Anaheim is invited to Mayor Tom Tait’s birthday party, in a celebration of renewal. (Invitation attached)
The event: Fundraising for Tait’s endorsed candidates for Anaheim City Council 2012. We are gathering to join the Mayor’s support for Lucille Kring and John Leos, which for many of us represent a renewed vision for Anaheim, in a spirit of independence from special interests.
The place: The renewed streetscape of Center Street Promenade, just opposite City Hall. Specifically we are partying at the Good Food Hall in downtown Anaheim, 201 W. Center Street Promenade, where the brilliant genius of The LAB Holding company has been breathing new life into downtown’s food and culture scene.
The time:Wednesday, October 17, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Even us busy folks can do that.
The cost: Only $99 per person, although checks can be accepted up to the limit of $1,800.00 per candidate, per donor. This is much more accessible for a lot of Anaheim, especially those of us tired of the elitist corporate crowd easily able to write off $500 dinners.
This event brings attention to the revitalization of the Center Street Promenade, a redevelopment project that never got off the ground under the previous administration, and the previous vision of the CIM group, but is now being retooled by the LAB. The developer, geniuses behind the anti-mall in Costa Mesa, are also the folks who have done unbelievable work so far with the “Packing District” by taking over the old citrus Packing House that sat empty and abused, and rehabbing it into the center of foodie nirvana that is to about to open. They have also rehabbed an old Packard dealership building, peeling away some unfortunate “remuddling” and taking the place back to its old Anaheim roots, filling it with tenants; the Anaheim Brewery and Umami Burger. (goofy note: the artwork at Umami Burger is created from old rusty license plates dug out of the rehab project from the building’s restoration. And…extra points if you an identify the beautiful eyes peering over the glass on the Anaheim Brewery site. Anaheim Brewery is owned and operated by Greg and Barbara Gerovac, Colony residents who have donated untold hours and beer-bucks to the Anaheim Historical Society, and is a location worth visiting and supporting.)
LAB Holding has now taken over the previously deadly-dull Center Street Promenade. A new eclectic mix of independent restaurants and shops are creating a funky, vibrant street experience in downtown, including the Good Food Hall where we will be meeting, which encompasses Healthy Junk, K&A Downtown Cafe’, and Cervantes Mexican Kitchen.
The surrounding neighborhood also includes the Anaheim incarnation of the beloved Gypsy Den, 118 Degrees, the Barbeer (and old time barber shop with beer bar about to open.) While there you can shop at The GOOD Californian Haberdashery , Home Economics-a sustainable home goods store, Heart and Sole (men’s shoes) or take cooking classes at Eat Street Culinary. Across the street at Anaheim Blvd and Lincoln is Tandoori Garden Indian Food, and around the corner behind the Disney ICE building is one of my favorites, Cafe’ Amore.
The area also plays host to the quarterly Art Crawl Experience, (next scheduled for November 10) involving the local art galleries that are popping up in the shops and live-work lofts, and the Thursday Farmer’s Market, noon to 7 pm, where my husband just discovered some of the best wood-fired pizza I have ever had. (Oooh, it is Thursday today, isn’t it?!)
Do I sound excited? I am. I remember when this was empty dirt, and my husband and I would dream of a time when we might walk to a real downtown experience for date night. To see this not only come to life, but be celebrated by the Mayor for a social event I know to be dear to his heart is something I want to share.
I also love the price point, at $99 even those of us already invested in Anaheim can afford to make an appearance. I trust I will see many familiar faces at this event. Yes?
RSVP to Marlo Mole at (714) 745-1504 or marlo@nabermole.com.
Happy Birthday Mayor Tait.
Imagine all of the places you could spend your birthday if you were the Mayor of Anaheim. Club 33 comes to mind. This crazy man wants to hang out with us in a food court. Gotta love ‘im. Let’s support him. See you there.
Haven’t made up your mind about the candidates? I finally got video of the WAND Candidates Forum edited into portions that youtube will accept, and will link to those today or tomorrow. Sorry for the delay. I have a real job in addition to the non-paying blogging gig. We do what we can.
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