First Thursday, a Small Town Art Walk

Correction: First Thursdays happen every first thursday of the month, not week like the video states. 

Wanderlust on 6th & 7th

6th and 7th street between Pacific Ave, and Center Street is a hub for the San Pedro Community. Here is where you can find anything like a hair salons that share the street with a thrift shop, and an art studio. Bars and restaurants are also lining the streets, but that is for another post. This post is going to focus on the shops on the streets that sell uncommon, and nostalgic goods.  

For the most part 6th street is focused on the restaurant scene, but once you walk past the food haven you will stumble upon a nifty hole-in-the-wall bookstore, and historic movie theater.

Williams Book Store
Update: This amazing little bookstore, LA's oldest in fact, has closed. A moment of silence for this sad information. 

Williams Book Store is located at 443 W. 6th Street, San Pedro, Calif. It houses anything from comic books to marine information texts. This book store was first established in 1909, and is now run by Anne and Jerry Gusha. It is an amazing place because you can learn about the town, buy bestsellers, or catch up on your favorite superheroes all while keeping your money in a small community, and avoiding Barnes & Noble. 

Comic book section in Williams Book Store

 The Warner Grand

The Warner Grand is a historical landmark in San Pedro. According to it's website it is the only one, of three,  Art Deco theaters designed in the 20s' still in tact.  This theater is located at 478 W 6th St, Los Angeles, Calif. Today residents and tourist alike can see movies, and local, or traveling theater productions.

Man playing piano outside the Warner Grand.

When walking down 7th street you will find many shops, but mostly you will find art studios. Most buildings on this street simply put the number studio it is on the outside. But if you look hard enough you will find two pretty awesome shops that define the words Man Cave and Geekcited.  

Mantiques

Mantiques is the newest edition to the 7th street scene. Opened in early Feb. this antique shop caters to a specific group of people. Inside you can find vintage pinball machines, antique toys, and taxidermy deer heads. Mantiques is located at 359 W. 7th Street, San Pedro, Calif.

 Nathan Guarrasi, of Mantiques, and a San Pedro resident said, "San Pedro always seems to stay pretty simple, and a lot of people are into classics, which is why we opened this spot in the first place."

Inside Mantiques

The Grand Emporium

The Grand Emporium originally started out as a gift shop that sold cards, and various types of nick knacks, but today it is a geeks dream land. Whether you are a music geek, a book geek, a movie geek, or a soda geek you are sure to find something in this shop that will interest you.

Chocolate covered maple smoked bacon soda

    Chuck Klaus, Consultant and Curator of The Grand Emporium said, "San Pedro is one of the few places, in the L.A. area, that hasn't had the money to tear itself down, so there's still wonderful fragments of the past here. It's is always intriguingly on the cusp of getting better, it's a bit of a tease, but it's nice." 

Hiking the Pedro Cliffs

Although San Pedro may be known for its art scene and delicious food, another major hidden gem is one that is hidden in plain sight. The nature. The hiking trails in San Pedro are abundant, and here are some of the best ones.

Friendship Park Trail

Located at: 1805 W 9th St. San Pedro, CA 90732

Distance: 3 Miles 

Level of difficulty: Moderate

This hike is one you will probably want to wear sunscreen for, it is in direct sunlight all the way through and you will get painfully burnt if you don't protect you delicate skin. The trail is completely unpaved and will require some endurance (when I say endurance, I mean that you should be able to walk up a flight of large stairs without getting super winded). If you think you can do that then you are set, and the ocean views will be worth it. 

The trail head is located right at the head of the parking lot with an upward slope to the top.

The hike has scenic views of the Catalina Island, and the L.A. / Long Beach Port. 

Peck Park Canyon Trail

Located at: 560 N Western Ave, San Pedro, CA 90732

Distance: 3-5 Miles 

Level of difficulty: Easy

This trail is beyond easy, seriously if you can walk, you can do this. The different path options make it simple to choose anything from a nice walk to a more challenging run. Everybody will be happy. The trail itself is beautiful, with back yard vineyards, farms, streams, and forest-like foliage around every turn along the path. Although not as sunny as the Friendship Park Trail you will still need sunscreen, and more importantly bug spray! Seriously, if you don't have bug spray you will be eaten alive.

The trail head is located on the Summerland side of the park. Trash cans, and baggies for doggie dung are also available at almost every turn. 

During the rainy season you can often see a nice stream running through the middle of the trail.

Sunken City

Located at: 500 W Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro, CA 90731

Distance: 1 Mile

Level of difficulty: Difficult 

This hike is one for adventurers. Now I'm going to be honest with you, if you want to partake in this local past time you are going to have to break some laws, but if you decide that you don't care then your already on you way to having an amazing time.  When you park in the Point Ferman parking lot you will walk to a fence located to the left. Then the fun begins.  

First you are going to have to hop the wall that separates you form the metal fence.

Then you are going to have to climb under the fence, like the law breaking daredevil you know you are.  

After you cross the forbidden fence you will see this barren path, but don't fret! Just beyond that horizon lies the Sunken City. 

This view is totally worth the trek, but once you make it down there make sure to watch your step. It isn't called Sunken City for nothing. At one point this street literally fell into the ocean, so be very very careful.

The views you will see on this hike are amazingly awesome, and the visual striking art pieces, and concrete ruins adds an industrial beauty that everybody is sure to enjoy. 

These are just three of the best hikes in San Pedro, and they each showcase the beauty this town has to offer. 

A Warehouse of Crafts

 Hidden between the Cabrillo Marina and 22nd Street Landing  lies Crafted L.A., a warehouse "farmers market" for artists, DIY-ers, and foodies alike. 

Crafted offers many things from jewelry, to clothing, to handmade authentic french macaroons. But it's location is what makes it special.

Vendors at this markent have a passion not only for their art, but also for their location.

Judy King-Wagner, from "2 Market Street", thinks that the fact that Crafted is located in San Pedro is amazing because younger generations can come to the market and not only buy stuff, but also learn about the town.

"I get history lessons every weekend," said King-Wagner. "In the past couple weeks I have learned that this warehouse used to be a banana storage facility, and before that it was used to store ammunition during World War II." 

 Sheree Shu Shu and partner Andrea Haase who run a jewelry / vintage clothing store at crafted Called "3 Pretty Pennies" think the location is good for San Pedro, and hope that it will put this quaint town on the map.

"We're off the beaten path, but we need to change that and make [Crafted] a place where people come to spend their day," said Shu Shu. "San Pedro is a destination. A full day can be spent here doing fun stuff people need to just open their eyes and see whats in front of them."  

Michelle Taylor, San Pedro native, and local artist likes Crafted because it gives her an outlet of expressing her talent, while keeping her work in the town.

"You cant really express how special this place is to people, they just need to come here and see it."  

Monique Dileva, a crafted patron thinks Crafted is the ideal shopping place. 

"I like to keep things local, and buy goods that were made in America," said Dileva. "Crafted is awesome, not only because everything was hand made, but also because most of it was made in a town I love, and I get to meet the people that make it."

Crafted located at 110 & 112 E. 22nd St, San Pedro, CA,  90731 and is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. and often includes live music, and various food trucks. For special events information visit the Crafted Event Calendar.

Ports O'Call Village: Waiting to Love it.

Port's O'Call is a landmark in San Pedro, Calif. in the past it was a go-to attraction for tourists  but in the past twenty years it has become a depressing version of what it used to be. But soon that will all change. 

In the past Ports O'Call was booming with people buying fish, going dinner, or simply strolling along. But Now it is a ghost town, where tourist, let alone locals rarely visit.

Most of the mom and pop shops are on their last leg, and the decrepit buildings lack the charm they used to have, leaving room for much improvement. Which now, will be getting the TLC it deserves.  

Old buildings look run down.
Photo Courtesy of Beryl

Ghost town in the Port.
Photo Courtesy of Beryl

According to a press release  released last Thursday "the Los Angeles Harbor Commission has agreed to let Port of Los Angeles officials enter into exclusive negotiations with LA Waterfront Alliance – a collaboration between The Ratkovich Company and Jerico Development – to redevelop the Ports O’Call Village."

This news means that Ratkovich Company, a Los Angles based development company, and Jerico Development, a San Pedro based company, will now begin work on development plans for the 30 acres of land. This development plan will take about a year to complet before work on the Village begins. 

 “I’ve been waiting for this to happen for years," said San Pedro resident Chris Gonzales. “I have lived here all my life, and [Ports O’Call] used to be a fun place to hang out and take a date, so it has been sad to see it get so ghetto.”

This consensus between LAHC and San Pedro will provide a better future for businesses in Downtown San Pedro, and may even turn it into the community hub it was in the past.