Five thousand one reasons to open your wallet at 5001

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Despite being home to a number of major retailers—like the Body Shop/Banana Republic/Gap trifecta, where, I’m not too proud to admit, I worshiped as a teen—as well as more than a few choice boutiques (Blue Windows, Body O Soul), Second Street can often [...]

Out of the Closet does not smell like grandma’s house

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Thrift stores are essentially condensed department stores—the difference being department stores sell lots of new junk you don’t need, while thrift stores sell lots of used stuff you don’t need. This theory is nearly always accurate, which explains my confusion each time I [...]

A Flower Girl’s Dream doesn’t just tiptoe through the tulips

PHOTO by JEFF GOULD
It’s not uncommon to find Sheri Cervantes running around her store in a wetsuit, sopping wet with sand still dripping from her hair, rattling off plant facts while putting together the most perfect, colorful bouquet of flowers you’ve ever seen.
“This is the only [...]

From pink slip to playful kitsch at Bungalow Marcasso

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Getting laid off blows, but when your severance check covers two years of unemployment with enough scratch left over to open a business (and be your own boss), the pink slip doesn’t sound so terrible. Just ask Mark Sutherland, owner of Bungalow Marcasso.
The 47-year-old [...]

There’s something about Greenspan’s

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
No one mistakes South Gate for the epicenter of the fashion world, but an exception is Greenspan’s—“Serving the Lowrider Community Since 1928.” The historic clothing store’s clientèle includes James Brown, most of N.W.A, John Lee Hooker, Cypress Hill, House of Pain and Rancid (as well as the wardrobe departments [...]

Beachgreens delivers nutrition to your doorstep

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
As the owner of beachgreens, Aliye Aydin brings the farmers market—from Santa Monica, to be exact—to your doorstep. Too busy to go organic on your own? Let Aliye (pronounced Ah-lee-yah)—who not only studied nutrition at Berkeley but trained as a chef at the Natural Gourmet Institute in [...]

Spa Grace’s Jeremy Grace will have you at hello

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
He had me at “Miss Ellen.”
Had Jeremy Grace greeted me any other way—“Hello!” “Ellen?” “May I help you?”—I’m sure it would have been fine (the man defines charm), but it was a simple “Miss Ellen?” that brought a wide grin to my face, always [...]

The Kids Are Alright: When you just can’t buy it for yourself

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Oh, this stupid, stupid recession. (Or is our economy still just taking a power nap?) I’ve listened to the experts. I’ve made budgets and learned to stick to them. No purchase is unconsidered, no penny left in the change bowl. And [...]

Your money is no good at the Long Beach Public Library—It’s free!

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Imagine, if you will, a greaser winning a lifetime of free tattoos or a drunk finding a bar that’s never closed; that’s how I feel about the Long Beach Public Library (LBPL), which combines two of my favorite things: literature and [...]

Nails by Christy: A hidden retreat for your hands and feet

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Who says that getting a manicure or pedicure can’t be as luxurious as going in for a facial or massage—that they can’t be just as comfortable, relaxing and refreshing? Like a lot of women, I used to find the mani/pedi experience to [...]