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ADVICE GODDESS

ADVICE GODDESS

25 Years in Business

Marina Bay Watch Company reaches special milestone

By Haley Beyer

Michael Vartanian began his journey working at a watch shop when he was just 16 years old. He spent nine years at that job and learned all about how to care for watches. He originally had planned to become a pharmacist but didn’t feel that it was the right path for him, so he earned a business degree from Cal State LA before starting his own business. After saving up all his money, in 1996 Vartanian opened Marina Bay Watch Company, a watch service center and jewelry repair shop in Marina del Rey. It was a huge challenge the first few years of running the store in his early twenties, but he was fortunate to meet his wife shortly after opening the business. “It was extremely stressful in the beginning but my wife, Kori, is my rock,” Vartanian said. “She helped us stay up while I struggled to make a name for myself and the shop. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her.” Having the support of his wife and daughter, along with his employees who all happen to be family members, has kept Vartanian focused over the years. His cousin, Moosh Babadjanian, has worked there for over 15 years and helps manage the business. “I am so grateful to him for the hard work he does,” Vartanian said. Vartanian created a special bond with his customers and the people who supported the business when he was starting

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500 Pacific Coast Hwy., Suite 512 of Dermatology Founded by Michael Vartanian, Marina Bay Watch Company has been in business since 1996 and recently celebrated its 25-year anniversary.

out. In the beginning, he filled the store with merchandise to make extra money rather than just relying on servicing the jewelry. He had a lot of debt trying to balance everything, but worked with companies that lent him money to give him enough time to pay back every penny of credit, which he did. “I kept telling myself I would get through it, and I did,” Vartanian said. “I just needed the people I was working with to believe in me too. And I proved to them that they could trust me.” Once business was stable, he worked to build the same trusting relationship with his customers. “A successful business is all about good customer service and quality work,” Vartanian said. “I want to be part of every transaction to interact with every customer and guarantee they leave happy. Jewelry is very expensive, so it took a long time to build up my reputation of being able to handle expensive brands and for customers to trust me enough to leave their jewelry with me.” Some of the brands people trust Marina Bay Watch Company with include Cartier, Gucci, Rolex and TAG Heuer. On the repair side of the business they specialize in diamond replacement, ring sizing, necklace and bracelet repair, pearl restringing, battery replacement, and jewelry and watch inspection. Many of Vartanian’s customers are regulars who only trust his business to service their jewelry. When COVID-19 hit, their doors were closed for two months and Vartanian didn’t know if the business would make it through the pandemic. When they were finally allowed to open again, he immediately had a long line of customers that was out the door and around the corner. Things were so busy that the company had to change to appointment only. “99% of our work is servicing watches and jewelry, which is very time consuming,” Vartanian said. “We could barely keep up with the work so my wife and I decided to open for only four days a week (Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday) to guarantee we would still have some personal time alongside the chaos of the store. I couldn’t be more relieved that I made it through COVID-19. With all my heart I am counting my blessings. I’m grateful and happy to have my doors open again. I am thrilled we made it to this milestone.”

Marina Bay Watch Company

4027 Lincoln Boulevard, Marina del Rey 310-574-8777 marinabaywatch.com

Captain Danger Feels Safe Onstage

Venice rock band to perform in Santa Monica

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

No matter the occupation, sometimes people just don’t click. For Aaron Steinberg, when he met Roger “Joose” Benford and Keith “E-Day” Eaddy, he instantly knew they could play music together. “We just had this chemistry somehow,” Steinberg said. “Sometimes you just feel that way with people. They had this willingness to take twists and turns and share their personality. I love that. We felt energized by each other.” Founded in New York, but reconfigured in Venice, Captain Danger will bring that energy to Trip in Santa Monica on Saturday, Jan. 29. “At the show, fans can expect us to play a few of our own songs, but then they will notice we play songs we know,” said Steinberg, whose band recently released the album “Love Sweet Love.” “We put a twist on them, though. We love to play songs with a twist, like, ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ by the Cure. We adapted that to a roots-reggae song. “We feel we bring something new to a song people told us they dig. We play ‘I Feel Good’ by James Brown and give that a twist.”

Longtime musician

Steinberg moved from New York to Venice and performed solo around Los Angeles. He yearned to return to a band, so he resurrected Captain Danger with Benford and Eaddy. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Captain Danger hosted livestreams, but has since hit the stage at the likes of Hotel Café for its Motown Night. “Being in a band makes everything easier and more fun,” Steinberg said. “There is stuff I’ll do when I collaborate with other people that I won’t do on my own. We vibe back and forth like a tennis ball in front of an audience. The audience makes you do things that you might not do, too. It’s almost like an experiment to see what comes out of you. If you’re open to collaborating, the result is a thousand times better.” Steinberg shares his talents elsewhere, too. He pens TV and soundtrack music. He recently scored the documentary “Tomorrow’s Hope,” which tells the story of educators, kids and their families on the south side of Chicago. The website said he was the “obvious choice” for “Tomorrow’s Hope” to further incorporate more drumline elements into the score when appropriate. Steinberg also explored ambient music with his electric guitar that complemented the film. He’s also written “ditties” for the FX Captain Danger is, from left, guitarist/vocalist Aaron Steinberg; drummer Roger “Joose” Benford and bassist/ keyboardist/vocalist Keith “E-Day” Eaddy.

network, which he called “fun.” “We did one wacky thing, ‘The Americans,’ which is a very serious show,” he said. “Incredibly, that’s been busy as hell the whole time,” he said. “The TV stuff has been great. The TV stuff is all over the map stylistically. I’ve been fortunate and lucky.” As for popular releases, he turned the knobs for an Olivia Olson album. She’s best known for voicing Vanessa Doofenshmirtz in “Phineas and Ferb” and Marceline and Vampire Queen in “Adventure Time.” “She an amazing singer,” he said. “I’ve been super lucky. I fell into the scoring/soundtrack thing. I’ve always loved film music. I didn’t know what my entrée into it would be. In New York, I was in the Televisionaries, where we take TV theme sons and do terrible things to them. We put them in a Cuisinart.” As for Captain Danger, he said it’s a little different. “We definitely have our own sound,” he said.

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On the Move

Viva LA captures the energy of iconic locales with roving art project

By Bridgette M. Redman

Every place has its own energy, its own vibe. In Los Angeles, the energy can flare up in different colors and undercurrents, even as you move from block to block. Viva LA, founded by renowned artist Andre Miripolsky and entrepreneur Christian Mitman, has been all about celebrating LA at home and abroad by creating a brand that promotes the city’s creative culture and its artists. Throughout December, they took to the streets in a brightly painted art truck festooned with the Viva LA logo and paintings created for the Pershing Street exhibition held last February. They transformed the truck into a mobile studio – one with a work table and gallery-style walls. The truck’s first project was to help support the artist known as M. as she created 30 days of artwork all around LA. Starting Dec. 10, she created 30 paintings in 30 LA locations that were exhibited at the LA Art Show from Jan. 19 to 23. Not only do people purchasing her work get the painting, but they also get a video clip of the art being created. The process was filmed for the upcoming streaming series called “Viva LA! Celebrating the creative culture of Los Angeles at home and around the world.” It will form some of the content for the show that plans to show LA lovers around the globe what it is like to be a creative person living and working in LA. Throughout December and early January, LA-based street artist M. (left, with Viva LA cofounder Christian Mitman) traveled around Los Angeles in the Viva LA Art Truck + Mobile Studio to create 30 works of art in 30 iconic locations, including Santa Monica and Venice.

PHOTOS BY CHRIS MORTENSON

“Our mission is to support the arts in LA,” Mitman said. “With COVID-19 raging and events being stifled, we wanted to put together a project that showed LA and the world the uniqueness of place in LA and the creative nature of the people.” They got in touch with M., who had been helping them make videos for the past year, and they worked out a plan for her to create a series of works to be exhibited at the LA Art Show. M. had always been a street artist but was interested in becoming a gallery artist. She created work in such places as Hollywood, DTLA Industrial District, LACMA, Urban Lights, Fairfax District, The Broad/ Disney Concert Hall, Runyon Canyon, Griffith Observatory, Venice Beach, Santa Monica, the Fashion District, Sunset Strip, Culver City and Baldwin Hills. They’ll be posting the works on their Instagram account (@vivalaofficial). As they drove around the city, they did so with the intent of creating joy and showing local communities that it is the arts that drive any culture, and that in LA, the innate creativity is so powerful. “We had M. working on the street in every location and creating a spectacle wherever we went,” Mitman said. “The idea was to remind people that the arts are really important. Part of this whole journey is not just creating all these paintings in LA locations, but with the way M. works, she’s a conduit for the energy of a place.” “I’m all about energy,” M. agreed. M. creates using an automatic writing process in which she creates geometric shapes. The automatic nature of the writing is the process by which she transfers a place’s energy onto the canvas. “Each one will be representative of the time and place where it was created,” Mitman said. “For example, on Christmas morning we got up at 5 a.m. It was completely fogged in —white-out conditions. She picked a blue canvas for Runyon because it always has such a blue sky, but when she unwrapped it against the white fog, it was really magical.” With each painting, they set up a camera and captured the artist, her work and the environment in which she is creating. The buyer of the painting gets the video, so they get to see the conditions under which the painting was created, hopefully deepening the connections to LA and LA artists. Mitman hopes it will create a deeper appreciation for the art, the artist and how beautiful LA is. “She’s so pretty,” M. responded. “I have a crush on LA.” M. believes that society is on the verge of another Renaissance. She points out that the first one came as the world was recovering from a plague. “With Viva LA, they are really adamant about supporting the arts,” M. said. “We need that more than we’ve ever needed it before. We’re coming into a new renaissance. The energy I’m transferring that comes through me with each location is the most purest form of magic of that area. Runyon, West Hollywood — each had its field of energy that I’m trying to hone in on. You will see that exact energy for the rest of time (in the painting). That will never dissipate. It’s very powerful to have Viva LA to help me do it and to film it and tell that story for others. Every location has a magic to it that I’ll never forget.” Mitman said the people who show up to watch the art being created are often touched not just by the spectacle of art being created in public, but also the chance to connect with the creative sides of their own life. While most of M.’s previous work had been done in all black and white, Mitman encouraged her to use color because LA is such a colorful city. M. described the learning process as a joyful one. “I’m learning every day,” M. said. “Certain colors work with other colors. With black and white, you know what it is going to do, but when you play off of different blues, it can come out differently. Runyon has blue with whites. Downtown LA is going to have reds, golds and bronzes. The colors play off the energy, the feel of the area. That’s been beautiful.” M. said she’s learned more in the past month than in the 10 years that she’s lived here. She’s found all sorts of different storylines and absorbed the atmospheres of each place in new ways. She said that knowing her work is going to be shown in front of thousands of people has forced her to be more vulnerable and to believe in herself. “I want to kick ass,” M. said. “I want to deliver. I want to show up.” Mitman said it has been exciting to watch M. grow as that is part of what he wants to have Viva LA do — they can create the environment and have the resources that allow people to create. He tries to identify obstacles that artists need to

overcome to do their work, whether it is art, food art, fine art, dancing or music. “I know it totally works,” Mitman said. “When they don’t have to worry about mundane things, the creativity just comes out and you get really transformative results.” While they had an exhausting schedule in December, M. continues to be excited about where it might lead. She wants to create work and paint murals all over the planet while constantly having each work be better than the one before. She said that as a world, we are in need of a lot of healing and she hopes that is what her work does. Mitman, meanwhile, is focused on the television show, knowing it is a great way to launch Viva LA as so much of LA centers around the television and movie industry. He pointed out that with the pandemic still raging, people are back at home and the television industry is flourishing. “There is a ton of creativity and it is a great way to get Viva LA into the zeitgeist — generating interest in LA again,” Mitman said. One recent project was to team up with a homeless artist in Venice to paint longboards. Afterward, local longboard dancing guru Brooke Johnson danced on the painted longboard. They were exhibited for sale at the LA Art Show and the homeless artist received his portion of the proceeds. All of that was filmed for the television show. The plan is for any sponsorship revenue they earn from the show to be funneled back into the creative people in LA. The work created during this project has also been uploaded to the Viva LA website and posted on Instagram so people could make pre-show bid offers on them. “We encourage everyone to get involved and to put a bid on these art works to keep the creative culture going,” Mitman said. “We’re doing this for a much larger goal.”

Viva LA

vivala.us Instagram: @vivalaofficial Viva LA also teamed up with a homeless artist in Venice to paint longboards, and afterwards local longboard dancing guru Brooke Johnson danced on the finished piece.

Ecological Gem

(Continued from Page 11)

tion of children who will be with Ballona in the future. “My hopes for them [the children] is that the politicians and the people who have [the], financial, political, whatever stake in this can pull back and say this ecological reserve isn’t for them,” Lamb said. Brody sees the restoration as an opportunity to spotlight one of the biological hotspots in LA. “I see it as one of the most significant biological hotspots in the region and a large-scale regional opportunity for wetland education,” Brody said. “It’s really the largest opportunity for coastal wetland and wildlife recovery along the LA county coastline. It’s a significant opportunity for open space for Angelenos. This is the second largest open space, second only to Griffith Park in the city. So to have that, really teaming with sensitive wildlife is exciting to think about.” Nagy hopes for the Ballona Wetlands to be protected and that access can start to be improved right away. “It’s one more jewel in Southern California’s nature network that is closed off to the public and that’s really sad,” Nagy said. “The public should be let in and I think that could happen immediately, regardless of this super controversial plan.” Strauss believes that more underprivileged students need to experience nature as a whole, which can start at the Ballona Wetlands. “One of the most important roles that urban green space can provide is the social transformation,” Strauss said. According to the CDFW’s website, the restoration project will proceed to its final design. Part of what’s left to be done is completing a federal environmental review document, which would take around two and a half years.”

Friends of Ballona Wetlands

ballonafriends.org

CDFW Environmental

Impact Report wildlife.ca.gov/Regions/5/ Ballona-EIR

SoCal Gas

youtube.com/ watch?v=kbd5T1VoCdk

THE ARGONAUT’S REAL ESTATE SECTION

MAR VISTA GEM

“This charming 1928 Country English-style cottage has inviting curb appeal and welcomes you in with beautiful hardwood floors”. says agent Jane St. John. “It also offers a cozy fireplace, a formal dining room--plus all the special conveniences of an updated bathroom and kitchen. The open living room/dining rooms flow into a bright white kitchen with stainless appliances, a sunny breakfast room (or a perfect work-from-home space), and a laundry room with newer stacked appliances. Both bedrooms provide morning sunlight and convenience to an airy full bathroom. Enjoy outdoor dining/relaxing on the rear deck that leads to a very private gated/fenced and tree-lined backyard. Situated just north of Washington Place off Grandview Blvd, this central location is freeway close and convenient to all Westside employment communities, and close enough to enjoy all the beach cities have to offer.” Offered at $1,475,000

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10757 HORTENSE STREET #110 2 Bed | 2 Bath | Coming Soon Amazing NoHo Location 2471 SAWTELLE #203 2 Bed | 1 Bath | $580,000 Light, Bright & Airy

7538 W 90TH STREET 4 Bed | 3 Bath | $1,499,000 12320 WASHINGTON PLACE 4-plex opportunity | $2,050,000

12314 WASHINGTON PLACE 4-plex opportunity | $2,050,000 3724 KELTON AVENUE 4-plex opportunity | $1,599,000 IN ESCROW

4350 VIA DOLCE #110 2 Bed | 2 Bath | $999,000 IN ESCROW

8000 DUNBARTON AVENUE 5 Bed | 5.5 Bath | $4,295,000

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310.499.2020 | DRE 01365696 stephanieyounger.com | @stephanieyoungergroup

Compass is a licensed real estate broker (01991628) in the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. To reach the Compass main office call 310.230.5478.

THE ARGONAUT PRESS RELEASES

MODERN BEACH LIVING

“This beautiful tri-level, 3-bedroom and 3-bathroom townhome in the prestigious Beach Collection at Latitude 33,” says agent Jesse Weinberg. “This contemporary home offers modern beach living at its finest and is located in one of the quietest parts of the community. The main level offers an open living room with tons of windows, gas fireplace, tile floors, custom window coverings and a gorgeous chef's kitchen with quartz countertops, Thermador/ Bosch appliances, oversized island and adjacent dining area. Upstairs the primary suite offers two custom walk-in closets and a spa-like master bathroom with a separate shower and tub. Private 2 car garage and large private patio.”

Offered at $1,599,000 Jesse Weinberg Jesse Weinberg and Associates 800-804-9132

BREATHTAKING CITY VIEWS

“Sixth Floor Unit in the Marina City Club, with a breathtaking, panoramic view from the balcony and master bedroom” says agent Homa Nassi. “One can pan from sunrise snowcapped mountains, past the famed Hollywood sign, then the reflective high-rises of Beverly Hills, and on to the orange sunset over the hills of Santa Monica, Malibu, and the Pacific ocean. The front door opens into this light condominium's spacious living room with floor to ceiling windows and the spectacular view. Unit is adjacent to the main north tower elevator and the impeccably clean, shared laundry room area.”

Offered at $649,000. Homa Nassi 310.570.6000

CULVER CITY MULTI-UNIT

“Rarely offered, two neighboring four-unit buildings adjacent to the heart of fashionable Culver City being sold together or separately,” says agent Stephanie Younger. “The unit mix consists of four two-bedroom apartments in each property. While each unit maintains unique finishes, they each share original 1950s oak wood floors. These sister properties share a center courtyard with a mature, fruit-bearing lemon tree to complete the refreshing SoCal aesthetic. Currently, all units are occupied; of special note is the high rental demand and 40% upside in current rents. Full of promise and potential, these R4-Zoned pair of buildings are close to the trendiest of restaurants and shopping on the Westside of L.A. while also being moments from freeway access and the Pacific Ocean.”

Offered at $2,050,000 Stephanie Younger Compass 310-499-2020

THE ARGONAUT REAL ESTATE BUSINESS NEWS

Are We in a Housing Bubble? Homebuyers Say Yes, Redfin Expert Says No

Historically fast home-price growth has homebuyers and sellers worried the market has become detached from reality. But Redfin’s chief economist says rising mortgage rates and buyers who can afford their homes are preventing a bubble. More than three-quarters (77%) of homebuyers and sellers believe there’s a housing price bubble in the area where they live, according to a survey in a new report from Redfin (redfin. com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. Meanwhile, 44% of real estate agents believe there’s a housing bubble in the market where they work. The former is from a Redfincommissioned survey of 1,500 U.S. residents who are planning to buy or sell a home in the next 12 months fielded by research technology company Lucid from December 10 to 13, 2021. The latter is from a Redfin survey of 360 real estate agents from October 2021.

What is a housing bubble?

A housing bubble is characterized by rapid unsustainable growth in home prices, eventually “bursting” when demand no longer supports the high home values, followed by sharp price declines. It’s typically caused by an influx of demand from homebuyers and real estate investors.

Redfin Chief Economist: We’re not in a housing bubble

The housing market has been ultracompetitive since the coronavirus pandemic upended American society in mid-2020, ushering in an era of remote work and record-low mortgage rates that have resulted in strong homebuyer demand and a severe supply shortage. Median home prices have been growing by double digits all year long. “Homebuyers and sellers are rightfully concerned about how fast prices are rising, especially those who remember the housing market crash during the Great Recession,” said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. “If this rate of price growth were to continue for another year, I would be worried about a bubble, too, but I predict home-price growth will slow significantly in 2022. What we’re going through right now is closer to a ripple in the water than a bubble. Mortgage rates are already going up, which will likely stabilize demand and reduce the risk of a bubble that could burst.” Average 30-year mortgage interest rates have already risen roughly 0.5 percentage points since the beginning of the year, landing at 3.56% in the week ending January 20, and they’re likely to continue increasing. Inflation, which climbed to its highest level in 40 years at the end of 2021, also reduces the risk of a housing bubble, Fairweather said. With the prices of goods and services significantly higher than they were a year ago, people have less disposable income to put into the housing market. The pandemic-driven housing boom is fundamentally different from that of the mid-2000s, when loose lending criteria allowed many homebuyers to take out mortgages they couldn’t afford. That resulted in millions of foreclosures and a sharp decline in home prices. Today’s lending practices are much stricter, ensuring that buyers can afford their monthly payments. Additionally, this boom is characterized by Americans moving to new parts of the country and new neighborhoods because of their relative affordability. “The housing market is much stronger than it was before and during the Great Recession,” Fairweather said. “There’s a very low likelihood that home prices will go down anytime soon.” To read the full report, please visit: https:// www.redfin.com/news/homebuyer-surveyhousing-bubble/

THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTION CAME FROM: REALTY TIMES

realtytimes.com

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