Shop Local!

Rudy Cole in this weeks Beverly Hills Weekly (issue 566) writes that our local hardware store, Pioneer Hardware is in trouble. A combination of a bad economy and the closure of Crescent Drive between "big" and "little" Santa Monica for the Annenberg garage has bitten into foot traffic to all businesses on Crescent, including the irreplaceable Beverly Hills Market, which serves the senior housing (and all of us) with a low-cost alternative to Whole Foods.

There's a lot of talk about being sustainable these days, keeping a small footprint and shopping local. What could be more in line with that than getting your hardware items a short walk or car trip to Crescent Drive with an hour free parking entered from either Crescent or Dayton? I can personally vouch that Pioneer is the same or better on prices than anyplace within miles: when you figure in what you're worth an hour, suddenly that drive 20 miles each way to Costco seems waaay less of a bargain. They also offer a Handyman service for people like me who could topple a wall trying to hang a picture.

If you're not from the area, why not purchase online and add a Green Bag for that "90210" touch? If you are in the area, stop in and say "hello" and discover the other businesses on that block. It's one-stop shopping, all in your backyard...

Image: Pioneer Hardware