HAVE QUESTIONS, WE HAVE ANSWERS! WITH A GROUNDBREAKING AND PUBLIC PREVIEW PARTY SET FOR THIS MONTH, WE ANSWER THE MOST ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT WEST HARBOR'S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED OPENING.
Our office is a multi-specialty private practice located in Weymouth Corners in San Pedro. With 28 years of experience, we provide
of
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in an inviting setting. Our office is equipped to provide
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joshua J. Stecker
Letter from the Editor will return next month.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lori Garrett
ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION Joseph A. Castañeda
AT-LARGE CONTRIBUTORS
Mike Harper, Peter Hazdovac, Linda Grimes, Sanam Lamborn, Mike Lansing, Steve Marconi, Jennifer Marquez, Lee Williams
PHOTOGRAPHER
John Mattera Photography
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OWNER/PUBLISHER Joshua J. Stecker
San Pedro Today publishes the last Thursday of every month and is produced monthly by Empire22 Media LLC. No portion of this publication can be reproduced without written permission by Empire22 Media. 25,000 copies are delivered to San Pedro and portions of Rancho Palos Verdes. San Pedro Today is a product of Empire22 Media LLC. Empire22 Media LLC, their subsidiaries and affiliates are released from all liability that may involve the publication of San Pedro Today. Copyright 20092022, Empire22 Media LLC.
ON THE COVER: A new West Harbor concept rendering featuring an overwater bar and dining deck that will boast unique views of the harbor. (courtesy Studio One Eleven)
Every Friday – SAN PEDRO FARMERS MARKET AT LITTLE ITALY (396 W. 6th St., corner of 6th and Mesa), 11a-3p. – New location! Pick up essential fruits and vegetables from certified, small family farms. Get a head start on week end meals with so many delicious and fresh options. Please note social dis tancing of six feet between groups and people is required. Masks must be worn at all times, and a hand washing sta tion is provided for your convenience. For more info, visit sanpedrochamber. com/san-pedro-farmers-market.
Every Tuesday, Friday, & First Thurs day Evening – OPEN GARDEN at Feed and Be Fed (429 W. 6th St.), Tuesdays 10a-12p, Fridays 10a-1p, & First Thursday evenings. – Feed and Be Fed farm, San Pedro's own urban farm, opens its downtown garden space every Tuesday and Friday and on First Thursday evenings. Organic produce is for sale at the San Pedro Farmers Market at Little Italy (corner of 6th and Mesa) on Fridays 11a-3p. Come share nature’s bounty and beauty as we grow vegetables, flowers, and community. Get your hands in the dirt as a volun teer, get expert advice, or just relax. For more info, visit feedandbefed.org.
3 (Thurs) – FIRST THURSDAY’S 25th ANNIVERSARY in Downtown San Pedro, 6p. – The popular First Thurs day ArtWalk is back in the historic core of Downtown San Pedro. The redesigned First Thursday will feature guided ArtWalk tours, open galler ies, outdoor dining, and live music on the corner of 6th and Mesa streets.
6 (Sun) – CULTURE TALKS! COM POSER, AUSTIN WINTORY, VIDEO GAME MASTER CLASS at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (3720 Stephen M. White Dr.), 2p. – The San Pedro Wa terfront Arts District will be presenting the second installment of our Culture TALKS! series by presenting Austin Wintory conducting a Videogame Music Master Class, featuring a live performance by the Orchid Quartet. This presentation is gratefully produced in collaboration with Steven Allen Fox, artistic director and conductor of the Golden State Pops Orchestra, who will be leading the conversation with Austin Wintory. Tickets $12-$16. For tickets, visit bit.ly/3RG3B3Y.
November 17 thru December 3 (ThursSun) – HOUSE OF BARDS PRES ENTS GEORGE ORWELL’S 1984 at The Grand Annex (434 W. 6th St.), 2p and 7:30p. – Big Brother is always watching! The House of Bards Theatre Company presents the authorized stage adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984, a play based on the dystopian 1949 novel, today more relevant than ever. Directed by actor/director/filmmaker Renee O’Connor. Evening performanc es run November 17, 18, 19, 26, and December 2 and 3 at 7:30p. Matinee performances run November 20 and 27 at 2p. Tickets $15-40. For tickets and more info, visit grand vision.org.
19 (Sat) – HOLIDAY KICK-OFF POPUP at Cabrillo Marina Plaza Lawn (2965 Via Cabrillo-Marina), 9a-2p. –Join more than a dozen artists, artisans, and makers for a fun day of holiday shopping, live music, decorations, and fun for the whole family! Enjoy beauti ful ocean views, delicious eats, gorgeous drinks, and many options for playing and exploring the very best of San Pe dro. This event is hosted by Homemade by the Hays and sponsored by San Pedro Today and Marine Mammal Care.
27 (Sun) – OUTDOOR HOLIDAY MARKET at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (3720 Stephen M. White Dr.), 10a3p. – Join us for our annual outdoor artisan market and browse the CMA gift shop with hundreds of collectible ornaments, fascinating books, games, art cards, stationery, and specially curated ocean-themed gifts. This event is also part of Museum Store Sunday, a holiday shopping day that recognizes the value of buying gifts at museum stores where purchases directly benefit and support CMA. In addition, sev eral local accomplished artists and artisans will showcase and sell their wares, including pottery, knitting, glass jewelry, recycled and upcycled sea debris, driftwood holiday trees, and children's wear. For more info, visit cabrillomarineaquarium.org. spt
More events can be found in our online community calendar at sanpedrotoday.com.
Email events@sanpedrotoday.com to place a listing for a
Deadline for the December 2022 issue is Friday, November 11.
“It was time,” says Vince Mattera, Jr. over coffee last month.
Sitting with his mom and sister in Starbucks on Westmont, Mattera, 58, and his family are still coming to terms with the fact that Sorrento’s Italian Restaurant, the family business started by patriarch Vince Mattera, Sr. 60 years ago this year, will soon be out of their hands, as they close the sale of the res taurant to a longtime employee.
While retiring from the restaurant is exciting for Vince, letting go is still hard to do. After all, he’d been rolling meatballs in the kitchen with his sisters, Susan and Renee, since he was five.
“It’s bittersweet,” says Angie Mat tera, the family matriarch. At 82, until recently, she handled the financial books for the restaurant. Now, she finds herself training a new person for the first time to take over a job she’s been doing for nearly six decades.
“Before he passed away, my husband would always say, ‘Let them do it. Let them do it,’” recalls Angie about the finances. “But I always had to have a hand on the books to see what was going on. Then he would get mad at me. So now I’m going to be completely free,” she laughs.
Founded in 1962 as Sorrento’s
Pizza House, serving pizza, pasta, and sandwiches, the Mattera family’s recipes quickly caught on in San Pedro. They soon grew into a more prominent eatery on 25th and Western, adding tra ditional Italian dishes and changing the name to Sorrento’s Italian Restaurant.
Mattera, Sr. retired from the restau rant in 2007, but even after he handed the reins over to his family, he was still a fixture. When he passed away in 2011, the loss hit the family and the entire San Pedro community that had grown to know and love him.
Sorrento’s has become a San Pedro family staple for many generations because of their large portions, fresh pizzas, and torpedo sandwiches.
“Nothing’s going to change,” says Susan Mattera, 59, Vince’s sister.
That promise of consistency is one of the reasons why the family felt comfortable passing the keys to Pedro Benitez, the new owner who’s worked at the restaurant for more than 20 years. According to Vince, the lead-up
to selling to Benitez started more than a decade ago.
“It is crucial to my family and me that my father’s original recipes and approach to excellent customer service remain unchanged,” says Vince. “It’s for this reason that more than ten years ago, my family and I began working in earnest with Pedro and his family to learn the ways of Sorrento’s food preparation and methods for good com munity business.”
“He’s like family to us,” adds Susan.
The family set the wheels in mo tion to sell the restaurant two years ago. While financial details were not disclosed, according to the Matteras, the transfer has been incredibly smooth.
“Pedro has been my right hand and partner for years,” explains Vince. “He has been the one to open the restaurant at 4 a.m. and begin preparations for the day’s fresh meals. He has learned how to procure the best ingredients. His attention to detail of each order from our customers and friends is beyond
compare.”
As they leave the restaurant busi ness, the Matteras are excited to spend more family time together. Vince is expecting his sixth grandchild soon, and Susan is excited that she was able to get the entire Mattera extended family on an upcoming cruise.
“Because of the restaurant respon sibilities, we were never able to plan family vacations together, so I finally booked a cruise, and mom’s coming,” laughs Susan.
As for Sorrento’s future, Vince be lieves it’s in good hands with Benitez.
“I am proud and honored that Pedro will carry the legacy and service of Sorrento’s for the next generation,” he says. spt
Sorrento’s Italian Restaurant is located at 2428 S. Western Ave. For more info, call (310) 832-2820.
Neighbors of Norman Andrie who run into him as he pushes his late wife’s half-blind dog Cookie around the block in a baby stroller would prob ably be surprised to learn that he was once a warrior.
How else to describe someone who, as a teenage Golden Gloves fighter, was undefeated in 70-plus bouts, was ranked No. 1 in the NCAA in his weight divi sion, then went on to win two Bronze Stars in Vietnam during a 20-year career in the Army Reserves?
You’d also probably not guess that he’ll be turning 90 in March: He looks fit enough to still go a few rounds in the ring and, while you may have to speak a little loudly to be heard, the memories
from traversing the globe in uniform haven’t dimmed.
The first big trip for the Pennsylvania lightweight champion was to Michigan State on a four-year athletic scholar ship. While boxing, he also was enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Corps, and when he graduated in 1954, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant.
Just a few years into his Army odys sey, he was assigned to Fort MacArthur. His duty there was fairly routine until the fall of 1958 when Detachment 1, stationed at the Middle Reservation, was called on twice to help fight wild fires, one in the hills of Monrovia and the other in the Santa Monica Moun tains. Both times, 100 soldiers led by Andrie, executive officer of the detach ment, joined with local firefighters in battling the blazes.
Near the end of his time at Fort
MacArthur, the young captain met San Pedro native Virginia “Ginger” Baldac ci. Right after he got word that his next posting would be in Hawaii, he asked Baldacci if she’d marry him. He told her where they’d be living for the next three years, and he recalls with a smile that she said yes, maybe because she wanted to go to Hawaii. The marriage to the S’54 San Pedro High graduate lasted 58 years until her death in 2019 and produced four “military brats”: Dino, Tony, Vince, and Gina.
In 1960, right after their honeymoon in Las Vegas, the newlyweds boarded the SS Lurline and soon arrived at Scho field Barracks in Oahu. This is where Dino was born. Tony and Vince were born in Washington, where Andrie, based at Fort Lewis, was assigned as the ROTC instructor at Seattle University. Gina was born in Arizona, while Andrie was stationed at Fort Huachuca near Tucson.
Fort Huachuca was the last stop in Andrie’s military career. Besides Hawaii, Seattle, and Fort MacArthur, he had duty in Iceland; spent a year in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he gradu ated from the Command and General Staff College; was assigned for a year in Ethiopia, where he met Emperor Haile Selassie; and was a military science in structor at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.
Somewhere in the middle of all that was his year in Vietnam, from 1966 to 1967. A major in charge of a small American unit that fought alongside South Vietnamese soldiers, he was involved in numerous firefights with both the Viet Cong and North Vietnam ese regulars. He also served alongside Australians on assignments that took him to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. The Bronze stars, for valor in combat, earned the enmity of the communists, who put a price on his head. Setting up ambushes in known enemy terri tory, Andrie recalls dressing his men in the black pajamas commonly worn by the Viet Cong and then making sure the local U.S. Army unit was aware of their presence to avoid any chances of friendly fire.
The Andries returned to San Pedro after he retired as a lieutenant colonel,
and Norm has lived in the same house across the street from Dodson Middle School since 1974. All four children graduated from Mary Star High: Dino (1979) was a star running back and later, coach of the football team; Tony (1982), coached by his father, eschewed football and became a Golden Gloves champion; Vince (1983) also was a standout football player at Mary Star and Harbor College before following in his father’s footsteps and joining the Army (serving in Desert Storm with the 82nd Airborne); Gina (1987) worked in the travel industry and taught in the Los Angeles school district for 16 years. All three of the sons are longshoremen. Andrie has eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
So what does an Army officer with a degree in personnel management and a distinguished career leading soldiers in war and peace do upon returning to civilian life? He manages two Denny’s restaurants.
Then he gets a life-changing call from the Los Angeles school district, asking if he’d like to be a Junior ROTC instructor. After spending five and a half years at Roosevelt High and two and a half years at Belmont, Andrie was asked to become the JROTC coordina tor for the entire district. During that time, the program experienced a re surgence in enrollment. After 22 years with LAUSD, he retired from his second career in 2000.
A proud member of the American Legion, Andrie has a raft of medals and ribbons that hang on his neatly pressed dress uniforms, plus numerous com mendations — and the accolades con tinue. He’s been nominated for the Hall of Fame of Indiana, Pennsylvania (the big city near Homer and hometown of Jimmy Stewart) for his boxing exploits. They still haven’t forgotten the teenage pugilist whose “warm personality,” the Indiana Gazette said in 1950, “belies his brutal destructiveness and the savagery he has for his opponents while in the ring.”
I think the Viet Cong would agree. spt
Steve Marconi can be reached at spmarconi@yahoo.com.
It is easy to miss the Excep tional Children’s Foundation Art Center (ECF) building on Gaffey Street. ECF has been at this location for over ten years and in San Pedro since 2004. A new colorful mural is visible from the back of the building and can also be seen from the Vons parking lot looking north. The nonprofit agency, founded in 1968, provides a creative art space for adults 18 and over who have developmental disabilities.
Children with disabilities often grow up going to schools where their classes are tucked away in bungalows or away from other students. At ECF, another world exists where the individuals they serve are artists before anything else — any disability is secondary and creative talent shines bright. The program and studio are vibrant and alive. It is an ample, open space with a gallery that feels like it should be located some where in a hip downtown area.
Each artist at ECF has their own workspace in an open studio. Artists decide what medium they would like to pursue, which includes pottery, print making, fiber, digital art, painting, and more. The artists are encouraged to lead and make decisions about their art ca reers, while ECF provides any support the individuals may need to make that happen. Art instructors are provided and work one-on-one with artists, guid ing them as they work towards an art career.
While ECF is not open to the public, it hosts occasional public art sales featuring various artists. Proceeds from the sales go equally to the artist and back into the program 50/50. The artists are taught how to curate their shows and sell their artwork in their attached gallery, local exhibits, and online. This helps to develop another layer of skills and independence for the artists. There is no cost for the artist to be part of the program, which includes all art sup plies. The center is a creative outlet for a community of artists and a place where friendships naturally evolve.
“Many of the artists couldn’t be em ployed traditionally, and there were not a lot of options or programs for adults with disabilities after high school,” states Adriane Mota, program director, ECF Art Centers. “Our artists have a space to be creative, and their confi dence is boosted as they sell art, just like other artists.”
Artist Victor Prieto has been drawing since he was three years old. “During COVID, the program was online, so my girlfriend, who I met in kindergarten, would watch the classes with me. Now she is in the program too,” states Prieto, who specializes in Indian ink, tattoo drawing, comics, and horror.
The ECF Art Studio originally started in Los Angeles but now has grown to include five sites, including one in San Pedro. Artists attend the site closest to their home and are usually referred to ECF by Harbor Regional Center. ECF is open to artists from 8 a.m.–2:30 p.m. weekdays. ECF has other programs serving children; the art centers are just one part of their mission.
The rainbow mural on the building was designed by the artists at ECF and created in partnership with Mural ism, a nonprofit agency that provides work experience to adults with autism and disabilities. Both groups worked together with neighbors to paint the mural in May.
ECF serves 45 thriving artists in San Pedro. Every detail in the center is thought out to empower the artists in a safe, caring space. In a world with so many challenges, stepping into ECF is a breath of fresh air with an upbeat and hopeful vibe. It is possibly the best-kept secret on Gaffey Street, located just a few doors down from The Omelette & Waffle Shop.
Please consider purchasing art online, donating, or being a sponsor to support ECF. For more information, visit artecf.org. spt
Jennifer Marquez can be reached at jennifertmarquez@yahoo.com and @jenntmqz on Twitter and Instagram.
First do what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the im possible. – Saint Francis of Assisi
This quote is one of my favorites. It inspires us to reach for what seems unreachable when in fact, many times, what is “impossible” is just a limited frame of mind. Mankind’s history of impossible feats and accomplishments is so far-reaching that we seem to take them for granted, and in doing so, we make excuses for other current “impos sible” challenges that limit the lives of tens of millions of our peers worldwide.
Mankind has an extended list of personal, technological, medical, and other impossible solutions to the world’s limitations throughout history. The Egyptians building the pyramids with no machinery and limited engi neering capacity. Impossible? Johannes Gutenberg creating the printing press to bring the printed word to the masses. Impossible? Edward Jenner developing the smallpox vaccine, which success fully eliminated an illness that had claimed approximately 500 million lives in the 20th century alone. Impossible? Other unbelievable medical achieve ments at the time include anesthesia, penicillin, antibiotics, insulin, heart and full facial transplants, and the human genome project, just to name a few. Impossible? The Wright Brothers had the first successful “heavier than air flight” in 1903, followed by Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight (1927), men on the moon (1969), and now our international space station. Impossible? Edmund Hillary reaching the peak of Everest, Roger Bannister breaking the fourminute mile, Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, and Jim Abbott with only one hand pitching in the major leagues and throwing a no-hitter. Im possible? The lightbulb, the automobile, the television, the personal computer, harnessing nuclear energy, 3D printing, and the iPhone. Impossible? Wind and solar power replacing more traditional and environmentally harmful power resources. Impossible?
Let us strive for the impossible. The great achievements throughout history have been the conquest of what seemed the impossible.” –Charlie Chaplin
Given what mankind has been able to overcome through the centuries,
today’s local and global challenges are not “impossible” to overcome. In most cases, it doesn’t take some technologi cal or medical breakthrough but rather a willingness to commit the resources and, in some cases, modify our current lifestyles now to protect our children’s futures.
Climate change is no longer a ques tion — just look at the recurring and growing natural disasters worldwide. The real question is: Are we willing to commit to water conservation, elimina tion of the gas guzzlers we drive and pollution of our air, and are we willing to commit to the cost associated now with renewable energy without using the continuing excuse that “we won’t do it until China does”?
Access to better public education is not impossible. But it will require budgetary reprioritization to compen sate teachers better to attract the best, mandate smaller class sizes, and provide much better support for remedial and enrichment learning opportunities. How can cities such as Detroit and, just recently, Jackson, Mississippi, allow their citizens to be subjected to undrinkable public drinking water? It doesn’t take some great breakthrough to provide these cities of predominantly African-American citizens to have the same drinking water as communities of much more affluence.
Food insecurity, both in this country and worldwide, does not take some impossible solution. It takes the willing ness to prioritize basic food access to all humans, which once again makes other so-called “priorities” move way down our local, state, and federal budgetary lists. The same can be said for universal access to adequate health care — the Affordable Care Act was the start but not the final solution. We could have universal healthcare access tomorrow in this country if we just stopped making excuses and made it a priority.
Lastly, affordable housing does not need an impossible solution. This country's “working poor” are often used to spending 50-70 percent of their pay check on housing. Once again, this is a priority solution — not an impossible breakthrough. In seeking the impos sible, we often need to understand and overcome our limitations, priorities, and prejudices. It is as simple and complex as that. spt
Mike Lansing is the executive direc tor of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor.
by Lee Williams
San Pedrans often reference parts of San Pedro as “above” or “be low” Gaffey. Did you know Pacific Avenue was once the main street of San Pedro with its collection of businesses, restaurants, department stores, cafés, and walkable shops? I know people often talk about Pacific based on how quickly you can get from the 110 freeway to the coast, but a good part of San Pedro’s history has been lost to boarded up shops and barricaded storefronts. There were once car dealerships, a bowling alley, depart ment stores, and entertainment venues that supported a vibrant nightlife. If you walk south along Pacific Avenue at 6th Street, you’ll see small glass blocks embedded in the sidewalk. These would be lit up at night, espe cially during “moonlight sales.” There would be massive search lights danc ing in the sky, like giant Bat-Signals luring families to Pacific for late-night shopping bargains. It’s where you went to buy clothes, furniture, and that new gadget, the “television” — a small screen encased in a wooden box that took three or four strong men to move. Whole families would come down and the sidewalks were so packed you were elbow to elbow with all of your neigh
bors. You’d run into friends and family, and everyone would have a great time.
Longtime San Pedrans Violet Moretti and Lillian Marovich Felando remem ber shopping at Tamara’s, Lewis’, and Hartfield’s, where you can still see the name spelled out in the tile entryway despite the security gates. In fact, most of these storefronts have beautiful tile entries that tell so much history with all they have seen and all those who’ve stepped over them. Lilyan Fierman had a store for women’s clothing, and there was another store called Fierman’s that sold men’s clothing. The mural next to the Warner Grand Theatre is dedicated to Lilyan. LaRue’s Pharmacy had a soda fountain, and Newberry’s lunch counter was where you could get a grilled cheese sandwich while your mom shopped.
Stores would stay open until 9:00 or 10:00 at night. You felt safe. You felt connected. You felt alive. Later, Pacific was famous for cruising. San Pedro’s car culture was on full display. Beauti ful rides driving slow and loud. Lots of smiles and flirting, laughs and taunts, something to do after the drive-in movie, where Target now stands.
Del Amo Mall opened, our small shops closed, and somewhere in time, San Pedro shifted to simply thinking of Pacific Avenue as a thoroughfare and not an essential business corridor for eateries, entertainment, and shopping.
We can’t go back in time, and as much as I would love to see retail stores along Pacific, we all know that business model has never been more difficult. What’s next for Pacific? What can we plan for Pacific without devolving into circular arguments about bike lanes and traffic?
I believe Pacific’s best days are ahead of it. We have two residential housing projects that could make an extraor dinary difference to the safety of the area, the removal of blight, and create walkable streets we can enjoy again. These apartment buildings on 13th and 22nd could be part of a reawakening of Pacific that could transform so many nearby buildings into art studios, small eateries, creative spaces, and speakeas ies — and can we please get another bakery downtown? Something familyowned that supplies our local restau rants fresh bread and fills the air with that unmistakable smell that makes you stop your car and follow your nose.
I digress. I know it’s not popular, but if we could add housing to Pacific for teachers, dancers, artists, service pro viders at nonprofits, students, profes sionals, seniors, healthcare providers, and restaurant and hospitality workers in a way that keeps them local with out having to commute, that would go further in improving their quality of life than simply raising their wages.
Port Commissioner Anthony Pirozzi likens Pacific to Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, with medium-rise buildings and streets best experienced on foot. It would be beautiful if we can renew the old facades and have new construction mimic the art deco and classic beauty already on Pacific.
The San Pedro Chamber of Com merce is considering the ways we can activate the old Croatian Cultural Center on 7th and Pacific. CEO Elise Swanson has already cleaned up the windows, completed inspections, and started preparing the building to serve the community once again. The upstairs could house a number of service provid ers focused on small business, tourism, workforce development, employment services, and cultural programs while the downstairs could be flexible space for events, exhibitions, and San Pedro history. With so much happening in and around San Pedro, it’s time to give Pacific Avenue the attention it deserves. spt
Lee Williams leads the Williams Group at Keller Williams Realty and is a member of the Board of Direc tors for the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce and the Boys and Girls Club for L.A. Harbor.
It’s happening. It’s really happening.
Around the time you read this, ground will finally be broken on San Pedro’s largest retail redevelopment project in generations, West Harbor.
“It’s hard to believe, really,” says Alan Johnson, who, along with his brother Eric, are the men behind San Pedrobased Jerico Development.
Many people thought this day would never come. For more than a decade, the developers of West Harbor, a partnership between The Ratkovich Company and Jerico Development, have been working with the Port of Los Angeles to build a world-class water front destination worthy of a city like Los Angeles. After several starts and stops, many artist renderings, many more public meetings, and way too many rumors, not to mention a global pandemic, shovels will finally be hitting dirt this month.
The 42-acre port property is entitled for more than 335,000 square feet of development over a 66-year ground lease. For size comparison, according to the developers, you can fit the entire Grove shopping mall in just the North Park section of the project alone.
Hopefully, you’ve read enough about West Harbor in these pages over the years to have a general knowledge of what’s going on. (You can read about the project’s history in the October 2021 issue of San Pedro Today online
at sanpedrotoday.com.) This month, we spoke with representatives from Jerico Development to help answer some of the most asked questions about the highly anticipated project as the developers prepare for their first public preview party on Saturday, November 12.
This is, by far, the most-asked ques tion about the project, even though most San Pedrans have taken an “I’ll believe it when I see it” attitude. As construction begins this month and residents start taking notice, expect to see more people asking about what’s happening at the waterfront very soon.
As of this publication, according to the developers, plans are for West Har bor to officially open in the first quarter of 2024 with nearly a dozen tenants, mostly new restaurants, a modern fam ily play area, and a waterfront dog park (with a bar!) called North Park (See the construction schedule on page 24.)
Also, there are still plans for a 6,200seat waterfront amphitheater operated by Nederlander to open down the line in a third or fourth phase. That portion of the project is currently under envi ronmental review.
While there will likely be an open ing day celebration, expect most, if not all, of the restaurants and shops to have their unannounced soft openings throughout early 2024.
“There’s still talk about whether we soft open North Park or we soft open [the first building] or we do them both,” says Valerie James, vice president of business development for Jerico De velopment. “At the end of the day, it’s going to come down to how quickly the tenants can build.”
Here’s what’s slated to open in the first quarter of 2024:
A local favorite in Newport Beach, Mario’s Butcher Shop & Delicatessen will now bring its offerings to the San Pedro waterfront, featuring a premium selection of meat and poultry cuts and a delectable menu of deli favorites, in cluding sandwiches, burgers, and more.
Originally based in San Diego, Olala Crepes is an innovative creperie offer ing a unique variety of freshly prepared, high-quality savory and sweet crepes. Their menu also features panini and gluten-free crepe options.
With several locations across South ern California, Pitfire Pizza will expand into the San Pedro waterfront with a unique selection of artisan pizzas, plus a full menu of pasta dishes, salads, veg gies, desserts, and more.
As described on their website, The Win-Dow “is a destination for classic
smash-burgers, fried chicken sandwich es, and $8 grain bowls…best enjoyed by pulling up a stool outside and hanging out with our neighbors.”
Hopscotch is an immersive and experiential 17,000-square-foot art gallery with a restaurant and lounge area and an additional 2,000 square feet of outdoor space. According to their website, they “bring together artists in collaborative environments to create unique, impactful, and distinct shared experiences.”
With several locations in Southern California, Jay Bird’s Chicken brings some Nashville flair to the waterfront with their fast-casual hot chicken sand wiches.
The latest addition to the restaurant empire of Chef Jorge Cueva — also known as Mr. Tempo — King & Queen Cantina will bring Cueva’s signature Latin flavors and unique farm-to-table experience to the San Pedro waterfront.
Mike Hess Brewing will bring premier craft beers and more to the San Pedro waterfront with plans for an 18,000 square foot, indoor-outdoor, dog-friendly biergarten right next to the highly anticipated amphitheater.
Poppy + Rose, the popular countrystyle breakfast and brunch spot in Downtown Los Angeles, will open a new location along the waterfront with a 2,000-square-foot patio and active garden, where they’ll grow their veg
YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, WE HAVE ANSWERS! WITH A GROUNDBREAKING AND PUBLIC PREVIEW PARTY SET FOR THIS MONTH, WE ANSWER THE MOST ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT WEST HARBOR'S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED OPENING.by Joshua Stecker
Left: An updated construction schedule for West Harbor, with the initial opening slated for the first quarter of 2024. Above: A new map showing the location of the buildings, parking, and open space. See more photos at sanpedrotoday.com. (courtesy West Harbor)
etables and herbs on-site.
Located in the North Park section is something many San Pedrans have been waiting for, a modern dog park. Bark Social is the first social club for dogs and dog lovers. Amenities will include delicious food and drink menus for humans and dogs, 20+ craft beers plus cocktails, seltzers, and wine, a climate-controlled clubhouse, self-serve dog baths, free Wi-Fi, and more.
There will also be a courtesy dock where Harbor Breeze Cruises, owned by Dan Salas, will bring their fleet of double-decker sightseeing ships to West Harbor, offering whale watching and dinner cruises.
If things stay on schedule, the second round of openings is expected just a few months later. Here’s what’s slated to open in the third quarter of 2024: With multiple locations in Califor nia, New York, and Texas, Marufuku Ramen will join the West Harbor restaurant offerings, serving authentic Hakata-style Tonkotsu ramen made with milky, umami-rich broth, ultrathin artisanal noodles, and Cha-shu made from specially selected pork. Other menu selections include rice bowls, izakaya-style appetizers, and premium beer and sake.
Co-owned by film producer and real estate developer Elie Samaha and frequented by celebrities and influenc ers, Sugar Factory is an over-the-top American brasserie and candy shop known for its decadent drinks and des serts with locations all over the world.
Also co-owned by Samaha, Yamashi
ro, the century-old Japanese-fusion restaurant in the Hollywood Hills, will open its second location along the waterfront where the San Pedro Fish Market currently resides.
Adding to its many locations across the U.S., The Baked Bear’s new San Pedro waterfront location will offer its creative selection of custom ice cream sandwiches, among a few other dessert options, all sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.
With 2,000 parking spaces planned and more available spaces in Down town San Pedro, the developers are confident there will be ample parking at West Harbor.
“Within a mile and a half of the proj ect, there are [nearly] 11,000 parking spaces,” says James.
Of course, like everywhere in Los Angeles, parking won’t be free. How much it will cost has yet to be deter mined. There will also be Downtown trollies and other mass transit options available.
The short answer is yes. While the entire 42-acre project is considered family- and pet-friendly, West Harbor promises to deliver an attractive, mod ern outdoor park and kids’ activity area, including a state-of-the-art dog park.
“We always had this idea of a dog park, a bar, a restaurant, and a kids’
play area. Just all right there,” says Johnson. “Simple as that. You bring your kid, your dog, or both, or neither, or you can have a drink and something to eat on the water.”
He continues, “[I love] that West Harbor is turning into this really nice, dog-friendly, kid-friendly, familyfriendly project. It’s not just come, eat, and leave. It’s much more than that. Between Hopscotch, the programming, the festivals, all the things we’re going to do, it will maybe regain what Ports O’ Call once was.”
“Even though we have Bark Social, which is super cool and fun and trendy and a social space for you and your dog, the whole project is going to be pet friendly,” says Lauren Johnson, a representative of Jerico Development working on the West Harbor project and Alan’s daughter. “Many, if not all, of our tenants will allow pets to a certain degree because we have a ton of open patio space. [Mike Hess Brewing] has an almost 20,000-square-foot open biergarten. So that’s going to be all pet-friendly. Our overwater decks are outside, so those will be pet friendly.”
If you want to check this out for yourself, West Harbor will be holding its first public preview day on Saturday, November 12, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the new West Harbor Prom enade.
The developers invite the public to “experience the flavor and fun of what’s
to come.” The daylong festival will feature food and drinks from upcoming West Harbor tenants and San Pedro favorites, a biergarten, live art and en tertainment, kids’ activities, new project renderings, and information. Also, Harbor Breeze Cruises will be running free cruises along the harbor.
The event is free to the public, but you must register online to attend at westharborla.com.
For the Johnson brothers, as the local connection to the project, the impor tance of getting to this point hasn’t been lost on them. They know how important it is to stick the landing with this one.
“Thank you for all your patience,” says Alan. “The fact that we’ve had the opportunity to do this, that we were entrusted with this, we do not take that lightly. We take it very seriously. We understand because we know this town so well, the importance of it. The importance to do it right. The impor tance of where this will be in the life of our town. We are nothing but honored to be able to have done that. Has it al ways been fun? No. Has it always been straightforward? No. Has anybody lost sleep over it? Yes. But in this time of working on it, it’s been quite an odys sey.” spt
For more information about West Harbor and to register for the free event on Saturday, Nov. 12, visit westharborla.com.
If you have been reading my column or following me on social media, per haps you know that I was born in Iran and grew up in Italy. Both cultures have greatly influenced my culinary preferences. I have an affinity for tea that started in my childhood in Iran, where we are introduced to it at an early age and drink it for breakfast, midday, midafternoon, and post meals. Basically, the teapot flows all day.
As an adult, my tea-drinking habits have changed. While I drink tea yearround, my preferences for hot or iced tea vary depending on the season and weather. Although Earl Grey remains my flavor of choice, I also really enjoy any type of tea with rose, lavender, mint, lemon verbena, lemongrass, and/ or jasmine. Fruity flavors don’t appeal to me, and I don’t add milk or sugar to my tea. Nevertheless, a daily joy is a cup of tea in the middle of the after noon with something sweet.
Sadly, San Pedro doesn’t have a tradi tional tea shop. However, we have a few places, albeit inconsistent in service, where some good teas can be found.
I like to go to Hojas Tea House (222 W. 6th St.) because of the large variety of choices. I love seeing all the loose ingredients in the hot teas. This is the type of place that I much prefer going to for hot tea. I also make an exception milk-wise because all their teas have coconut milk. I have a few that I cycle through: Quiet Primrose (lavender and rose blossoms), Lemongrass Bouquet (lavender, roses, and jasmine blossoms infused with lemongrass), Victorian Earl Grey (English tea with rose petals, bergamot, and vanilla), Minty Moroc can (green and black tea with mint and vanilla), and Peaceful Lavender (oolong
tea with lavender). Depending on the day, I order the last three without milk. All the beverages are served in to-go cups, and depending on who prepares your drink, the ingredients are either loose or in a tea bag. Hojas serves my favorite tea companion: fruit tart.
Sirens Java & Tea (402 W. 7th St.) has a small selection of loose teas. Of all the shops in town, Sirens’ attention-todetail décor is unmatched. The play-onwords homage to law enforcement and mermaids is brilliant. This is the type of place where you want to slowly sip your tea from a ceramic mug and enjoy the artwork. I have been obsessed with
their mint iced tea. I recently tried the hot version of Glow (mint and citrus) and limoncello teas, which were both good. I love their banana muffin topped with banana chips to satisfy my need for something sweet. Before getting to that blissful experience of enjoying one’s tea and muffin, though, when ordering, one must be explicitly clear about desiring a ceramic mug and the banana muffins with the chips on top; otherwise, drinks are poured in to-go cups and you’ll most likely get a regular banana muffin. Also, depending on who works the counter, you might be served your tea in a mug or a teapot.
Given the popularity of Boba drinks, it’s nice to have CaliTea RPV (29050 S. Western Ave.) in town. Boba tea is originally Taiwanese and is traditional ly served cold. What makes these drinks unique are the chewy tapioca pearls that sink to the bottom of the plastic cup they are served in and consumed through a wide straw. In my conversa tions about Boba, I have found that feelings are divided about their chewy texture; people either hate or love them. I belong to the latter group and find them to be a welcoming addition to my drink. I usually alternate between Cali Milk Tea (made with black tea, sugar, and milk of your choosing) and Matcha Milk Tea. Since the tea is already sweet ened, I usually don’t buy anything to go with it. Experience has taught me that since they make their tapioca pearls in-house, they are not always available early mornings. spt
Sanam Lamborn created the Eat in San Pedro Facebook group and Instagram account in April 2020 to entice people to patronize San Pedro’s eateries.
Since moving to San Pedro in 1996, I’ve thought of myself as a social entre preneur, defined as a person who pursues novel ap plications, creat ing the potential to solve community-based problems.
Along with many other folks making a difference in this town, social entrepre neurs are willing to take on the risk and effort to create positive changes in so ciety through our initiatives, along with the nonprofit organizations we serve.
Founded as a CRA (the now defunct Community Redevelopment Agency) funded partnership program with the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce in 2009, the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District’s mission is to support, advo cate, and promote San Pedro arts and artists in all genres. We celebrate diver sity and inspire appreciation of cultural and artistic expression.
Since becoming a nonprofit in 2014, our work is informed by the NEA’s (National Endowment for the Arts) statement on creative placemaking: “In creative placemaking, partners from public, private, nonprofit, and community sectors strategically shape the physical and social character of a neighborhood, town, tribe, city, or re gion around arts and cultural activities. Creative placemaking animates public and private spaces, rejuvenates struc tures and streetscapes, improves local business viability and public safety,
and brings diverse people together to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired.”
Our purpose is to safeguard, promote, and collaborate with the many cultural assets of the Arts District, so they may thrive, grow, continue to be publicly shared, and enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. We do not want to see gentrification roll over the unique, essential character of our community or displace the artists who make this place a special part of L.A. Our ongoing marketing efforts highlight all manner of arts and cultural offerings.
The arts and the historic waterfront are the Arts District’s primary re sources for providing social, cultural, physical, and economic benefits to the surrounding community. A naturally occurring Arts District since the 1940s, many artists and art organizations have moved here and become vital to San Pedro’s cultural life.
On view throughout the Arts District are commissioned 25 artist-painted traffic signal boxes, three large-scale murals, and eight painted storm drains. The district features 90 diverse cultural assets, 48 galleries/artist studios, 35 supporting organizations, and over 100 individual artists, whose work is dis played in notable institutions. Numer ous nontraditional spaces offer regular arts events, with monthly art openings, performances, and classes throughout the district.
In 2017, San Pedro was designated as one of 14 California Cultural Districts by the California Arts Council. A coali tion of San Pedro cultural organizations joined together to win the state distinc
tion. Our Cultural District is governed by the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District, Council District 15, San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, Friends of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Angels Gate Cultural Center, and the Grand Vision Foundation.
In operation for 25 years and one of the first in the region, the monthly First Thursday ArtWalk happens between Pacific Avenue, Harbor Boulevard, and 4th and 9th streets. The First Thursday ArtWalk showcases all art disciplines throughout the community.
Following the initiative created by our founding board chair, Pat Carroll, the Arts District conducts Guided Art Walk Tours every First Thursday in her memory. During the pandemic shut down, we produced over 17 monthly Armchair ArtWalk online tours, showcasing artists in all genres. Tour information is on our website: SanPedroWaterfrontArtsDistrict.com.
The 25th ArtWalk Anniversary will be celebrated on First Thursday, November 3, and we’ve created a com memorative map and will be conducting a Guided ArtWalk Tour of arts spaces in the Arts District, with special treats for donors, including: Palm Realty Boutique Pop-Up Gallery (255 W. 6th Street), Sunken City Books Grand Opening (403 W. 6th Street), National Watercolor Society (915 S. Pacific Av enue), and Gallery Azul/It’s Showtime/ Collage (520 W. 8th Street).
Please help us celebrate the 25th First Thursday ArtWalk Anniversary
by making a Pay-What-You-Choose donation when you reserve your spot at tinyurl.com/Guided-Tour.
On Sunday, November 6 at 2 p.m., the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District will be presenting the second install ment of our Culture TALKS! series, by presenting Austin Wintory conduct ing a Videogame Music Master Class, featuring a live performance by the Orchid Quartet. The gathering will take place at the Frank Geary-designed Ca brillo Marine Aquarium (3720 Stephen White Drive) at 2pm. This presentation is gratefully produced in collaboration with Steven Allen Fox, artistic direc tor and conductor of the Golden State Pops Orchestra. Steven will be leading the conversation with Austin Wintory. Tickets for this event are available at bit.ly/3RG3B3Y.
The Culture TALKS! series originally started in 2018 on Mexico’s Indepen dence Day as an expression of our commitment to community arts educa tion. These programs will seek common ground by engaging participants in conversations about culture and how the arts inspire empathy, understand ing, and identity. Check our website for future Culture TALKS! (in-person and livestream) events. spt
Linda Grimes is a retired, recovering AT&T marketing and sales manager and is now the executive director of the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District. For more information, visit SanPedroWaterfrontArtsDistrict. com.
by Mike Harper & Peter Hazdovac
The origins of 1031 Exchange legislation date back to the Rev enue Act of 1921. Since then, with some revisions along the way, the 1031 Exchange has become a popu lar investment tool for businesses and investment property owners looking to defer taxes after a sale.
According to the IRS website (irs. gov), Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 provides an exception and allows a person or entity to postpone pay ing tax on a gain if the proceeds are reinvested into a similar property as part of a qualifying like-kind exchange.
A deferred gain in a like-kind ex change is tax-deferred but not tax-free. A property is considered like-kind if it is of the same nature or character, even if it differs in grade or quality.
For example, if an apartment owner sells, they may exchange into another apartment or SFR if used as a rental property and not a primary residence. Following are the fundamental require ments for a 1031 Exchange: 1.) must be another like-kind investment property; 2.) the replacement property must be of equal or greater value; 3.) all proceeds for the sale must be invested in the replacement property; 4.) must be the same title holder and taxpayer; 5.) must identify the new replacement property (up to three) within 45 days of the sale and; 6.) must close on the replacement property within 180 days of the initial sale.
The 1031 Exchange is ideal, not only to defer taxes but to take advantage of a property that has appreciated in value, allowing the investor to trade up to a larger investment property that offers increased income potential and a better return on investment (ROI). However, one downside with investment property exchanges is that if inventory is limited, an investor may feel forced into an undesirable purchase in order to meet the 45- and 180-day time requirements. If the investor cannot identify a replace ment property within 45 days, they would be subject to capital gains tax.
Long-term capital gains tax rates can be upwards of 15% to 20%, so it is easy to see why investors prefer to defer taxes and reinvest into another property.
An alternative investment that has become increasingly popular as an IRS-approved 1031 Exchange option over the last 20 years is the Delaware Statutory Trust (DST). A DST is a real estate ownership structure where multiple investors hold an undivided fractional interest in the trust holdings. The trust is established by a profes sional real estate company, referred to as a “DST sponsor,” which first identi fies and acquires the real estate assets. As individuals invest, their investments displace the capital used by the DST sponsor to acquire the property until it is eventually wholly owned by the investors. Investors own a beneficial interest in the trust. This means that investors hold a percentage of the own ership, and no single owner can claim exclusive ownership over any specific aspect of the real estate.
Nearly all commercial real estate property types are held as DST proper ties, including the four major property types: multifamily, office, industrial, and retail. There are some niche property types as well, including senior housing, medical offices, and self-storage. DST real estate is typically comprised of institutional-grade assets with competi tive income potential. Due to the large purchase price of typically $30 million to $100 million, these assets would otherwise be unattainable for the typi cal investor but are accessible through fractional ownership offered by a DST.
There are inherent risks with any of the investments mentioned, and this information is intended to be informa tional in nature only. While we have given a general overview of the 1031 Exchange as a way of deferring taxes, we always recommend that anyone considering these types of investments seek the advice of their CPA and at torney. spt
Mike Harper and Peter Hazdovac are both licensed Realtors® with Keller Williams Realty. For more info, visit harperhazdovac.com.
Giri Palani, DDS,
Implant
Dr. Palani is a Fellow in the International Congress of Oral Implantoligists. He has been giving people back their smiles for over a decade.
