HLR Media
JULY 08, 2013 - juLY 14, 2013 | 5
Eclectic charm and cuisine in Claremont By Greg Aragon Claremont is more than a sleepy college town with tree-lined streets, craftsmen homes, mountain views and a charming village. It is also an exciting and eclectic city with great restaurants, pubs, boutique shops, museums, an awesome botanical garden, hiking, biking and more. A friend and I snuck away to Claremont recently and had so much fun we are already planning a return. Our getaway began at the mission-styled DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont, where we checked into a spacious suite overlooking the pool, Jacuzzi and the property’s lush interior. The room featured two queen beds, a 37-inch flat-screen TV, high-speed internet and a large office desk. Besides comfortable rooms, the boutique hotel also boasts a fitness center, a full service day spa, and a gourmet restaurant
called The Orchard, which serves up California-Mediterranean fusion cuisine for lunch and dinner and a fabulous traditional buffet breakfast. The restaurant also has a full bar. Located on historic Route 66, at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, the hotel is a perfect home base for touring Claremont. It is steps from PianoPiano, a club with live dueling pianos shows, comedy, food and drink; and a few blocks from The Village, where the heart of the city beats. To get to The Village we took the hotel’s free shuttle, which serendipitously dropped us off in front of Viva Madrid (www. vivamadrid.com), an authentic Spanish restaurant teeming with tasty tapas. Our meal began with Gamba al Ajillo, a favorite tapa in Spain, which features shrimp cooked with garlic, white wine, parsley, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil. Next we devoured Espárragos con Salmon, a delightful dish of asparagus wrapped with smoked salmon. Continuing down the extensive tapas list, we
split a Spanish salad with carrots, beets, fennel, and cucumber in a pomegranate dressing. We then enjoyed various tapas with fried squid with aloli sauce; steamed clams in a spicy paprika sauce; and mussels with onions, garlic, tomato and garlic sauce. While eating we sipped Estrella de Galcia, a smooth, refreshing Spanish beer, and admired the restaurant’s Spanish-styled décor, with large, old wooden front door, wooden chairs, a faux balcony, and walls lined with a bull’s head, swords, sculptures, mirrors and paintings. After dinner we strolled through The Village and discovered the Hip Kitty Jazz and Fondue (www.hipkittyjazz.com), a swanky and intimate jazz supper club and lounge. Located in a renovated 1922 Packing House, the place sparkles with a warm, vintage style that harkens back to “an era when jazz was subversive and fondue was all the rage.” The 21 and over club offers a retro menu with a wide selection of cheese, chocolate, and meat & sea-
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on the ballot by an initiative petition circulated by David Diaz, a resident who is also city of Los Angeles firefighter, with the support of the Monterey Park City firefighters union. Opponents of Measure FF have criticized the $100,000 cost of the special election for the single ballot measure. No other questions appeared on the ballot. In their argument in favor of Measure FF, proponents stated that “Your Yes vote on Measure FF will improve fire and paramedic service in Monterey Park and
save taxpayers more than $30 million over 10 years.” Thrilled with the outcome was Terry De Wolfe, who helped lead a coalition to help defeat Measure FF. De Wolfe said he was thrilled with defeating the iniative. “It was very welcome, certainly,” he said. “I think it was an effort the community can be proud of. I wasn’t even sure we were going to win. I was very surprised we had that big of margin.” De Wolfe added people from outside of Monterey Park were trying to tell those within the city limits what to
do.
“My concern is that we have outsiders governing the city,” he said. “That was what happened here. Those are acts that would be taken by Monterey Park citizens and not by outsiders. It was really inappropriate.” This was the second special election the city has held on this issue. Turning over city control of its fire and paramedic services to Los Angeles County was also handily defeated back in 1998. (Shel Segal can be reached at ssegal@beaconmedianews.com).
Mike Gatto
food fondues in addition to a lounge menu. The place also has live music every night. During our visit, a group called Sean Amato & Friends were belting out a fantastic set of classic rock, American Standards and original music. The next morning, we enjoyed a delicious buffet breakfast at the hotel and worked out at the fitness center. We then lounged by the pool until heading back to The Village for a visit to
the Folk Music Center and Museum, where we played guitars and ukuleles and learned about the rich folk culture that has become a part of Claremont. We concluded our getaway at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (www. rsabg.org). Home to the 10th largest herbarium in the US, the gardens house more than a million plant specimens, almost half of which are California plants. Since it was summer, we got
to see pink desert willows and yellow Palo Verdes mix with the tawny browns, soft grays and greens of the many grasses, shrubs, and trees. The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont is located at 555 W. Foothill Blvd, Claremont, 91711. For more info, call 909-6262411 or visit: www.doubletree3.hilton.com. For more information on visiting Claremont, visit: www.discoverclaremont.com.
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Prudential
California Realty
www.prudentialcaliforniaproperties.com
Pasadena | sierra Madre | Monrovia (626) 355-1600
resort style Living! Located in north Monrovia, this pristineand jewel This home has been beautifully maintained will make you feel likeisyou again need to vacation away from tops, home! restored. There annever updated kitchen with granite counter This manufactured home has had some great improvements The living/dining room and step-down great flow andkitchen, is now aappliances MUST SEE! There isenormous new flooringcabinets. throughout, new paint throughstainless steel and cherry wood The viewroom out the together create an open space with amazing glass leading out, and atonew dishwasher. With the magnificent of16ft. the mountains from the liviing front window and front patio includes theview mountains, treesliders tops and cityto the backyard. 2269 sf. home, 9557 sf. lot, 2 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, room, this coach is very desirable! Vista Del Monte Mobile Home Community, located at lights. 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,460 sq. ft. See www.833CanyonCrest. the end of Mayflower Boulevard in Monrovia, a senior community (55+) affording one a pool, spa, newer roof, HVAC system,is10ft. ceilings. For more information: com for pictures and information. simple lifemore style with the added amenities www.310Canyon.com (416JEF) $58,500 Monrovia (Can)(833CAN) $725,000 Sierra Madre $585,000
notjust just a house, Remodeled English Cottage features Not house,ititisisaaHoMe. HOME. Remodeled English Cottage breathtaking gardens and updated kitchen withmaintained tilekitchen floors, granite counter features breathtaking gardens and updated with floors,and Built in 1985, the owner has meticulously thistile coach. stainless steelhas appliances. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1603 sq. ft.area, breakfast This cozycounter space an amply sized bedroom, full bathroom, granite and stainless steel appliances. 3 laundry bedrooms, 2 baths, area, kitchen 1603 sq. ft.and a bright and sunny living room. The recently added front porch is private and the gardens surrounding the coach are small but very inviting. This senior park is for those adults fifty-five years and older and is close to shopping and the freeways. There is room to park 2 cars
(BAR) altadena (aLa) Altadena (ALA)
$28,800 $629,000 $629,000
NEW PRICE!
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them, even when the meter is not working properly. This was the law in California from 1935 to 2012, until a few cities began considering ordinances to reverse it, and the Los Angeles City Council actually passed an ordinance allowing for the ticketing of drivers who park at broken meters. An NBC4 investigative report found that, in a single year, more than 17,000 park-
ing tickets had been issued, for meters that had been reported to the City of Los Angeles as malfunctioning or broken. The overwhelming majority of these meters were not intentionally broken by motorists but, rather, had internal malfunctions, which the city had failed to fix. As cities transition from traditional meters to electronic ATMlike parking kiosks, which are more durable but subject to
the intricacies of complex electronics and the whim of Internet connections, this pattern is expected to stay the same. “Forcing a motorist to drive around aimlessly in search of a parking spot is not healthy for the driver or for the environment,” said Gatto. “And it’s just wrong to force a driver into an expensive lot when perfectly good spots are available on the street.”
What a delight,condo it will be in to come home each day to yourthroughout, newly updatimmaculate Monrovia.Totally refurbished new appliances in Situated kitchen, two bedroom, twocould bath, with attached garage has4abaths, Complex edThis home! inupgrade one of you the most family friendly neighborhoods home hasevery wish for. 5 bedrooms, 3,300 sq. ft. on a 7,885 sq. ft. lot. Thi s home has every upgrade you coul d wi s h for. 52 of Altadena, your new home offers 3 generously sized bedrooms, pool, Clubhouse, spa, and Jacuzzi. bedrooms, 4baths,3,300 sq.ft.room ona7,885 sq.ft.fireplace, lot. Hardwooddining floorsthroughout, paint,brandfamily new baths, a formal living with room,new a HUGE kitchenwith with Vikfireplace ing appliances,and granitglass e counterdoors tops, potoverlooking filer, custom built-inthe kitchen table, eat in islaand nd, room brick patio trashcompactorandmuchmuchmore. Laundryroomhasbrandnewfloorsandbuilt-incabinets. 2 yard. There in the front and rear with new guestsui tesontheismailuscious nfloorwithwallandscaping kinclosetandupgraded bathrooms. plantings, new sod and automatic sprinklers. Monrovia $329,000 (ALE) (MaY) $1,500,000 Altadena (NEL) $449,000
Offering tranquil VIEWS of the valley and This home has been beautifully maintained and mounrestored. Thereisisthis updated kitchen with granite counter tops,on stainless steel applianctains, 4 bedroom, 3 bath home is situated anext 14, to 401 sf. lot. This aangreat 3bedroom home, centrally located Sierra es andisand cherry wood cabinets. 210Freeway The view an out front Madre of Pasadena. and the gold line arewindow just downand theupdated hill.front This patio There a top large family/media room, updated kitchen, includes mountains, treearea tops cityinlights. 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,460 home sitsnew onthe top of Hasting Ranch ofand Pasadena right above Don Benito Elementary baths, windows, closet organizers all bedrooms, new bamboo sq. ft. further See down www.833CanyonCrest.com for Very morequiet pictureslovely andneighbors, information. School, Elementary this flooring. CA & street Heat,is Field huge laundrySchool. room and aarea, large 2-car garage! home is ready for a new owner! The home has parquet hardwood flooring in most of the See house,www.608vallevista.com there are paver tiles in kitchen. for photos and details. sierra Madre (833Can) Pasadena (DEN) Sierra Madre (VALINT)
$585,000 $695,000 $848,000
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