Archive for February 2011

Easy Reader recently invited local civic and business leaders to share their thoughts on the most pressing issues in their fields. Three themes emerged from their responses. Read the full story.

My inspiration in opening Shade Hotel in 2006 was to create a place where people love to eat. Essentially, I am a food guy. One of the things I’ve always hated about hotel restaurants and events is the food. It’s my opinion that other than the bride, the most important thing at a wedding is the food. I wanted to create a venue where the food tastes as good as the bride looks. And where breakfast in the morning is as delicious as the previous night’s sleep on the Tempur-Pedic mattress.

Because our long history precedes most regulatory codes, the city’s development pattern has been organic rather than planned, and has resulted in an eclectic mix of architecture, without exhibiting any specific identity or type. This has resulted in a charming and uniquely livable community, we confidently call the “best little beach city”.

Community Development is where vision and planning meet execution, ripe with all the challenges and benefits that come with implementation of a common set of goals — that is to preserve what we love about Manhattan Beach while adapting to our ever changing needs.
Manhattan’s elected officials meet each year to discuss the community’s top issues and make recommendations to address these issues, in conformance with the City’s General Plan. The General Plan establishes the goals and policies. It’s also the mechanism to guide future development.

We have been building homes largely the same way for the last 75 years. All of a sudden everything from drywall to ducting is on the table. And I am telling you, even though the sexy stuff like solar panels and greywater systems get most of the headlines, it’s the small strategies that add up to big results. Attach a rain barrel to the end of your gutter downspouts and you’ve got free water you can use for your garden.

Like most boys their age, Mitch and Spencer Russo love baseball. They play it, they watch it and they cheer for it. Not only can they tell you the stats of their favorite ball players, but these boys also love video games, popping wheelies on their bikes and shooting spitballs. They probably remind you of someone you know – a neighbor, a nephew, a friend or even your own son. But unlike most boys their age, Mitch and Spencer have Cystic Fibrosis.

The vibrant quality of these two small towns is easily understood by walking through the streets (think Vitality Cities) and experiencing the unique personality of each establishment.