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| San Pedro First Thursday Art Walk Photo: First Thursday Art Walk |
NOTE: Hours and opening dates change frequently. Check individual websites for updated information.
1) FIRST THURSDAYS
398 West 6th St., San Pedro 90731View Website
San Pedro has a strong, tight-knit business community and a like-minded art scene. This creates the perfect atmosphere for First Thursday, the community art walk that takes place on the first Thursday of each month. Throughout the historic Downtown arts area, galleries open their doors to the public with exhibitions and educational events, restaurants and businesses offer First Thursday specials and live entertainment, and residents fill the street, mingling with neighbors. Any business owner along 6th and 7th Streets will mention the Art Walk within a few minutes’ conversation, it’s that big of a deal.
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2) THE ARCADE BUILDING
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| The Arcade Building | Instagram by @matthasnofriends |
310-265-1990
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Built in the early 20th century for San Pedro fish merchant Aleck Carresi to reflect the style of his native Naples, this commercial arcade is an architectural landmark in Old Downtown. The building was famously converted from a two-story to a three-story structure by raising the Carresi family’s duplex flats and building the business spaces beneath it. Restored in 1986 to its original aesthetic, the Arcade Building stands out as a piece of retro European flair amid the record and sneaker shops of West 6th with its sharp Italian tile, wrought iron fixtures and bright skylit courtyard. It houses a variety of local businesses such as Philippine Expressions Bookshop.
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3) CABRILLO MARINE AQUARIUM
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| Moon jellies at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Photo: Yuri Hasegawa |
310-548-7562
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Often overshadowed by the nearby Aquarium of the Pacific, this mid-size aquarium located next to Cabrillo Beach Coastal Park makes up for a lack of huge, cutting-edge tanks with a strong commitment to education. Parents rave about its accessibility for small children - both in size and content - and the enthusiastic and helpful docents. All of the marine life in the aquarium is from Southern California, and their research training program trains lay-people to monitor the health of the coastlines. To add to this feel-good atmosphere, admission is donation-based with a suggested $7 for adults and $3 for children and seniors.
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4) THE CORNER STORE
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| The Corner Store | Instagram by @signmonger |
310-832-2424
For a local eatery as treasured as this, The Corner Store is still surprisingly untouched by its notoriety. The building has stood as a market and deli since 1947, but it was in 2006 that owner and unofficial “mayor” of San Pedro, Peggy Lindquist and her husband Bruce took charge. Since then, the store has become a destination for pastries and conversation, along with a drink from its famous collection of dozens of craft sodas. The stretch of West 37th street where this unassuming storefront stands has a suburban feel - one imagines a quaint store within, not a speciality market and deli serving up top-notch sandwiches along with wine, San Pedro merchandise, and the “best coffee in town” according to multiple sources.
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| Guitar Safari | Instagram by @rubywag_design |
5) GUITAR SAFARI
424 W 6th St, San Pedro 90731310-547-9355
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Proprietor Dirk Vandenberg fixes guitars and amps. He has a collection of gorgeous vintage instruments as well as vinyl you may not know even existed. But he can also tell you about the L.A. punk scene in the 1980s because he was right in the middle of it, fixing guitars and contributing to albums. More than an independent guitar shop - though that is something special in the era of big box retail - Guitar Safari has a history and an atmosphere that stays with you. Vandenberg has had a guitar shop in San Pedro off and on for decades, and its current iteration on West 6th Street is a great example of that unique San Pedran friendly quirk. Make sure to call before showing up, as the hours tend to vary.
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* Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, 633 West 5th Street, Suite 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90071, USA info@discoverlosangeles.com
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