March 10, 2016

Camera store: Paul’s Photo

Paul’s Photo has prospered during the transition from film cameras to digital cameras by offering photo classes and excursions — from Madrona Marsh to Kilimanjaro and places in between, including Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Death Valley, Monterey and Alaska.

“Running stores offer runs, nurseries offer planting classes. We’ve created a symbiotic ecosystem with our stores sales, printing lab, classroom instruction and photo excursions.

Shopping: Del Amo Fashion Center

Last October, Del Amo Fashion Center completed a $200 million effort to restore Del Amo Fashion Center to the upper echelon of luxury shopping centers.

The “Grand Entrance” welcomes shoppers with a two-story square wall of glass with panes designed to cast shadows across the Grand Court’s curving, cream colored interior as the sun rises, until light and shadows can spill in from the enormous skylights. The skylights hover 61 feet over the main floor.

Grocery store: Trader Joe’s

Next fall, the South Bay’s ninth Trader Joe’s will open in Hermosa Beach in what was formerly known as the Ralph’s Shopping Center on Pacific Coast Highway. The foodie emporium has over 400 stores nationwide, each one designed to fit the local neighborhood, according to spokesperson Alison Morhizuki.

Realtor: Donald McVicar

What makes Donald McVicar a good negotiator is the eight years he spent negotiating shipping fees for a Japanese fishing company. What makes him a good Realtor, he said, is his institutional knowledge and personal commitment that comes from having grown up in the beach cities.

Hospital: Torrance Memorial

Amid widespread consolidation in the medical industry, Torrance Memorial Medical Center has remained independent and locally governed. But that hasn’t stopped it from remaining a leader in its field.

Real Estate office: 3 Leaf Realty

3 Leaf Realty broker Jerry Carew has a simple explanation for why home sales are picking up. It’s March.

“In good years and bad, the cycle is the same. Home sales are slow in January and rise to a peak in May or June. Last year it was May. The previous four years it was June,” he said.

Dr. Derek Levy in his Hermosa Beach office. Photo by Kevin Cody
Best Chiropractor: Derek Levy, DC

Unlike most doctors, Chiropractor Derek Levy describes his patients as generally healthy. “People at the beach lead a healthy lifestyle. So when they come to see me it’s usually for minor aches and pains that are easy to take care of. I deal with neck and lower back pain all day long.

Best dive shop: Dive N’ Surf

Maria Kazankova is Russian sports psychologist, actress and world champion free diver, which is more than enough to qualify her a a dive instructor at the South Bay’s best dive shop.

Best yoga studio — The Green Yogi

You might think people would want to spend their weekend mornings relaxing in bed. But step inside Manhattan Beach’s The

Best bike shop — Hermosa Cyclery

Hermosa Cyclery has been operating from its beachside location for more than 40 years. In that time, it has become