Posts by Tony Cordi
Manhattan pair pairs couples
Several years ago, Manhattan Beach resident Linda Murad and her business partner Liz Murad Waters created The2ndDate, a matchmaking company. The dating services industry has annual revenues in excess of $2.5 billion. This may not come as much of a surprise, given that there are an estimated 122 million unmarried adults in the U.S.…
Read MoreBig wheel at G-Ro luggage
Local start-up company Travel-Light has set out to become a global innovator in the travel and mobility industry with their G-RO luggage system. Israeli industrial designer Netta Shalgi created a prototype design for an axle-less, oversized wheels carry-on bag for travel, with smartphone and tablet charging capability. Los Angeles entertainment attorney Ken Hertz met…
Read MoreThey’re not making it anymore.’ — Mark Twain
‘ Beach Cities real estate prices have been appreciating at astounding rates for several years, both residential and commercial. Our schools, beaches, and business districts have been attracting an increasing number of people to the area, which in turn increases the appeal to retailers and other businesses Since 1970, the number of local housing units…
Read MoreRedondo divide extends to home prices
Redondo Beach has an odd shape on the map for a city that has been around since 1892. A pinch point exists along the summit of Anita Street and 190th Street that creates a natural division between the north and south. By the time the zip code system was introduced in the U.S. in 1963,…
Read MoreVeggie Grill owner linked into fellow Beach City residents
The Beach Cities have become a hotbed for business creativity and execution, especially in the food industry. Over the past few years, we have seen an increasing number of new and exciting concepts begin here before expanding to multiple locations in other states. However, very few of these concepts truly break new ground or innovate…
Read MoreShade owner credits collaboration with downtown MB improvements
Through the many Manhattan Beach businesses Manhattan Beach resident Michael Zislis has founded over the past 26 years, he has both contributed to and benefited from Manhattan’s growing popularity. During a recent interview, he talked about what he thinks accounts for Manhattan Beach’s dramatic rise in status. Zislis grew up in Palos Verdes and studied…
Read MoreEl Segundo’s home turnover rate half the national average
Shake Shack in El Segundo opened up to very long lines a couple of weeks ago. This auspicious start for the new Apollo Landing development is yet another example of the increasing diversification of the business base in El Segundo.There have been substantial investments made in development projects over the past few years that have…
Read MoreProposed property tax changes probably won’t affect local home prices
Last week, House Republicans released their proposed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The bill is intended to cut taxes for the middle-class, simplify the tax code and create jobs. Release of the Senate version is expected this week. Of particular interest to Beach City residents is the impact on local home prices, resulting from potential…
Read MoreNew homes in tree section buoys neighboring homes
The multiple listing services for the beach cities carves up Manhattan Beach into six distinct areas. The tree section generally has a higher percentage of homes for sale that is new buildouts and makes for an interesting study on the effects of the building activity on home prices here. Not surprisingly, the number of…
Read More‘The Brady Bunch’ actor Knight stars in online business
Actor Christopher Knight is best known as Peter Brady on “The Brady Bunch,” which aired from 1969 to 1974. There would be a number of spin-offs, reunion specials, and movies associated with the series, as well. He gained further notoriety with his reality television series, “My Fair Brady,” co-starring Italian supermodel Adrianne…
Read MoreFive new upscale restaurants hope to follow recent beach successes
Baran’s 2239, Tower 12, Rabano’s, and a re-energized “modern old school” Bottle Inn are the latest examples of new beach city restaurants experiencing tremendous success. More are coming. Radici, Decadence, Serve Kitchen, Sister’s Barn, and Gabi are all in various stages of development and will contribute unique offerings to our evolving dining scene.…
Read MoreBeach Food – Here Comes Hermosa
What began as a “social experiment” in downtown Hermosa has become a dining phenomenon
Read MoreManhattan Sand section, South Redondo lead home appreciation
The gap between the average home price in the beach cities and the national average has grown significantly since 2000. In 2000 you could buy a home in most parts of the country for $120,000 compared to $532,000 for the three beach cities and El Segundo. Since then, our blistering appreciation rates have resulted in…
Read MoreBlackhouse’s Jed Sanford cast wide net
Business and beaches Nearly half of the 85 full-service restaurants in the Riviera Village and the downtown areas of Manhattan and Hermosa Beach are part of locally-based restaurant groups. Though a few of these groups started out over 40 years ago, the majority of the group-owned restaurants have been on the scene for fewer…
Read MoreSackley’s Sepulveda Blvd. and the fun of the deal
At this writing, there are only six commercial properties being marketed online for sale in the beach cities. A market rarely gets much tighter than this. Clearly, the vast majority of property owners are holding on to their properties for the long haul.
Read MoreBusiness and beaches: Manhattan Village remodel may produce $500,000 in new Manhattan Beach revenue
Seven of the top 25 sales tax producers in Manhattan Beach reside in Manhattan Village. New enhancement may add upwards of $500,000 in additional annual sales tax revenue for Manhattan Beach.
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