Palos Verdes Real Estate Blog

The day is finally here.  We have our own Palos Verdes Trader Joe’s!  It doesn’t take much to make us happy.  The store opened at 8:00 a.m. and when I arrived in the afternoon, the parking lot was full (but with cars coming and going, it was easy to find  spot).  The store was also full of smiling shoppers.

The Palos Verdes Trader Joe’s has murals painted on the walls to depict local points of interest and vistas of the ocean.  According to the Peninsula News, “Elaborately decorated signage tells shoppers about local attractions, such as the Point Vicente Interpretive Center and Lighthouse, and the South Coast Botanic Garden.”  I have to admit with all the shoppers today that I missed that but I am sure that I will see it the next time I am there.  I am a Trader Joe’s fan and look forward to weekly visits.

Many are wondering if the opening of the Palos Verdes Trader Joe’s will take some of the pressure off the Riviera Vilage Trader’s in Redondo Beach which is parking challenged.  The only little hint I can give new shoppers who go to our Palos Verdes Trader Joe’s in the afternoon is to take care not to get in to the Montessori School student pickup line if your are exiting onto Hawthorne Boulevard.

The Palos Verdes Trader Joe’s is located at 31176 Hawthorne Blvd, Rancho Palos Verdes 90275 (in the Golden Cove Center at the intersection of Hawthorne Blvd. and Palos Verdes Drive West) and is open from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily.  Phone number is 310-54-1727

We have been patiently and excitedly waiting for our new Trader Joe’s in Palos Verdes.  It was to be open in early 2010.  This feels like early 2010.  And yet, when I drive by it doesn’t look ready.  Last month, I called Trader Joe’s headquarters and was told to keep checking their website under “Store Locations”.  It now has the store listed with hours (9 to 9) and a phone number (310-541-1727) so the opening looks closer than last month.

I also checked the Rancho Palos Verdes city website and there was not any new information for the Trader Joe’s opening other than “open in early 2010″.  There was an opportunity to join a “Listserve” to receive new information about Trader Joe’s and, of course, I signed up.

Currently, there is work being done in the parking lot and it looks like finish work on the exterior of the building.  But still my question remains – When will our new Palos Verdes Trader Joe’s be open?  I am ready!

“Work on the Trader Joe’s store at the Golden Cove Center, approved by the Planning Commission in December 2008, is moving forward.” according to an article in the Peninsula News. This is great news for owners of Palos Verdes real estate. After a couple of false starts, Palos Verdes is finally getting their own Trader Joe’s.

Demolition of the old Golden Lotus Restuarant is to start the beginning of May and construction is scheduled to begin in June. The new Trader Joe’s will be an 11,000 square foot building with 1200 square feet of mezzanine storage. Construction plans have been submitted to the city. It won’t be long now!

Good news for Palos Verdes Peninsula residents. There is a new banner (shown above) on the former Golden Lotus Restaurant site in the Golden Cove Center indicating Trader Joe’s may be coming to Rancho Palos Verdes after all. The initial plans were scrapped after the landlord decided to rescind his application with the city of Rancho Palos Verdes after some neighbors complained.

However, the Peninsula News reported “Many residents have expressed disappointment with the discontinued plans to bring a Trader Joe’s market to Rancho Palos Verdes…However, a banner spotted on the property on Thursday shows signs of hope. After talks with RPV officials, Paris Zarrabian, manager of the Golden Cove LLC, said he decided to move forward with a revised project – the proposed grocery store will remain at the current height of the Golden Lotus, and the square footage will be reduced from 13,000 square feet to 11,000. The flags will go up within weeks, and a Planning commission hearing is tentatively set for Dec. 9. If all goes well, Zarrabian said the developer will break ground next spring.”

It will be fabulous to have our own Trader Joe’s. Let’s hope the plans are approved this time. By the way, at the bottom of the banner it says, “For more information call 310-930-3505 or 805-373-1133.