Interview with Peter Garland
THE MAYOR OF
CANON
DRIVE
It’s in the DNA
“There was nothing better than making money as a kid for me!”
To the outside world Beverly Hills is a city that symbolizes wealth and prosperity. Home buyers will sacrifice home size and surrounding grounds just to be in the right zip code, especially 90210. It means a lot to them. But, to the natives of Beverly Hills this gem of a city means something else. It means community, a common bond of living and growing up in what still feels like a close-knit village. The stores, streets and businesses change but the personal connection does not. I grew up in Beverly Hills during the 60’s and 70’s. My friends and I used to ride our bikes after school to hang out at Gunther’s Drug store on Canon and little Santa Monica. Behind the counter serving up burgers and fries was Roger, a fairly flamboyant attendant who regularly chided us on being spoiled brats and not tipping enough. There was Toy Mart, Rudnicks, Phil’s Poultry, Pixie Town, Harry Harris Shoes and many others now a part of our collective memories.
