Beverly Hills Library Summer Reading Program

One of the things I love about Beverly Hills are all of the activities - especially during the summer - that are geared towards children's learning.

Take the Public Library's Summer Reading Program.



Not only does the program fully engage kids during the summer (in an attempt to help minimize the "summer slip") with rewards for reading each and every book but they use a gentle form of peer pressure to make sure that the kids actually follow through.  That's right, if your child goes to a Beverly Hills public school, and has participated in the program, you can expect a medal at the beginning of the school year. 

I can tell you that this medal is a huge motivational factor for my "I-don't-like-to-read" elementary school daughter.  But, hey, whatever works.

This year, the library has even tapped into the powerful tool of modeling to encourage kids to read by creating an adult summer reading program as well.  Granted, we parents won't get a medal at the end of summer, but we are entered to win an ipod.  Pretty cool for just reading in front of our kids.

If you haven't checked it out, you should.  The new children's library is gorgeous and the program is a great summer resource for keeping kids on track. 

Just another reason to love Living in Beverly Hills!

Beverly Hills Farmer's Market - small town fun, big city produce

There is something so wonderful about the Beverly Hills Farmer's Market.  Sure, it's not as glamorous as the one in Hollywood, and it's definitely not as robust as the famous one in Santa Monica, but what we have here is our very own small-town weekly gathering.

Over the past few months the market has grown substantially - previously taking over just a small portion of the block behind the Beverly Hills Police station on Civic Center Drive.  But now, the market turns the corner - twice! Wrapping from Civic Center Drive all the way to 3rd street.  It's not a puny little farmer's market anymore.  

No.  

The Beverly Hills Farmer's Market has come into it's own with big-name local farms, delicious prepared food and even some non-food vendors.  Oh - and now that summer time has hit, the produce is wonderful... gobs of stone fruit, fresh cherries and beautiful squash seem to call out at every stall.   There's even a butcher on hand if you want a side of beef, and a fish monger selling fresh fish! 

But, perhaps the best part of the Beverly Hills Farmer's Market - the thing that sets it apart from all of the other markets around LA- is the small-town feel of this market.

This past week, the Beverly Hills Farmer's Market featured Piesta - an assortment of pie-related activities.  The "new" Beverly Hills Clementine's was open to purchase slices of pie, there was a pie bake-off, a little pie-making station for kids (that was free for little ones) and even a ole' fashioned pie-eating contest.  It's events like these that make Beverly Hills so special and charming. 

We're really just a small town locked inside a big city.  The best of both worlds, if you ask me.

Living in Beverly Hills

Hi.  I'm Deena and I live in Beverly Hills.

Back when I was a teenage I used to cringe that that phrase.  It was inevitably followed by the question, "Is Dylan in your class?"  or "Do you know Brenda?"   Yes, those were when the ORIGINAL 90210 was on the air and before the internet. 

Life in Beverly Hills isn't like TV.  It never was.  And it still isn't.  Housewives of Beverly Hills - they don't even life in Beverly Hills.  Don't get me started. 

I'm creating this blog to talk about what life here is really like.  How living in 90212 (yes, there are other zip codes than just 90210) can be awesome... what the public school situation is like, where to shop, and fun things to do.

Why?  

Well, because I know a little about living in Beverly Hills.  Hell, I live here.  I grew up here - in a house that is very much the stereotypical BH house.  And now I'm raising my two kids here, in a much more modest house with much more modest means.  But it's still Beverly Hills and it's still awesome!

THE BUSINESS OF LIVING IN BEVERLY HILLS:

Truth be told, I'm also a real estate broker specializing in the 90212 area.  I'm an expert when it comes to this geography and love to help people sell their 90212 homes for top dollar while finding a great family for those homes.  So, ya.  This blog isn't just fun and games.  There is a business behind it.  

Why do I do it?

1. I am able to make deals that make sense.  I charge a lower commission than most real estate agents in the area which means that buyers keep more of their selling prices and buyers don't pay as much commission.
2. I love homes.  I believe that each home has a soul.  I love to help families find the perfect house - or sell their beloved house - and keep a home's soul alive and well.
3. I love making dreams come true.  And living in Beverly Hills - even in 90212 - is a dream come true for most people.  It is for me.
4. I love my little town.  Yes.  Beverly Hills is a little town.  We all know each other.  We go to a small school district and we tend to shop in the same areas.  It may be presented as all glitz and glamour, but at its heart Beverly Hills is a small town with small town values.

So, let's get to it.

I'll be blogging about life in Beverly Hills.  Where I like to shop.  What I like to eat.  Where I like to go.  The ins-and-outs of life here in 90212.  

Sometimes I may feature a particularly great home that's on the market, or talk about the real estate situation here... I kinda have to.  It's my job. 

But know this.  I love it here.  And what I talk about are things that make LIVING IN BEVERLY HILLS so damn fun.

Have a specific question?  Want some info about BH?  Leave a comment or email me!!  I'm here for you.