A new restaurant offering live entertainment and karaoke has a few residents riled up in Redondo Beach. "Kilkenny's" has received approval from the Redondo Beach City Council to operate at a previously empty space on the pier. Nearby residents and Councilman Steve Aspel doubt the restaurant will be able to control noise even with a host of mitigation measures. “The pier at 9:30 turns into something other than a family restaurant,” said Aspel. “Four drunken girls singing karaoke would hurt anybody's ears.” So, so true.
· New pier establishment to have live entertainment [The Beach Reporter]
The pink Parasol Restaurant or the "Parasol" (pictured above) has been saved from demolition and is now getting a facelift. The Seal Beach eatery continues to survive despite its contemporaries being pushed out by newer cafes and restaurants. For the architecturally curious, the Parasol is an excellent example of the Googie style of architecture that came out of SoCal in the late 40s to mid-60s. Think Tomorrowland or The Jetsons.
· Landmark pink Parasol restaurant shut for renovation [OC Register]
An opinion piece in the Daily Pilot tackles the issue of gated communities with guards on the outside. A Newport Beach resident chastises his fellow Newport Beachers for allowing racist guards to control access to their neighborhoods. We agree. Next time we see a gated community dweller on the streets we're going to invade their personal space and watch as they cry out for their guard. Where's your guard now??
· Trouble with gate-guarded communities [Daily Pilot]
Throw out those Thomas Guides. Leisure World is no longer Leisure World. The 16,000+ retirement community has voted to change its name to Laguna Woods Village. We think. Actually a realtor's web site describes the community thusly "Laguna Woods Village (Formerly Leisure World of Laguna Woods, Laguna Hills)." As we understand it, Leisure World is/was a retirement community in Laguna Woods. Although, there is a place in Seal Beach called Leisure World, too. But that's a different retirement community altogether.
· Leisure World name change verified [OC Register]