Swarthmore Shop Gears Up for Opening of Palisades Village

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

“Not good. Definitely not good.”

This was Molly Flaherty’s response when the Palisadian-Post asked how business has been since construction of Palisades Village—particularly Swarthmore Avenue, where her store, Get Dressed, is located—began.

“We remained open the whole time,” Flaherty said, but the store, designed to offer a boutique shopping experience, “took a significant hit.”

Flaherty, a Huntington resident, opened Get Dressed in October 2013 with business partner, Erica Paige.

Flaherty, a former advertising and publishing executive, moved to Pacific Palisades with her three boys shortly after a divorce. After a 10-year break from the job market, she began working full-time between Elyse Walker and developing her own business in the Palisades.

Paige, an artist and creative, was fresh out of college. A friend put her in touch with Flaherty, suggesting that Paige help Flaherty sell clothes online.

After two years of working together out of Flaherty’s pool house, the pair opened their brick-and-mortar location.

Now, after two-and-a-half years of construction, the two are waiting for what the opening of Palisades Village will bring their business.

“We’ve never been on a fully operating street,” Flaherty explained, which she attributed to the closure of Mort’s Deli, Benton’s and Maison Giraud.

And now, because the street is ripped up, “even people that live there didn’t realize that we’d been open,” Flaherty said.

“We’re just looking forward to the recognition that we’ve been there the whole time and looking forward to the continued support of all our neighbors that have been there the whole way through.”

Flaherty shared that Get Dressed is gearing up for the opening of Palisades Village and the foot traffic they are hoping it attracts to their store.

“I think when we reopen, we’re going to invite our best customers to an opening, a special party where we will then go across the street and hopefully partner with one of the restaurants as a thank you,” Flaherty explained.

Though Erica Simpson shuttered her 16-year business, P2, after construction began, two other Swarthmore staples have remained: Carly K and Solis Salon.

Carly Kamerman, who originally opened Tabitha on Swarthmore in 2006 then moved to Sunset Boulevard to accommodate Caruso’s environmental remediation in 2014, moved her clothing boutique, now Carly K, back to Swarthmore Avenue in 2016.

“I don’t think there’s anyone [Palisades Village] has affected more personally, financially and emotionally,” Kamerman shared in an Instagram post. “Am I excited for it? Yes. Am I sick of being asked about it? Yes. Do I have tons of respect and think that Rick and everyone that works for him are beyond amazing? Yes …

“But it’s been a rough few years and when it is completed it will be fantastic. Until then, I’m sick of the questions as it’s the same thing over and over.”

Kamerman did not respond to the Post’s request for comments before the edition went to print,  but a sign on the door read that Carly K remains open Thursdays through Sundays.

Isobella Solis, of Solis Salon, has operated a salon in the Palisades since 1988.

The salon remains open Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., except on Fridays when it is open until 7 p.m.