Home Care In Marina Del Rey, CA

Long time restaurants in the marina have been shuttered in recent months, which makes Stoa

This summer, Marina del Rey lost two mainstay eateries, Tony P’s Dockside Grille and California Pizza Kitchen. But, luckily for the residents in the densely populated hood for both walkers and boaters, a long-awaited treasure has just opened: Stoa Wine Bar & Market.

The European-style eatery, reminiscent of a cafe in Milan, opened as part of the luxury AMLI complex on Via Marina as both a daytime market and deli that at 5 p.m. – with a fabulous happy hour – turns into a buzzy evening wine bar with a fantastic menu (the pizza is not to be missed).

The market was curated in collaboration with Tony Princiotta and Norbert Wabnig, who cut their teeth at the Beverly Hills Cheese Shop, and it shows. The display case showcases international cheeses, charcuterie, small-production wines, and other sought-after take-home fare. In the kitchen, executive chef Jordan Olivo, of Charcoal in Venice, has created a masterful and seasonal, ingredient-driven menu that can be enjoyed on-site in its simplistic and soothing dining room, or packed for a marina-side picnic.

The entire concept, created by hospitality veterans Constantine Savvides and Richard Peters, is designed specifically to spark conversations among neighbors who might not ordinarily chat. The strangers who become fast friends, a philosophy that European travelers are familiar with. The outdoor patio has seating around an olive tree – which is a nod to the restaurant’s inspiration, the Stoa Poikile in Athens – and is aglow with amber colored string lights.

In fact, the eatery is getting ready to invite philosophers, literally, to dinner.

Stoa is planning to debut a Philosopher in Residence program—starting with of Northeastern University—where guests can “order” guided conversations from a menu of timeless questions, “blending playfulness with depth,” the restaurant says.

Stoa Wine Bar & Market 4210 Via Marina at AMLI, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292

Half of the project’s units are reserved for formerly homeless individuals

A new 98-unit affordable housing complex, Thatcher Yard, opened its doors in Marina del Rey on Thursday, transforming a former city-owned maintenance yard into a residential community for seniors and low-income families. Half of the project’s units are reserved for formerly homeless individuals.

The grand opening ceremony featured speeches from Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park, Elizabeth Selby of the city’s Housing Department, Carlos Van Natter of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, and Paul Buckland of Wells Fargo, alongside remarks from a resident, Rolando Santiago. The event highlighted the collaborative effort between developers, city officials, and neighborhood leaders to bring the project to fruition.

Located at 3311 S. Thatcher Avenue, Thatcher Yard consists of eight two-story buildings offering studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. Two-thirds of the units are designated for seniors, while the remaining third are for low-income families. The complex includes amenities such as a community room, fitness center, outdoor patio, landscaped gardens, and a semi-subterranean garage with 82 vehicle and 58 bicycle parking spaces. Its proximity to public transportation, grocery stores, health facilities, and the Pacific Ocean adds to its appeal.

The project, which broke ground in December 2022, faced environmental and zoning hurdles. A Sustainable Communities Environmental Assessment determined that potential impacts, including hazards and tribal cultural resources, were mitigated to insignificant levels. The development required multiple city approvals, including a Coastal Development Permit and a Density Bonus, to allow for a height of 40.5 feet and reduced spacing between buildings. Approximately 45 non-protected trees were removed, and 4,800 cubic yards of soil and 2,400 cubic yards of asphalt were excavated.

Councilmember Park praised the project as a model for addressing Los Angeles’ housing challenges, noting its transformation of a blighted site into a vibrant community. “This is the kind of project we need more of, not just in Council District 11, but across the city,” she said.

Thomas Safran, chairman of the development firm, emphasized the community engagement that shaped the project. “We worked closely with the neighborhood council to scale the design to meet local needs,” he said. The property, TSA’s second in Marina del Rey, is part of the firm’s portfolio of over 6,500 housing units in Southern California.

Thatcher Yard is currently accepting applications only for its accessible unit waiting list.

What you need to know: More than 45,000 participants will help remove trash from coastal beaches and waterways in California’s largest annual volunteer event at more than 700 sites across the state!

SACRAMENTO – Get ready to participate and make a difference during this year’s annual California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, Sept. 20. From 9 a.m. to noon, more than 50 California state parks and the Division of Boating and Waterways will participate in the state’s largest annual volunteer event in coordination with the California Coastal Commission.

WHAT: 41st Annual Coastal Cleanup Day

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 20, 9 a.m. to noon

WHERE: Including state parks, the event will take place at more than 700 sites across California. View this interactive map of cleanup locations to find a location near you.

Organized by the California Coastal Commission, more than 45,000 volunteers are expected to gather at locations throughout the state, including beaches and shorelines. But the event is not limited to coastal regions; there are cleanups along inland waterways as well, including in the Sierra region.

California’s event is also part of the International Coastal Cleanup organized by the Ocean Conservancy. Last year, more than 47,000 volunteers removed over 400,000 pounds, or 200 tons, of trash and recyclables from our waterways, beaches and lakes. In addition to individual volunteers, 40 boating facilities and groups participated with 1,391 volunteers collecting 9,745 pounds of trash and recyclables on land and from 95 kayaks, canoes and dinghies.

New this year, California Coastal Cleanup Day will become the world's largest scavenger hunt. Special items will be hidden at cleanup sites across the state. Volunteers finding one of these items can redeem them for valuable prizes!

The event also provides hands-on educational experiences about the damage that trash, especially single-use disposable plastics, can cause to California’s wildlife, economy and human health. According to past cleanup data, 75 percent of the debris that volunteers remove is composed of plastic, a material that never completely biodegrades and has numerous harmful consequences in the environment. Plastic debris can kill wildlife, leach toxins into the environment and introduce them into the food chain.

To join this statewide effort, the California Coastal Commission has an interactive map of cleanup locations throughout the state, available here. Volunteers can check the website for updates and share their cleanup experiences on social media using the hashtag #coastalcleanupday.

Follow statewide efforts on the California Coastal Commission’s Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram. Be ready to reuse many items you may have at home to participate in this year's unique event. Learn how to make your participation greener here. See you Sept. 20!

Volunteers with Golden Gate Parks Conservancy help clean up Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Photo from California Coastal Commission.

California State Parks provides for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high quality outdoor recreation.

New Westside Spot Blends European Traditions, Seasonal Fare, Philosophy of Slowing Down

Blending European tradition with California ease, Stoa Wine Bar & Market has opened its doors on Via Marina, offering both a daytime market and deli and an evening wine bar. The concept, created by hospitality veterans Constantine Savvides and Richard Peters, is designed as an intentional gathering space where food, wine, and conversation take center stage.

Inspired by the ancient Stoa Poikile in Athens, the venue draws on classical ideas of community while embracing the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi. The design celebrates natural wear and imperfection, with warm lighting, vintage furnishings, and Mediterranean accents. An outdoor patio shaded by an olive tree and anchored by amber string lights sets the tone for a slower pace of dining.

The market, curated in collaboration with Tony Princiotta and Norbert Wabnig, formerly of showcases Alpine cheeses, charcuterie, small-production wines, and Mediterranean provisions. Executive chef Jordan Olivo leads the kitchen, highlighting seasonal, ingredient-driven fare that can be enjoyed on-site or packed for a marina-side picnic.

Evenings transform Stoa into an intimate wine bar with small plates like spice-roasted beets with whipped ricotta, pancetta-topped spicy vodka pizza, and house-favorite meatballs. A pizza program created with Zack Lopez of Boy Blue LA strikes a balance between New York and Neapolitan styles. Desserts and cocktails remain understated yet refined, including tiramisu with coconut rum-soaked ladyfingers and the Golden Mean, a mezcal sour with passionfruit.

The wine list focuses on sustainable, low-intervention producers from Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and Greece. Later this year, Stoa plans to launch a Philosopher in Residence program, beginning with Northeastern University professor Jacob Stump, offering guided conversations rooted in timeless questions.

Stoa Wine Bar & Market, located at 4210 Via Marina, is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for lunch and 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for dinner.

On Thursday, Aug. 21, Thomas Safran & Associates (TSA) hosted the grand opening of Thatcher Yard, consisting of 98 affordable and supportive housing units for seniors and non-age-restricted residents located at 3311 S. Thatcher Avenue in Marina del Rey.

Both founder Thomas Safran and Jordan Pynes, the president of TSA, were on hand mingling with guests, including LA Councilmember Traci Park; Elizabeth Selby, director of development and finance for the Los Angeles Housing Department; Carlos Van Natter, director of Section 8 at the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) and Paul Buckland, senior vice president of fund investments for Wells Fargo.

In 1974, Safran left the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to start his own company, and for over 50 years, TSA has specialized in developing and managing high-quality properties. It has created 6,500 units of luxury, affordable and mixed-use rental housing in Southern California.

“Affordable housing on the Westside is rare,” said Pynes. “Demand is incredible, which is good and bad. For every unit, you have 1,000 applicants. It shows the incredible need in LA and in West LA.”

Thatcher Yard, TSA’s second project in Marina del Rey, broke ground in December 2022.

“It was hard work from start to finish,” Pynes said. “One of the most challenging we’ve done.”

The space was a Works Progress Administration (WPA) industrial lot. TSA first cleaned it up, excavating 25 feet down and uncovering bicycles and even a car, and remediated soil was brought in.

Two-thirds of Thatcher Yard is earmarked for seniors and one-third for low-income families; half of the units are dedicated to the former homeless. There are one-, two- and three-bedroom units across eight two-story buildings. The project features shared amenities including a community room, fitness center, outdoor patio, landscaped gardens, a play structure and a semi-subterranean garage with parking spaces for 82 vehicles and 58 bicycles.

The intergenerational community opened up about nine months ago and is currently fully leased. It offers wraparound services provided by The People Concern, which has case managers on site daily.

“We started the lottery several months before the building was done,” said Pynes. “As soon as we got the final certificates, we began the lease-out process. That’s the best part of the job. It’s hard to finance buildings, and we had challenges with construction, but it’s most rewarding when residents move in and sign the lease. A number of people were in tears.”

The neighbors are also content with the character of the community.

“It fits in with the neighborhood,” Pynes continued. “It is designed to fit in with the single-family homes in the area. The local neighborhood council endorsed us, and that’s rare.”

Fortunately, TSA is known as a company that listens to public comments, and they engaged in more than 50 meetings with the Oxford Triangle Association, among other neighbors.

One of Pynes’ main regrets is that TSA had to cut the number of units from 160 to 98. Yet other affordable housing projects have stalled and are still fighting to get built, so Pynes considers Thatcher Yard a win-win.

The two sides were able to compromise on parking, size, color and units.

“It took a long time to get through the city process, and we are glad and grateful and appreciative of the care taken with the community, the level of engagement and the responsiveness to concerns,” said Councilmember Park. “It enhances the neighborhood. TSA have been incredible partners, respecting the character and scale of the neighborhood. It couldn’t be any more beautifully or seamlessly blended into this very special community.”

Resident Rolando Santiago has lived at Thatcher Yard for almost a year now. Previously, he lived on Skid Row for two years. Now 60 years old, he is a recovering addict who has been clean and sober for 18 years and is a systems analyst, having worked for NASA and at a TV station in Atlanta. He compares the experience with going from a park bench to Park Avenue.

“This is a gift to the community and the people who live here,” Pynes said. “We change lives.”

Thatcher Yard is located at 3311 South Thatcher Avenue, Los Angeles, 424-610-9210; tsahousing.com/property/thatcheryard.