Mark Piscitelli Men's Fashions

I got an email from Salvatore (Tore) Piscitelli, inviting me to come and take pictures at Mark Piscitelli Men's Fashions. I knew the building, a 1920's style, two-story corner store on the shady side of Green Street in the Playhouse District. I've always wondered about that building. I told Tore, "I don't do advertising!" Which isn't quite accurate. I like to tell you about interesting stores and restaurants. But what's in it for me? Maybe some architectural history.

At the store I was met by Michael Amer, who showed me around. He's very knowledgeable about the merchandise, which includes everything from suits and tuxedos to cufflinks and the store's signature scent for men. This is no off-the-rack, $99 suit warehouse. It's a men's fashion boutique. Some items are exclusive to the store, some are handmade or made to measure. And considering the quality, the prices are reasonable.

Oh, did I mention? These guys are into color.

But I wanted to know about the building. "Let's have the info, Michael," I said, "and make it snappy." Except I was more polite than that. You have to be, when folks are so well dressed.

Michael knows his stuff. The building, at 589 E. Green Street, was built in the 1920's. Its first purpose was for growing orchids. Back then the part of the store shown above had a dirt floor.

If you look in the mirror you can see the false ceiling. Above it there's a skylight that used to shine natural light on the orchids I was stepping on.

Here we look out at the elegant old building across the street, which houses corporate offices of a giant company. Neither Michael nor I had ever seen anyone enter or leave the building.

Here I am standing in the dirt again, looking out to the part of the store that was once the customer service area of the orchid place.

After the orchids it became a real estate office. In the 1980s the building housed an interior design firm, which was there until 2009 when Mark Piscitelli took it over. Before that, Mark Piscitelli was at Hudson and Green for 22 years.

Tore and I each get what we want here. He gets a plug for the store, which is lovely, carries an incredible variety of fine stuff, and smells good. I learned some Pasadena architectural history and met new people, and that's always a plus. Besides Michael I also met Frank, who was equally handsome and well dressed.

They've got quiet tones if you want them. But I don't think you're going to find a rack of slacks like these anywhere else. And ask about the chemical-free jeans.

You are welcome to stop by. You can shop, or just enjoy the building. Don't miss the cash register, even though you'll have to step on the orchids to get a good look at it.

Zen Monday #271

 

It's Zen Monday, the day when you tell us what the photo's about. I hope you've had your coffee.

Revival

I took this photo from my car Thursday, while sitting in traffic on south Fair Oaks Avenue.

Old Town Pasadena was stopped up like my Aunt Tildy used to get after eating too much of Uncle Rory's Christmas cake. ("I can't help myself," she'd say, "it's the sprinkles!")

I got stuck in the middle of Old Town, then found my way out, then drove around instead of through it, to get to south Fair Oaks for more of the same. Most of the time Pasadena's an easygoing place, but this time of year along with Christmas and New Year's, we have the Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl game, and everything is packed. It's fine, really. Really. It's fine.

So I got to sit in traffic and take this picture of the outdoor display area of Revival Antiques. It's a beautiful store, with gorgeous furniture, art and lamps inside. Outside, the unique pieces that can hold up to the weather wait to be visited. It might be chilly for us natives right now, but I'll bet at least our Wisconsin visitors will find the weather refreshing, and probably those from northern California, too. I just hope they don't mind the traffic.

Discernment

Our little pooper is just as excited about the holiday season as--well, as your little pooper is. And he is a most discerning shopper.

I tell him it's okay to smell the merchandise, but "no licking." He learned the "no licking" command for an entirely different situation, but it comes in handy.

He hardly looked at the lions or the hedgehogs. I'd have chosen one of those, but I didn't say so. If we don't allow Boz to make his own decisions about how to spend his allowance, how is he going to learn about the value of money?

I Got Yer Small Business

I guess when they say "small business" this is not what they mean. Yet this guy is definitely plying his (or her) trade.

Small Business Saturday is a relatively new "holiday," though some of us have been celebrating it year-round for as long as we can remember. It's a good day to explore that little store you've been wondering about, where you've never heard of the brands they carry and half the stuff on the shelves is locally handmade.

You never know. Someone, maybe a neighbor, might have woven something special that just calls to you.

Black Friday

Mueller Tunnel, near Mt. Wilson

Black Friday! Shopping! Deals galore! Everybody's heading to the stores!

Not everybody.

When I was a kid our family used to drive to Chicago on the day after Thanksgiving to see the displays in the windows at Marshall Field's, and to have a chat with Santa. The last time we did that was the last time I went shopping on the day after Thanksgiving.

Is today a shopping day for you? Share your experiences!

A Pretty Penny

Yesterday morning: a walk with a friend in Bungalow Heaven, followed by iced latte and a pastry at Penny For Your Thoughts.

Do you know of another place where you can buy an antique chair for your porch, vintage dishes for your kitchen, unique hand-made frames for your walls and a one-of-a-kind dress for your very own self, then sit down (at a table with a tablecloth) and have a cup of excellent coffee accompanied by a home-made cookie from the tiny, local, Apron Strings bakery?

There's no other place like it. It's not just the great stuff, it's also Millie's artful displays. It's my favorite shop in Pasadena and I don't get there often enough.

Stop by. Ooh and aah. While you're there, I've decided I want that bottle with the starfish on it.

What to Wear to the Ball

I shot this photo out of the car window last night, just before the light changed from red to green. If there hadn't been any cars behind me I'd have lingered to gaze into all the windows at Mary Linn's Bridal shop at the corner of Fair Oaks and Green Street. The whole place is a Cinderella fantasy right now (complete with glass slippers in the lower left corner of the photo). The windows at Mary Linn's are always beautiful but right now they're especially spectacular.

Maybe it's because Valentine's Day is coming up (or looming, as some people might say) but I'm primed for a fairy tale. I don't expect I'll ever wear one of Mary Linn's amazing dresses, but it doesn't hurt to fantasize.

Everybody Needs a Break

Coworkers can be lifesavers, no matter where you work.

Shiny Penny

Penny for Your Thoughts is my favorite shop in Pasadena. I've said it before: there's no other store like it. Vintage garden items, handmade clothes, old books, jewelry, china--plus coffee, food and free wifi--it's where you go to get a gift for someone who has everything, even if that someone is you.

When I stopped by the other day the store was in an uproar because they were getting new shelves. But I can always find a pretty vignette in this unusual shop. I'd blog about the place more often if I had more ready cash. I did spend some money this visit: got a couple of iron candle sconces for the garden. The thing I love about them besides their charm is that I'll be the only one in town who has them. You can't get anything like them at OSH.

Around the corner from Penny for Your Thoughts another delightful boutique was in a different kind of uproar. In fact, the shelves going into "Penny" came out of Motif, a beautiful gift store that's closing after several years of success. As she rang up my purchase, owner Stephanie Plumb Miller told me, "Nothing negative about this. It's all positive."

Penny for Your Thoughts is at 1365 N. Hill Ave., (626) 798-1631. Motif is at 1389 E. Washington Blvd. (The two stores share the parking lot behind.) Motif is selling off everything, including fixtures, at huge discounts. On September 3rd they had several items left, including Christmas decorations. Call first to see if they're still open, (626) 398-5038.

Update from Susan C, 9/7/10 3:25pm: "I drove by Motif today and the 'closed' sign is in the window."

Thanks, Susan.

Small Business

I've been taking morning walks. Besides being good exercise, walking gives you a different perspective on every little thing and it's a better way to take pictures than driving.

I walked along Lake Avenue the other day and took these photos before business hours, thus the empty parking lots. 

It's been quite some time since I ate at Orean the Health Express. They've got a nice website, which seems to me a requirement these days for any business, large or small. They've also got a drive-through window. Convenient.

Angel's Tropical fish doesn't have a website, though they have a web presence, as in reviews. Not being in the market for tropical fish, I can't corroborate. Boz the pooch would like to have a pet, but you know the drill--he'd start out with good intentions but I'd end up having to take care of it, and I don't even want a fish.

I wonder how these small businesses are doing. I'm no expert but my friend Karen Klein is. If you have a small business or are thinking of starting one, do yourself a favor and follow her blog.

At Least I Don't Have Twelve Toes

I'm willing to spend a little on shoes because if I don't, my feet put up a fuss. (I'll cut corners in just about any area but this one.) But I'm about to give up. I've been looking and walking and shopping and walking and walking and my dogs are sore! (and I don't mean Boz).

Help! I need shoes. Not just any shoes. My feet are very particular.

I want fashionable shoes I can wear for hours. You know, walking shoes. Running shoes won't cut it. Any suggestions? We're in the LA metropolitan area. It's the 21st century. How hard can this be?

Today I found the perfect store: Kenneth Cole at the corner of Colorado Blvd. and De Lacey Avenue in Old Town. After visiting a virtually empty department store the other day (which shall remain nameless) where several clerks in the shoe department couldn't find time to help me, this shop was a relief. Well-made shoes, decent prices and friendly, attentive service.

The only problem was the size seven and a half was too small and the eight was too big. Apparently I wear a size seven and three quarters shoe. Which doesn't exist. My feet are more particular than I thought.

Of course I was disappointed. But at last I have a clue to my foot problems.

Old Pasadena Vintage

Peering out from under the awning at the Pasadena Christian Center (yesterday's post), take a look across the street. There's a cute, little old building that houses the Old Pasadena Vintage Lighting Company at 2569 Colorado Blvd.

The "about us" link on their site doesn't work but the other links do. They get good reviews on Yahoo. I can tell you a few things about them because I've browsed through the store and even taken photos, though for some reason (certainly not human error) none were good enough to post.

The coolest thing about the business is that Jason can custom make just about any kind of vintage lighting you want. He's been at it for a while, and he's created reproductions for some of Pasadena's well-known structures. And yet the prices are reasonable.

Plus they have unique antiques.
Plus they're nice.
Plus last time I was there a charming little dog was guarding the place with all the ferocity of a bonbon.

...

I'm sooo looking forward to the end of the recession. I hope I don't have to wait that long to order my custom light fixtures. But I doubt that median will be re-landscaped before then.

Penny For Your Thoughts

I first posted about Penny For Your Thoughts on June 1st of 2008, when the City Daily Photo bloggers' theme day was favorite local shop. I adore this store; there's no other place like it.

Originally, the shop was run by two sisters. Now one has withdrawn and the other, Millie Wheatley, is the main operator. The store is loaded with eclectic vintage funk and locally-made products: beautiful and trendy hand-made clothes, gorgeous seashell mirrors, and imaginative jewelry by Zoe Kanemitsu, who was running things when I was there yesterday. I was happy to hear from Zoe that PFYT was busy last Christmas, when so many retail stores had their worst season in history. That's got to be due in part to the unusual stock and good prices, as well as the delightful people who run the place. It all makes for good atmosphere.

Making the place more unique than just the stuff, at Penny For Your Thoughts you can take a break from browsing and sit down to have a sandwich, a coffee or a locally-baked cookie, right in the middle of the store. The cookies are baked by Karen Hirsch of Apron Strings. I'm a big Karen fan; she walks her dog Gracie out at Hahamongna and she's fab. She also makes the adorable aprons they sell at PFYT. (Is there anything this woman can't do? Apparently not. She's going to be teaching a bread baking workshop at Penny For Your Thoughts on April 18th from noon to 3:30. You can either get over to the store and sign up now or wait until I post about it, but class size is limited so ya takes yer chances.)

I wasn't shopping yesterday, so I sipped a cup of coffee and sat in a comfy chair while reading my book. The music was quiet and the vibe was calm, oh yeah. Oh! Oh yeah! Hey! Next time I'll set up my laptop and work on a writing project, so I can properly report back as part of the Coffee Shop Quest!

I can already tell you PFYT is going to be the one to beat.

Nouri Rugs

You've been by it. I had. It's just around the corner from Zona Rosa (yesterday's post) on Colorado Blvd. (636 East, to be exact). I wasn't in the market for an imported oriental rug so I'd never stopped in. But the other day I was out with my camera, and I stopped when I saw the prettiest red rug hanging on a rack on the sidewalk.

The thing is, it was raining and the rug was getting wet. A man stood outside the store (later I learned his name was Mr. Martinez). I asked him if the rain wouldn't ruin the rug and he told me a little water wouldn't hurt it. "Come in and see," he said.

I stepped over the threshold of Nouri Rugs and took it all in. I've tried to give an idea here of the sheer volume of rugs but I couldn't get them all in the photo. There have to be at least 2,000 rugs in there. Maybe 4,000. I don't know how to tell from the piles, rolls and hangings. I met the salesman, Fred, who told me every rug in stock is hand made in Persia (Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, etc.). On their business card it says the rugs are old and new, and that they buy, sell, clean, repair and appraise oriental rugs. The business card also says "Since 1907."

I stepped back into the rain, bedazzled. The pretty red rug still hung outside, the rain rolling off its back like it was nothing.

California Entrance

When I have time between errands I like to park the car and take a walk with my camera. It doesn't matter where I am; a walk around any block guarantees a discovery. Usually it's something I've passed many times. Maybe I've seen it before and not taken notice.

I'm always seeing things I want to photograph, but in the car I'm in a hurry, plus I've got a few tons of machinery to manage and I can't be snapping photos and steering at the same time (well, I shouldn't, anyway). On foot even the most nondescript neighborhood comes to life. Little details beg to be photographed. Interest is everywhere.

This one doesn't count as nondescript. It counts as one of those things I've passed a million times and meant to photograph. It's the side entrance of West World Imports at the corner of California Blvd. and Arroyo Parkway. I admit I've never dared to venture inside, but I have dared to dream while perusing their website. There's a pretty courtyard on the other side of the building but it was locked when I was there the other day. I'll go back and try again. By the way, long ago a PDP commenter asked me to get a shot of that courtyard. It may take me a while (okay, it may take me forever) but I do get to your suggestions. Eventually.

Was it me complaining of the cold a couple of weeks ago? It's been unseasonably hot for the last two days.

I'm off on a tangent. What I started to say is that West World Imports is such an attractive shop even the side door is pretty. The front door is on California Blvd. and this sign in the parking lot says "Please Use California Entrance." But this looks like a California entrance to me.

Update: In today's comments Pascal Jim says: "This beautiful structure, designed by Wallace Neff, where he had offices, was duplicated across the street, now destroyed, now a gas station. Please, enter the building, its patio has a most calming effect..."

Zen Monday: #31

Zen Monday is the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what the photo's about.
There's no right or wrong. If the photo evokes something in you, that's all it is.

Party Animal

I'm like a lot of people. I'm not doing as much Christmas shopping this year as I've done in years past. As a consequence I haven't been out photographing shop displays, Santa visits and holiday festivals. John and I have been working hard and spending time with friends.

What shopping we're doing, we're doing locally. But it wouldn't hurt me to get out a little more. I realized that while leaning out over the edge of the upstairs plaza by the Trader Joe's on Lake Avenue, thinking "Wow, this is fun."

Barack and Wayne and You and Me

I thought about simply encouraging you all to get out and vote today. I thought about not mentioning my choice in a candidate, although anyone who reads this blog knows I'm voting for Barack Obama. Then I thought, if I can inspire one person to go vote, I've got to do it. And if I can't inspire you, maybe Wayne Nelson can.

Several months ago Mr. Nelson hired artist Harmon Mandigo to paint this mural on his Altadena clothing store, Wayne's Fashion. The Pasadena Star-News did a story about the mural and quoted Nelson as saying, "I figured I'd do whatever I can to help..." (I'd like to read the rest of the article but the charge for reading archived articles on the PSN website is unbelievable, outrageous, even despicable. But I digress...)

Timothy Rutt of Altadenablog was the first to post about Wayne Nelson's mural. I found it while tooling around Angela Odom's State & Lake. (I particularly like her photo.) I hurried on over to be third in line.

Nelson's small shop at 2808 N. Lincoln Avenue in Altadena is a busy place. The shelves are piled high with all things Obama. When I arrived the store was packed with customers buying Obama t-shirts, hats and buttons. People want to represent. But Nelson was able to take a minute to pose with his prized mural. He even took a picture of me with it.
We are excited, Wayne and I. We are two seemingly different people brought together by our hopes for America. We like Obama's message of hope and tolerance. We like his world view. We like the way he's taken the high road during his campaign, unlike the other candidate who degraded his own once-decent reputation by stooping to lies, insults and racial slurs.

We believe a President Obama can return America to decency in the eyes of the world and in our own, and lead America down the high road as a great nation once more.

Trucker Joe's

The history page of Trader Joe's website doesn't reveal much except that the company's been around since 1958 (when they were called Pronto Markets). I've always thought they began in southern California. In recent years Trader Joe's has expanded to the east coast, the Chicago area and--well here, look at the map. Trader Joe's is no longer California's own grocery chain.

The manager at my TJ's asked me not to take photos inside. He didn't mention it, but I know grocery stores are extremely competitive and he may have thought I was a spy for another chain. It's too bad, because every Trader Joe's store has the most wonderful, whimsical chalk signs listing specials, recipes and nutrition information. I wish I could show them to you!

Update: Ben Wideman alerted me to Wikipedia's entry about Trader Joe's, which says that the first store with the Trader Joe's name was the Pasadena store on Arroyo Parkway.