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After the storm, tornado warnings and floods met Long Beach, a few surfers went to work. Here is a video of the surf in Long Beach on January 19th 2010. Not even the mighty break water could calm this swell at Bayshore Ave. Surfs up Long Beach!!! Enjoy! We Love Long Beach!!!
Our Mission: To Know and Serve The People, The Neighborhoods, and The City of Long Beach, Ca.
“The reason that I came to Los Altos was because I wanted to create a unique coffeehouse that could offer a special meet-up experience, a gourmet product and a great atmosphere,” says Mikael Hashoul, owner of Toorak Coffee. With a wide selection of drip coffee, gourmet espresso, whole-leaf teas and lots of other delights, Hashoul hopes that Toorak will be the new community space in Los Altos. “We want to allow for personal connections to happen between people, where they can have a conversation, an interaction and share ideas in a warm environment.”
Born in Israel, Hashoul moved to Australia to start a family with his wife. While living there, he became fascinated with the country’s coffee culture, studying it via books and classes and setting off on a search for the best coffee in Australia. In 2004, Hashoul opened his first coffeehouse to a wave of excited and faithful customers. Four months later, he opened two more locations, and one year after that, his fourth. But with a desire to move to the United States, Hashoul sold the four stores in Australia to begin afresh in Southern California. “We wanted to bring the Australian experience [here],” he says.
Hashoul finds American culture a lot more fast-paced than Australia’s. “We hope that Toorak will allow our customers to take a moment and reflect on their life, relax and enjoy their family over a cup of coffee outside the rat race,” he says, adding that he looks forward to introducing more music nights, social activities and new partnerships with the neighboring schools. “The coffeehouse does not belong to the owner, it belongs to the community,” he says. “We want to start the year together as a neighborhood and society.”
Toorak’s Website: http://www.toorakcoffee.com/
Hey Wrigley, We Love Long Beach is excited to be coming your way! We want to give you the opportunity, in a safe and friendly environment, to get to know your neighbors better. (There will be free pancakes, sausage, eggs, fruit, vegan delights, orange juice, and coffee.) Also face painting for kids and a live DJ to set the mood. Remember LB, community is the home that WE build together, valuing our differences and the common good, to make Long Beach a great place to live. Please spread the word and invite your neighbors. We can’t wait!
HAPPY NEW YEAR LONG BEACH!
“No matter how fantastic a woman you are, your life partner is not going to magically show up at your door. You have to get yourself ready and then go out and find him,” says Bobbi Palmer, owner of Date Like a Grown Up. Created to help successful women over 40 understand themselves and men better, Date Like a Grown Up offers dating and relationship advice to clients via telephone. “The reason why I call it Date Like a Grown Up is because it is really about becoming a more confident, authentic and educated woman who can enjoy life’s journey,” Palmer says.
For a time, Palmer defined success along tangible lines—a big office that overlooked the city, for example. “My life was good: I had nice things, lots of great friends, I traveled and then I turned 40,” she recalls. This middle-aged milestone made her rethink everything she once believed about men, relationships and her own desires. “I think that I realized that it was all a sham. I had been living my life with a fear of depending on someone and being hurt.”
After working though some of her deep-seated fears and insecurities through psychiatrists, seminars and lots of first dates, Palmer found the confidence and courage to accept love into her life. At 47 she met her husband Larry, who, she says, “rocked my world.” But it did not stop there. “When I got married I felt that I had a lot to share with other women, and that is why I became a dating coach,” she says. Today, Palmer has a Web site, a dating resource blog and in January she will host a dating teleseminar for older women. “Clearly, by focusing on making some changes and learning some new things, I was able to find the ultimate happiness of my life. I see it working for my clients, as well, time and time again.” SCOTT JONES
For more information:
Website: http://www.datelikeagrownup.com/
This year, We Love Long Beach got the nod for “Best Free Breakfast in Long Beach” -The District Weekly
Wrigley we hope to see you there!
The mission of We Love Long Beach is to Know and Serve the People, the Neighborhoods, and the City of Long Beach, Ca.
Please invite your neighbors!
“My superhero character is all about new adventures and taking care of wrongdoing in the world,” says Reed Greenfield, alter-ego of comic-book superhero Z-Blade XX. Greenfield and friends recently released their first crime-fighting comic book, loosely based on Greenfield himself. “I, like others, am a struggling actor, and so I decided to create something new for myself. We needed another African-American superhero,” he says.
While working at Universal Studios as the Phantom of the Opera and Frankenstein, Greenfield met Guy Lemae, a fellow actor and art illustrator. “We started talking about comic books, which led to some sketches, and soon we compiled a creative team,” Greenfield recalls. He says the experience has been the most exciting time of his life—and has triggered a new found creativity.
For Greenfield the comic book was incomplete without its official superhero costume, which has become an essential element to marketing Z-Blade XX. “I now get to dress up as Z-Blade for local signings. All the kids are enamored and blown away by the suit. It’s an amazing feeling to see the kids smile,” he says. And this is only the beginning of Z-Blade: “In the end I want Z-Blade to inspire change in the world. I just want Z-Blade to represent justice in the world.” SCOTT JONES
December 9th 2009
“The whole restaurant started with a passion of knowing where our food comes from and supporting our local economy and neighborhood,” says Natalie Gutenkauf, owner of recently-opened restaurant the Factory. For Gutenkauf, this endeavor is a dream come true: “I can remember telling my husband [I wanted to open] a restaurant. He thought that it was a great idea, but also crazy.”
Gutenkauf caught the cooking bug when she married her husband, Eric. “I think my husband inspired me greatly. He is in the food industry and brought a different level of foodiness into my life,” she says. Previously a stay-at-home mom, Gutenkauf became a traveling chef, teaching cooking classes around Long Beach. But she grew tired of loading all her cooking equipment in the truck every day.
Inspired by Andy Warhol’s own New York City studio the Factory, Gutenkauf launched her Factory with the intent of “creating a food scene” in our city. “We have wine tastings, food pairings, beer-making classes and our own market. And our chef is a rock star who trained under Wolfgang Puck,” she says. And someday, Gutenkauf hopes, the Factory will be the go-to destination of Long Beach’s foodies. Written by, SCOTT JONES
We Love Long Beach is bringing in the New Year with the Wrigley Neighborhood! Please come and get to know your neighbors, and enjoy free pancakes, eggs, sausage, fuit, oj, and coffee. We will have vegan options as well!
There will be face painting for the kids, a live DJ and a few giveaways.
Please stay posted.
The date is TBA
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