Just as historic crises like 9/11 and the Great Depression permanently shifted our world, the advent of COVID-19 has already ushered in a new normal. In response to these changes, residents across the San Gabriel Valley are reimagining what it will take to keep their livelihoods afloat—but some are dreaming (and doing) bigger. “The way…
By Emily Glory Peters It’s winter, but things are still growing at Monrovia Community Garden, a new hub for urban farmers and locals with a hankering for fresh produce. Jointly sponsored by the City of Monrovia and Mountainside Communion Church, the garden has swiftly become fertile soil for neighborly connection. “A couple of years ago,…
By Emily Glory Peters It’s hard to overstate the effect of a great haircut—especially when done by a hairdresser you trust. Whether offering a post-breakup cut, pre-wedding twist-out or simply a new look for a new year, stylists have quietly weaved their way into the fabric of our community as purveyors of near-instant confidence boosts….
By Emily Glory Peters It’s winter season at Centre Stage performing arts studio, and that means holiday entertainment. This year, the musical of choice is “Frozen, Jr.,” a spin on the wildly popular Disney film, with many of the roles filled by local kids and youth—more than 60 of them, in fact—all students looking to…
By Emily Glory Peters Pregnancy and labor are like snowflakes: no two experiences are exactly alike. Still, the process opens the door for women to bond, not just over their delivery, but all things postpartum—but not all women have easy access to that kind of community. That was the struggle for dancer and fitness instructor,…
By Emily Glory Peters You live in Los Angeles, so chances are you’ve been to a tea house before. But—you read it here first, folks—the best one yet just might be the newly opened Cup of Cha in Monrovia. Barely two months old, Cup of Cha is the result of a lot of family support,…
By Emily Glory Peters Calligraphy—once the stuff of ancient scripts—has risen again as a covetable skill amongst professional artists and casual hobbyists alike across Los Angeles. This past week, they converged at CalligraFair, a two-day event hosted by Monrovia’s own Smitten on Paper. Now in its third year, CalligraFair has flourished from a modest celebration…
By Emily Glory Peters Pop culture is not just a state of mind, it’s a place in Old Town Monrovia. Here, those well-versed in subreddits and Urban Dictionary descriptions can find merchandise that reflects where one falls as a stan (not sure what a “stan” is? Ask at the counter!). Coming through the doors of…
By Emily Glory Peters Ask any new parent and they’ll tell you how quickly the first year of their child’s life passes. Weeks of fragmented sleep stretch into months, studded with a million milestones—and while some loom larger in the mind than others (like your child’s first steps), capturing it all can feel impossible. When…
By Emily Glory Peters If you were like the average American kid, keeping healthy might have included a stint in karate, tae kwon do or other martial art for a few months before teetering into your next recreational activity. But what does fitness look like now as an adult? For some, self-defense for fitness is…
