soak, the Lomi pohaku hot stone massage, and the
Princess Kaiulani’s facial treatment.
Trilogy is also known for its outstanding customer service and qualified staff.
It now has a private party room for events like bridal and baby showers and
birthdays. Its exotic treatments and employees have distinguished it as a local
haven for rest and relaxation. “Word of mouth has given us a reputation for
excellence,” Koskas said. – CD
Trilogy, 1301 Manhattan Ave., Hermosa Beach 318-3511
Runner-up: Euphoria Skin & Massage, 1921 S. Catalina, Redondo Beach 373-3990
The Easy Reader – March 3, 2005
Best
Flowers
Lily Pad -
Lily Pad is a mother/daughter
business, which recently moved to 901 Hermosa Avenue and is one of the most
elite flower shops in the South Bay. Fresh flowers --roses, orchids, and
heliconias (to name a few) – are hand picked daily, treated, and cut underwater
to prevent damage from air bubbles. “We don’t do common flower arrangements. No
carnations or mums,” said daughter Becca Williams.
Williams worked at flower stands when she went to the University of Santa
Barbara. But it was not until she did the arrangements for her brother’s wedding
that she decided she wanted to dedicate her life to the flower business. Lily
Pad is known for tropical and European flowers, free-style arrangements, and
fearless use of color. “We mix a lot of flowers no one else would,” said
Williams. “We’re not afraid to throw oranges, hot pinks and chartreuses into the
same vase.”
Wherever flowers are needed the Williams duo is ready to arrange. They share
their new space with photographer Cheryl Ogden, who works with them at
weddings. They also mix succulents and ferns into some of the arrangements. The
tropical flowers are shipped directly from Kauai. The middleman is eliminated
and the flowers arrive days fresher. Lily Pad uses B. Brooks, a very exclusive
high-end wire service. Not only can local residents buy fresh flowers but they
can also have flowers arranged for their friends and family all over the
country. – CD
Lily Pad, 901 Hermosa Ave. #G, Hermosa Beach 376-2539
Runner-up: Growing Wild, 1201 Highland Ave., Manhattan Beach 545-4432
Best
Furniture Store
Mortise and Tenon -
Four out of the past five years
readers chose Mortise and Tenon on Pacific Coast Highway in Hermosa Beach as the
best place to buy their furniture. The honor serves as a testament to the taste
of storeowner Bob Lee. Lee said he felt humbled by the recognition. “It’s
really nice after this many years that we’ve been honored once again,” Lee said.
“It makes me feel good that they understand what we’re about.”
The living room arrangements and bedroom setups on the showroom floor offer a
sense of class with a practical appeal to comfort. Unique accessories with an
artistic flare such as an oversized oil lamp make Mortise and Tenon a gem. – DR
Mortise and Tenon, 729 Pacific Coast Hwy, Hermosa Beach, 374-8108
Runner-up: Laurel’s Fine Furniture, 2606 W. Sepulveda Blvd. Torrance, 534-5800
Best Hair
Dresser
Rodilyn Basco, AR Hair Salon -
Everyone has had that feeling of dismay while sitting
helpless in a swivel chair as some scissors-wielding madwoman or madman decided
that a ‘trim’ just wasn’t enough. There is an art to cutting and coloring that
relatively few people understand and even fewer truly master. Rodilyn Basco at
AR Hair Salon keeps herself on the cutting edge of hairstyles and techniques by
attending seminars and classes on coloring and cutting. Eighteen years of
experience, from England to Germany, and an easygoing disposition have landed
her a faithful fan base in the South Bay.
Basco is a second-generation stylist and a partner at AR. Recently she has done
hair straightening in addition to coloring and cutting. Unlike many stylists at
other salons, Basco does detailed hair-cuts, a technique where the hair is cut
before and after it is dried. “It’s the difference between getting a car washed
and detailed,” she said. “It’s really what makes the customers say, ‘Wow, no one
has done that to my hair before.’”
Basco also has her own website, southbaystylist.com, where she showcases her
work in a before-and-after format. Although the styles she cuts may have
changed over the years, Basco has always remained faithful to Schwarzkopf’s high
quality hair color. “I won’t ever switch, never, I love it,” she said. One of
her customers said almost anyone could cut his hair so it looked good when he
walked out the door, but three weeks later it would start to look bad again.
Rodalyn’s haircuts looked great even after his hair grew out.—CD
Rodalyn Basco-AR, 1046 Hermosa Ave, Hermosa Beach 374-4896
Women’s Runner-up: Angela Cress-Lush, 259 Avenida del Norte, Redondo Beach
540-5874
Best
Barber
Quinn’s Barbershop -
A red, white, and blue barber
pole, the smell of Bay Rum and the glide of a straight razor…there is something
to be said about tradition. Quinn’s Barber, in Hermosa Beach, is one of the
last traditional barbershops in the South Bay.
Owner Mary Quinn has been shaving beards and shearing side burns for 17 years.
She moved to California from Michigan and needed a job. “I was looking for
something to do,” she said, “I like working with people.” One of her employees
Lee Dupras attributes the success of Quinn’s business to her management skills.
“She lets you do your job. She knows how to run a shop,” he said.
The shop itself is intimate. Benches line the wall and the chairs are from the
1950s and 1960s. “You can’t buy these chairs anymore,” said Quinn. “The new
ones aren’t as nice.” Although the atmosphere is from another time the styles
are still current. Between all the employees there is over 120 years of
experience in the shop. Most of the people Quinn hires are expert barbers who
have owned their own businesses. One of Quinn’s customers Jim Sheehy has been
going to Quinn’s Barber for over 20 years. “It’s where I get the best hair
cuts,” he said. --CD
Best
Jewelry Store
Seymour Jewelers -
Don’t look for a wedding ring
like the one your friend bought from Seymour Jewelers. You won’t find another
one like it because Seymour’s doesn’t stamp out rings. Each ring is a unique
design by Scott Bilowit, or one of his jewelers, who can be seen through a
window, working at a jeweler’s bench behind the showroom. “People come to us
when they want jewelry that’s unique,” said Bilowit, a second generation
jeweler.
Scott’s father Seymour Bilowit opened the downtown Hermosa store in 1950. Over
the decades it has developed a reputation not only for its custom jewelry, but
also for its selection of high-end watches, including Tag Heuer, Rolex and
Omega. Rows of display cases glitter with diamonds, watches, rings, earrings
and necklaces, such as a string of round, fat South Sea pearls clasped with
diamonds that goes for something in the neighborhood of $20,000. Scott admits
his jewelry is expensive, but insists it’s competitively priced. “I’m the
owner, I can make any deal I want,” he pointed out. –KC
Seymour Jewelers, 1212 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Ave. 379-5401
Runner-up: Morgan’s, 22200 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance 541-2052; 50-C Peninsula
Center, Rolling Hills Est. 375-4471
Best
shopping center
Manhattan Village -
It seems incongruous to use the term mall when discussing
Manhattan Village. With its new make-over, the shopping center has retained its
cozy charm while revamping and modernizing the exterior and interior and adding
exciting new stores to its anchor, Macy’s. The hike from one end of the mall to
the other isn’t long, but the variety of stores and charming atmosphere make it
our readers’ winner for this year’s Best Mall category. The center really
encompasses much more than the mall with grocery, medical, financial and eating
establishments scattered throughout the property. Additionally, there is the
Pacific Movie Theatres, showing Hollywood hits along with artier fare and surf
movies the first Thursday of the month.
The term of “village” is especially apropos since Manhattan Village hosts a
variety of community events throughout the year. During the holidays the center
plays home to Sandpiper’s Wish Tree, the Neptune Club’s gift-wrapping table and
it is where Santa arrives, with the help of the Manhattan Fire Department and
the Mira Costa Marching Band. –BB
Manhattan Village Shopping Center, 3200 Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach
426-6313
www.shopmanhattanvillage.com/
Runner-up: South Bay Galleria, 1815 Hawthorne Blvd., Redondo Beach 371-7196
The Easy Reader – March 3, 2005
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Best
Medical Spa
Dr. Spenler, Personal Image Center -
The Personal Image Center of
the South Bay is at the forefront of a movement within the fields of cosmetic
surgery and anti-aging skin care that uses a broad array of tools for looking
better that don’t necessarily involve surgery. Medical director Dr. Charles
Spenler said this is the key to voter’s recognition of the center as the best
medical spa. “I think that we make a difference,” says Dr. Charles Spenler. “I
think that we make a difference because we offer all the strategies that one
needs in order to look the best and feel the best, and this includes minimally
invasive, non-surgical strategies as well as strategies that involve surgery.”
Spenler said that when he started 20 years ago, the only tool available was
surgery, but nowadays there are many less invasive methods, such as laser
wrinkle removal, botax and collogen injections, microdermabrasion, chemical
peels and advanced pharmaceutical skin care. “I think that is the trend,” he
says. “People want something done sooner – they don’t want to wait until they
look like a sherpe dog until they have something done, so they start out with
maintenance maybe at age 30. And they want to do minimally invasive non-surgical
things: they want to look natural now rather than have a big procedure that
makes them look totally different and takes a lot of down time to recover from.”
Personal Image Center, 3440 Lomita Blvd. Ste 100, Torrance 784-0644
Runner-up: Esthetic Rx, 415 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach 379-4800
Best
men’s clothing store
Threads -
The key to success for Threads,
repeat winners in this category, is a familiar one in the retail business. “Our
philosophy,” says General Manager Joe Cipolla, “is service, service, and
service. I mean, we do back flips.” Threads, located in Riviera Village,
features a free tailoring shop in the back of the store.
“Anything you buy from
us, we’ll do whatever it takes,” Cipolla says. “It all balances out. It creates
goodwill, and people tell people. We get a lot of return customers.” The staff
is also willing and able to help customers determine their fashion needs.
“People we hire know how to put it together,” Cipolla says. “There are some
people, particularly guys, who come in the store completely lost.” Threads has
the village’s exclusive rights to Tommy Bahama and carries such popular lines as
Nat Nast and Reyn Spooner. –MM
Thread’s for Men, 1907 S. Catalina, Redondo Beach 375-7575
Runner-up: Spyder, 65 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach 374-8276
Best
Motorcycle Shop
Del Amo Motorsports -
This isn’t so much a motorcycle
shop as it is motorcycle heaven: walk into Del Amo Motorsport’s showroom and
behold, sparkling and shining in full metal regalia, 30,000 sq. ft. full of
bad-ass machines.
The stock includes Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, KTM, Ducati, and
Montesa bikes as well as Bombadier ATV’s and Vento scooters. And for the serious
motoracer, Del Amo builds both super motards and mini-motards and provides
everything you’ll need along the lines of pit equipment.
Del Amo Motorsport, 2500 Marine Ave., Redondo Beach 220-2223
Runner-up: None
Best
Hotel
The Beach House -
LA Magazine called The Beach
House one of the 100 sexiest places to visit in Los Angeles. That alone doesn’t
explain why just last night, Hermosa Beach Mayor J.R. Reviczky gave his State of
the City address at the Beach House.
But coupled with the hotel’s proximity to
Hermosa’s Pier Plaza and the ocean, the Beach House isn’t a bad place to call a
meeting if you want to make sure people show up. And just in case people don’t
feel like driving home, the Beach House rooms, with their wood burning fire
places, five-disc CD’s and Continental breakfast are a great place to wake up in
the morning. –KC
1300 The Strand, Hermosa Beach 374-3001 or 888-895-4559,
www.beach-house.com/
Runners-up: Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club, 260 Portofino Way, Redondo Beach
379-8481 & Sea Sprite Motel & Apartments, 1016 The Strand, Hermosa Beach
376-6933
Best
Music Store
Go-Boy Records -
“Collectors, juke box owners
and Redondo High kids. The Beatles, Moody Blues, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin are
really big at Redondo High,” said Scott Dallavo in describing who buys his vinyl
LPs. The Go-Boy’s owner said vinyl accounts for nearly one third of his sales,
not all of it playable.
Dallavo’s wife Lori takes home used LPs that are too scratched to be played and
bakes them in the oven. After they melt she molds them into bowls. The store
sells the vinyl bowls for $4.95. “You can’t use them for flower vases because
they still have the spindle hole. But they’re good for candy bowls,” Dallavo
said.
The former host of the reggae show on 100.3 The Beat bought Go-Boy with his wife
last year. He prides himself in offering obscure reggae recordings, which are
also mostly vinyl. “Jamaica only has one CD plant, so most of the new reggae
recordings are still 45s,” he explained.
Go-Boy Records, 1310 S. Pacific Coast Hwy., Redondo Beach 316-1957
Runner-up: Dietz Brothers, 240 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach 379-6799
The Easy Reader – March 3, 2005
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Best Pet
Store
PetCo -
PetCo has almost as many South
Bay stores as Starbucks and offers a lot more activities. Just about every day
its two Redondo stores offer special services, ranging from low cost
vaccinations and dog and cat adoptions to puppy classes and even pet
photography. PetCo also caters to bird lovers, fish lovers, and reptile lovers.
–KC
PetCo, 537 N. Pacific Coast Hwy., Redondo Beach (310) 374-7969; 3901 Inglewood
Ave., Redondo Beach. (310) 355-1370.
Runner-up: Centinela Feed & Supply
Best
Tanning Salon
Cop-A-Tan -
Cop-A-Tan owners Steve and
Kathy Biale opened their first salon in 1984. Today they own nine locations,
including six in the South Bay. Cop-A-Tan has state of the art equipment,
including the orbit VHP tanning system, the Mystic Tan Spray-on Tanning system,
the Sun Ergoline Avantgarde and the Classic 600. Cop-A-Tan carries California
Tan Heliotherapy, the finest line of skin care products available.
The couple
attributes their success not only to their top of the line equipment, but also
their emphasis on professionalism and cleanliness.
Cop-A-Tan 1133 Artesia, Hermosa 372-6022; 1550 Rosecrans, Manhattan 643-8089;
2707 MBB, N. Redondo 643-7909;413 N. Pac. Coast. Hwy., S. Redondo 921-1001; 4326
Pac. Coast. Hwy., Torrance 378-4786; Torrance Crossroads 534-8267
Runner-up: U-ca-tan, 1312 Aviation Blvd., Hermosa Beach 379-6499
Best
Vintage Clothing
Aardvark -
Customers throng to Aaardvark
around Halloween, Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day for costume-like,
over-the-top clothing and accessories, but the racks are also stocked with fun,
funky, distinctive threads you can wear day in and day out. Not to brag, but a
dark purple velvet jacket snagged at by this reporter at Aaardvark, for a very
modest price, gets lots of comments from young hipster women. And I’m old.
Anyway, Aardvark opened its doors in 1972, back when the vintage clothing ranged
from the ‘30s and ‘40s as well as ‘50s and ‘60s. The stuff from the ‘30s has
since worn out, and now Aaardvark’s racks are stocked mostly with clothes from
the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. Among the popular items these days are vintage
T-shirts bearing the names of rock bands, including bands that sucked.
“Sometimes it’s a band they used to make fun of, and now it’s fun to wear the
T-shirt,” said Donna McCormack, who co-owns Aaardvark with husband Jon.
Also popular are ‘70s T-shirts with slogans and sayings, like the pink, glittery
one with “Here Comes Trouble” that was just carried out the door in the arms of
its new owner. –RF
Aaardvark’s, 810 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Beach 376-3688
www.aaardvarks.com/
Runner-up: Poor Pitiful Pearl, 901 Hermosa Ave. #J, Hermosa Beach 437-9430
Best
Website
SmartTot.com -
With an MBA from Harvard and
work experience with the manufacturer of McDonald’s Happy Meal toys, Leanne
Huebner figured she should be able to find suitable toys for her new baby. But
she couldn’t. So, after consulting with educators and child development
specialists, the Manhattan Beach mom searched out the best toys she could find
and now makes them available on her web site.
SmartTot’s selections include
toys for children to listen to and play music, educational play mats, and a
music box with brightly colored balls that dance to Beethoven’s “Fur Elise.” –KC
Phone Orders may be placed by calling (310) 721-6228.
www.smarttot.com/
Runner-up: www.classifiedbuyers.com
Best
Women’s Retail
Girlfriends -
There is no end of competition for women’s retail in
Hermosa Beach. Boutiques and brand name stores can be found on every block.
However, Jennifer Jarnica, the owner of Girlfriends, goes to the ends of the
world to ensure her store has the best styles at the cheapest costs. Juicy
Couture, Paper Denim, Citizens of Humanity, Sevens, True Religion — you name it.
If you know your jeans you know these ass-hugging, leg-lengthening godsends go for around $170. Jarnica refuses to sell at these prices. Instead, she actually buys directly from the countries where they are made to get them at close out costs — some around $100.
“I
try to shop around a lot for different styles and looks at much cheaper costs,”
she said. Jarnica imports from Brazil and regularly travels across the United
States to different clothing conventions. Her style expertise and purchasing
ingenuity set Girlfriends apart from the other local retail shops. –CD
Girlfriend’s, 1138 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Beach 937-3337
Runner-up: Mandarine, 1000 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach 379-9955
The Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Association
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