I am a curious guy. No, let me re-state that... I am a guy with a great curiosity. And one of the things which has always intrigued me is stores and shopping -- the whole retail megilla. When I was young and doing financial publicity, I had one of the first big discount store chains, Masters, as a client and spent years developing that anti-fair trade concept. I also repped the Grand Union food chain in their competition with A&P. I love going to food stores and farmer's markets anywhere in the world -- large, small and grungy in between. Any new shop intrigues me, so you will understand why I enjoy spending time at the most amazing shopping center in the world. It's South Cost Plaza in the city of Costa Mesa, which is about an hour down the 405 Freeway from my home in Beverly Hills. There are 250 upscale boutique stores there, along with 30-plus restaurants. Lots of free parking plus three valet stations. I love the fact that they have several concierge locations in the shopping center which answer all my queries, make reservations, arrange theater tickets, give me a complimentary bottle of water, and even hold my packages. My new-mother friend told me they even have a deluxe family restroom with private nursing suites, changing rooms and more. Amazing.
Bridge into the shopping mall. All photos by Jay.
My Huffington readers may recall that I recently reviewed a wonderful Persian restaurant, Darya, in that center -- one of many excellent eating places there. I wrote about the bouillabaisse which was served at Marché Moderne, the most authentic version found anywhere in this country (it actually had the prerequisite rockfish imported from MarseilIes). Wolfgang Puck suggested I try his restaurant there, and I had a superb brunch at Joachim Splichal's French bistro, Pinot Provence. Lucky visitors to SCP will be able to eat the succulent Shanghai soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung when that Taiwan-based dim sum place opens there in late summer. This shopping wonderworld has become a go-to destination for most well-to-do Chinese visitors to California, and the only retail center I know that honors the ubiquitous China UnionPay cards, China's equivalent of our credit card. Chinese-speaking clerks work in most of the major boutiques.
One of the 250 luxury shops at the center.
I was gifted last fall with a perfume-like diffuser from a new French boutique there called Diptyque, and I stop by often to replenish the perfume which keeps my office smelling like a nice French brothel (don't ask me how I know what a nice French brothel smells like). My nephew Eric Gantwarg has just become manager of the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique in New York City, so I just stopped by its counterpart here at SCP to see how it compares (quite well). While there I stopped at La Perla to buy exquisite lingerie for a close friend for Valentine's Day. And I treated myself to a pair of fine shoes at the expanded Bottega Veneta. I noted that a shop called Scotch & Soda is opening soon. No, it is not an upscale bar, but rather a famous Dutch clothing company which was founded in the 1980s and has unique garments for men, women and children. I loved a global Japanese clothing retailer called Uniqlo when I visited their San Francisco shop, and was thrilled to hear from Debra Gunn Downing, executive marketing director, that they will be opening at SCP shortly. She informed me that this amazing shopping center, covering 140 acres, with about 2.8 million sq. ft. of shopping and restaurant space, will do some $1.7 billion in volume this year, the greatest in the U.S., with approximately 24 million shoppers visiting during the year.
Marche Moderne is one of the many excellent restaurants in the center.
South Coast Plaza is still privately held by the Segerstrom family. I had the pleasure of meeting the patriarch of the family, Henry Segerstrom, twice in recent years. My Huffington readers heard from me about my journey there in early 2011, accompanied by actress Jackie Bisset, to attend the renaming of the cultural center to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. I wrote about how the Swedish family had acquired a thousand acres of barren farmland, planted lima beans, and built their empire from that beginning. I met Henry and his lovely wife, Elizabeth, on that occasion. Last year, when SCP had its 45th anniversary party at the Hotel Bel-Air, Debra invited me to the alfresco event and I had another talk with the honorable Mr. Segerstrom. I also met his son, Anton, who is busily engaged in running the huge enterprise. When I asked why they were holding this momentous event in Bel Air, they laughed and said that the Segerstrom family does not believe in artificial boundaries. "Our customers come from all over the state, and indeed all over the world. They shop, do business, and enjoy the art and culture at our center."
Henry Segerstrom is the patriarchal owner of this amazing mall.
I have made a note on my calendar that the 25th Annual Southern California Spring Garden Show will take place there from April 24-27, something which I always make a point of attending. It's the premiere garden event on the West Coast, and this year will celebrate the Gardens of Southern California. They have some 70 garden-lifestyle vendors showcasing the latest trends and accessories in horticulture. It features over 35 seminars, some of which I will attend, a display garden competition showcasing the works of prominent landscape designers and architects. Yes, I told you I was a curious guy.
Children's play area at SCP.
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