Highlands Village Grand Opening

The Highlands Village by the Beach shopping center is hosting a grand opening event Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to welcome the addition of several new buinesses.

Starbucks, Moku Sushi, Banc of California and QT Fitness are joining the shopping center located at the corner of Sunset and Palisades Drive. QT Fitness opened its doors last summer. The event will include live music, food, free pony rides, a petting zoo, a pet adoption and a guest appearance by Fire Station 23.

Originally built in 1987 and formally known as Palisades Highlands Plaza, the Village recently underwent a 12-month “repositioning” project. The owner, Palisades Highlands Village Partners, decided to spruce up the tired plaza’s image, adding several new businesses, outdoor patios, palm trees, a sizeable bed of lavender and a grassy playground area complete with a swing set.

It’s the addition of Starbucks that already has Palisadians like Diane Roberts buzzing. During the month of February, as Roberts would drive down Sunset, the sign in front of the shopping plaza filled her with anticipation. Every day it counted down the days until the Starbucks was to open its doors on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day.

The Marquez Knolls resident has visited several times since and has told all of her friends about it, some of whom had already visited at least once for their Starbucks fix, she said.

“I don’t usually come here,”
Roberts said. “I always just drive by on my way to somewhere else.”

The coffee shop drew her to Highlands Village by the Beach and once she took a look around, Roberts saw a few restaurants (Taste and Chez Mimi) she thought she’d like to try out.

Reza Mir thinks that more people will visit the Village now that it has been upgraded, he said. Mir has lived in the Palisades for 10 years and used to work in the plaza as a manager at Palisades Video until the store shuttered in 2007.

“The place has definitely improved,” said Mir. “It was pretty dead a couple of years ago, a lot quieter.”

Nancy Acheson has seen a great many changes in the 25 years she’s lived in the Palisades.

She has always loved shopping at the Village because it has everything she needs in one place — the Collar & Leash pet store, Murre Dry Cleaners and Lovely Nails.

The longtime Palisadian likes the changes made to the Village, but worries about the increase in people it could attract.

“The parking has always been bad here,” Acheson said. “If it gets really popular here, there won’t be anywhere to park.”

Chris Martin doesn’t have to worry about the parking at the Village. He and his wife, Kristina, moved to the Highlands, “right up the street,” a year and a half ago.

Martin grew up in the Riviera and has lived in the Palisades most of his life.

“We love this place. It’s nice to come here because there’s a mix of everything we need right down the hill from us.”