RIVIERA VILLAGE 'ADOPTED DOWNTOWN REDONDE' PRIME SPOT FOR MOM-AND-POP SHOPS.

Byline: Jeremiah Dobruck

Staff Writer

REDONDO BEACH - Two blocks from the beach, Riviera Village -- with its rows of shops, French Mediterranean architecture and sense of community -- has earned the nickname "adopted downtown Redondo."

The prime coastal location with a small-town feel has attracted day-trippers and vacationers -- including Golden Age Hollywood celebrities -- since the 1930s, when local developer Clifford Reid saw its potential.

"It was developed by a gentleman who saw this as a way of developing this area and enticing the Hollywood elite," said Mike Morales, who owns Harmony Works, an artsy gift shop that sells cards, toys and jewelry.

Over the years, the Village has morphed into a prime location for mom-and-pop businesses that create a Main Street feel often missing in beach cities.

"It has a small-town feel in the beach community that is unique from Hermosa Beach to Manhattan Beach," said Paul Hennessey, who owns Hennessey's Taverns in all three cities.

Hennessey has watched Riviera Village change over the years since he opened his restaurant there 28 years ago.

"The majority of the shops were hairdressers at the time, but the retail business has increased," he said. "There's a little bit of everything."

That "everything" includes fashion boutiques, souvenir and novelty stores, beach lifestyle shops, restaurants and coffee shops. The majority of businesses are privately owned.

Riviera Village is roughly bounded by Catalina Avenue, Pacific Coast Highway and Avenue I, with more than 156,000 square feet of retail space. That's in addition to more than 168,000 square feet of office space.

While retaining its rich history, the Village is continuing to evolve.

Six years ago, a group of local business owners created the Riviera Village Business Improvement District to promote the area. The organization collects dues from businesses in the Village, and it uses the money exclusively for the small stretch of shops.

The 11-member board of Village proprietors meets the second Tuesday of each month at Hennessey's. Working with city officials and representatives of other local groups, the Business Improvement District, or BID, plans area enhancements and organizes annual events at the retail destination including Halloween Fun Day and the Holiday Stroll, which has featured carolers, dancers, circus performers and Christmas decorations.

"The Village is just really on it these days with its BID," said Marna Smeltzer, president and CEO of the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau. "It's a great relationship right now."

Today, instead of attracting Hollywood stars, the Village draws plenty of local customers, as well as many foreign tourists -- something Morales had not expected. Being featured on a German travel Web site has helped bring European visitors to the area, Morales said.

The Business Improvement District expects to continue to enhance the Village's pedestrian-focused atmosphere. The group plans to add benches, wider sidewalks, a wishing well and a shuttle service between the Village and the Crown Plaza Hotel in Redondo Beach.

"It has a downtown community feel to it, and that's the way we like it," Morales said.

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CAPTION(S):

3 photos, map

Photo:

(1 -- color) A lively Riviera Village is seen in a reflection in the storefront of Jonathan, a clothing store in the Redondo Beach shopping area with a small-town feel.

(2 -- color) Decorative fish hang in front of a craft store in Riviera Village, which touts many a mom-and-pop shop for a Main Street feel often missing in beach cities.

(3) Hennessey's is one of many enjoyable spots to visit in the Riviera Village area of Redondo Beach.

Sean Hiller/Staff Photographer

Map:

Riviera Village