I HEART COSTA MESA

Marc Perkins: Costa Mesa Alliance for Better Streets

by The Mesa Maven | Nov 29, 2019

On this episode of the I Heart Costa Mesa podcast: Marc Perkins, co-founder of the Costa Mesa Alliance for Better Streets, wants to make Costa Mesa’s streets more walkable, bikeable and, basically, as hospitable as possible for car-free use. We talk about the current state of Costa Mesa’s streets, things that are improving – or could be improved – from his cyclist-eye view, and ways that interested Costa Mesans can get involved. If your favorite way to heart Costa Mesa is on foot, via skateboard, or by bike, you won’t want to miss this latest episode. Check it out!

Westside Puppy Paradise: Hydrant Pet Hotel

by The Mesa Maven | Oct 30, 2019

With the dog days of summer squarely behind us – and the busy holiday season soon to come – thoughts turn to travel, visits back home, vacations… and oh, what to do with the fur babies when we go? If your pet-care standards are as high as today’s featured Costa Mesans, we see a Hydrant in your future…

Local Magician… Brettso The Great!

by The Mesa Maven | Oct 25, 2019

On this week’s episode of the I Heart Costa Mesa podcast, we’ve got Brett Bolich – who performs all over Southern California as local magician, Brettso The Great! In this interview, we talk about the life of a magician, our local magic scene and, of course, Costa Mesa…

Kristin Hoang: Newport Mesa Moms

by The Mesa Maven | Oct 18, 2019

On this week’s episode of the I Heart Costa Mesa podcast, we talk about parenthood and local, family fun with blogger Kristin Hoang of NewportMesaMoms.com. Newport Mesa Moms is a local blog, covering the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach areas, featuring stories, recommendations, activities, an event calendar, and more! We cover everything – and the Brussels-sprouts pizza – in this interview. Check it out!

Gina Oddo: Center Club Orange County

by The Mesa Maven | Oct 11, 2019

On this week’s episode of the podcast, we interview Gina Oddo, Club Manager for Center Club Orange County. Center Club – based here in Costa Mesa – is a posh, private club started in 1985 by Henry T. Segerstrom. It began as a place where executive leaders could share interests, unwind, enjoy a drink, and network. These days, it’s grown to become so much more!

Rockreation: Costa Mesa’s Social Climbers

by The Mesa Maven | Aug 22, 2019

Some people choose a career path, and spend their life pursuing it. But for others, the career chooses you. Take the case of 46-year-old Blaine Eastcott, owner of Rockreation Climbing Gym, off Logan Avenue in Costa Mesa. “For me, Rockreation was the summer job that never ended,” laughed Eastcott…

Toggle The Mind: Behind The Lids Collective

by Samantha Chagollan | Aug 16, 2019

“Have you ever tried breathing?” asks Frankie Salazar, co-founder of Behind The Lids, a new meditation studio and healing collective in the heart of Costa Mesa. Sounds like a silly question, right? Breathing is something we do without having to think about it. Every day, all the time, even when we’re sleeping. But what Frankie is talking about is something different. When you’re stressed, when you’re feeling anxious, when you’re overwhelmed—have you ever tried breathing to help you get through it?

Argyros Plaza: Cultural Free-For-All

by The Mesa Maven | Aug 12, 2019

Historically, performing arts had a reputation for out-pricing the cost-conscious. But here in the City of the Arts, a new cultural hub is inviting everyone from ‘hoity toity’ to ‘hoi polloi’ in on the act. Thanks to a generous donation from the family for whom the hub in named, Costa Mesa’s Julianne and George Argyros Plaza at Segerstrom Center for the Arts exists to wed free events with locals (like you!) At the forefront of this plaza-performance push is SCFTA’s VP of Community Engagement, Jason Holland – an affable and intelligent overseer with clear aspirations of “art for all.”

New ArtWalk On The Block

by Samantha Chagollan | Jul 15, 2019

The City of the Arts has a new monthly gig that lives up to its name. The Costa Mesa ArtWalk is now a free monthly event, held on the lawn in front of the library. If you thought we already had a free art walk, you would be right—it’s a self-guided tour through the city featuring the most notable sculptures in town. This ArtWalk, however, is different…

Neck of the Woods: Cottonwood Music Emporium

by Bradley Zint | Jul 1, 2019

A “coffee shop vibe with a guitar factor.” It’s a concise way the marketing director of Cottonwood Music Emporium, a new electric guitar, amp, pedals and effects store in Costa Mesa’s Sobeca District, describes the place. Cottonwood, a name inspired by trees in Colorado, is the brainchild of Jim Deitzel and his marketer/partner, Mary Harden. Their dog, Bowie, also wanders the store, located at 2967 Randolph Ave., Suite C, across from Barley Forge Brewing Company…

Molly’s Music: Born To Sing

by Samantha Chagollan | May 20, 2019

The last time I sang vocal scales, it was the mid-90s and I was likely wearing Doc Martens and a plaid flannel. It’s not the quite the same as scream-singing Alanis Morissette in your Nissan Pulsar as you cruise down Harbor Boulevard. Vocal scales are straight-up scary. But I’m surprisingly non-terrified as I find myself standing in a vocal studio on a breezy spring afternoon, dutifully sliding up and down scales, across the piano from local music maven, Molly Webb.

Plug & Play: E-Lux Electric Bikes

by The Mesa Maven | Apr 29, 2019

Spring has sprung! The sun is out! Flowers bloom, as thoughts turn toward long, lazy, California beach days. Here in Costa Mesa, we enjoy the coastal life. We can bicycle to sandy vistas and crashing waves from anywhere in the city. But sometimes – especially after a full day of bodysurfing and sunbathing – the bike ride home can feel like the punishing slog of a chain-gang, slowly grinding back up the Mesa. It’s moments like this an exuberant, electric cyclist will inevitably zoom past. That zippy, motorized bike that seemed so much like “cheating” on the ride downhill, now feels positively essential…

Clay + Community: Costa Mesa Ceramics

by Samantha Chagollan | Apr 17, 2019

Can working with clay lighten your load? Yes, says a recent study profiled in Psychology Today. Researchers found that people who worked with clay were less depressed, and they discovered an improvement in their overall sense of well-being. They also have marked improvements in motivation, mood, and decision-making. Where can you get some of this mood-boosting clay time, locally? Right over on the Westside, at Costa Mesa Ceramics…

Day 93: Emily Brown and the Thing

by The Mesa Maven | Apr 3, 2019

Living in the City of the Arts – parent to a couple of theater-loving kids – has made #costamesa365 a lot more entertaining than it might otherwise have been. This past week, we caught the live-theater production of Emily Brown and the Thing at Samueli Theater. If you have kids in Costa Mesa, you’ve got to give one of the Samueli Theater children’s productions a try…

Spacing Out: Costa Mesa’s New Planetarium

by The Mesa Maven | Mar 30, 2019

Space, the final frontier. Who among us hasn’t, at one time or another, pondered the incomprehensible vastness of the universe, the placement of planets, the geometry of constellations. It’s human to look to the stars – and what might lie beyond – but it’s not always easy, here in Orange County. Ambient light makes faraway suns hard to see, and the local focus has historically been much more about surf culture than space travel. But as of last week, tides may be tipping a bit more in favor of stargazers…

Avanti: Best Feet Forward

by The Mesa Maven | Mar 18, 2019

There are few things in life more magical than people who have discovered their personal gift, and make expressing it their life’s purpose. It takes courage, conviction and a willingness to stand out from the crowd. Our city of Costa Mesa is a hotbed for this kind of magic, and the story of local studio, Avanti Dance Company, is the consummate “born talented, fully expressed” situation. This local gem doesn’t just shimmer, it shines.

Joey Lopez: Shreducate Academy

by The Mesa Maven | Mar 15, 2019

Episode 2, of Season 3, is here! We’ve got Joey Lopez, founder and owner of Shreducate Academy, on the podcast today. Lopez is at the forefront of school skateboarding leagues, kids’ sk8 lessons, and the movement to turn skating into a legit, internationally-recognized sport. We cover so much with Lopez, it’s hard to enumerate! He’s got big plans to make his mark on the skate world…

Jamie Reidling: Let Them Skate

by The Mesa Maven | Nov 23, 2018

Jamie Reidling is “OG Westside” – a musician, surfer, skater, dad, community organizer and hardcore Costa Mesa local – and he’s on a mission to bring a skatepark to Westside Costa Mesa! On this episode of the podcast we talk about what it was like coming up in Westside Costa Mesa “back in the day,” what he’s up to now, and why he thinks it’s totally ridiculous that Westside youth don’t have a skatepark of their own…

Sunday Funday: Westside Market

by Samantha Chagollan | Nov 10, 2018

Sunday is for all kinds of things. Some of us like to relax and chill, either on the couch with Netflix or football or by heading outside to the beach or the park. Some of us like to get stuff done on a Sunday: check tasks off the to-do list and get a head start on the week ahead. But did you know there’s a place right here in Costa Mesa, where on the second Sunday of every month, you can relax and chill AND do something productive too? It’s just around the corner, on the Westside…

Marta and Pepe Tena: Making Space

by The Mesa Maven | Oct 19, 2018

At 777 West 16th Street – here in Costa Mesa – Marta Tena and Pepe Tena are carrying forward their father’s vision: to turn a repurposed and restored, mid-century warehouse into a welcoming event space for all. Space 777 is brand new and a total “blank slate” – it’s just itching for the next art show or industry party. We talk with these creative and connected Costa Mesans about future plans for Space 777 and what they love best about our fabulous city…

Violent Gentlemen: Game, Gear, Gravitas

by Bradley Zint | Oct 3, 2018

Some years ago, designer Brian Talbert was flipping through a magazine described as ‘a European version of GQ’ when he came upon a pair of words he really liked. It was in an article about how ‘high fashion’ took cues from the ‘low fashion’ of soccer hooligans. Apparently, those soccer fanatics wore scarves and layered in a way that piqued the attention of the runway crowd. Tucked within the article was a photo-caption quote from the designer describing how “the violent gentleman” wears his clothes. Violent? Gentleman? Good combo, Talbert thought. He wrote it down for later…

Costa Mesa Parks and Rec

by The Mesa Maven | Sep 28, 2018

When we think “Parks and Rec” we think of Leslie Knope and her color-coded binders. But here in Costa Mesa, our local parks and recreation department is so much more than that! Our guests, Justin Martin and Ashley Thomas, are two from a team of hardworking people who make so much fun happen in our city. Things like: The Snoopy House, Mobile Recreation Van, Scarecrow Festival, The Bark Park, Concerts In The Park – and coming really soon, ARTventure – just to name a few!

The Full Spectra

by Samantha Chagollan | Aug 24, 2018

When you walk through the doors of Costa Mesa’s Spectra Yoga, there’s a little bit of palpable magic. And that’s the intention of studio owner Aileen Pham. “We are kind of a one-stop shop for your mind, body and soul,” Aileen says with a jovial wink and a smile.

The Family Vans

by The Mesa Maven | Aug 2, 2018

It’s Open season at Vans. This past weekend kicked off the Vans US Open of Surfing in nearby Huntington Beach. With it, Vans is not just celebrating their sixth year of title-sponsoring this major surf competition and action-sports festival, but it also marks their first full year since moving Vans HQ to our beloved Costa Mesa. I Heart Costa Mesa sat down with Kristy Van Doren, Vans Senior Director of North America Brand Marketing – and granddaughter of Founder, Paul Van Doren – to talk US Open, the company’s ‘checkered’ past, and why the move to Costa Mesa made all the sense in her world for this iconic, Southern California brand.

Jumping Sheep

by Bradley Zint | Jul 12, 2018

A few months ago, on a sunny Costa Mesa afternoon, CMPD Officer Trevor Jones returned to the site which, a few weeks earlier, made him a minor Internet sensation. The spot was Sheep Hills, and when Jones arrived, he did the unexpected. He hopped on his patrol bike, dipping and jumping on a few of Sheep Hills’ world-famous dirt ramps. Onlookers, surprised to see a cop handle himself on the trails, hooted and hollered. “Oh my God!” one exclaimed.

Listen: “Rip The Ripper”

by The Mesa Maven | Jun 22, 2018

On this episode of the I Heart Costa Mesa Show, we’ve got Rip “The Ripper” Morgan in studio. Morgan’s a local musician, founder of Third Garden Studios, plus Sound Engineer and Radio Host (of the Local Motion show) over at KOCI 101.5 FM, Costa Mesa / Newport Beach. In this interview, he talks “radio life” and brings in some of his favorite local bands for us to hear…

Listen: “Concerts In The Park”

by The Mesa Maven | Jun 16, 2018

On this week’s episode of the I Heart Costa Mesa podcast, we have Lea Lowe from the Costa Mesa Foundation. She’s got the band lineup – and behind-the-scenes details – for this year’s Costa Mesa Summer Concerts In The Park Series. We hope you’re getting geared up for these free concerts happening all throughout the month of July at Fairview Park, because this year’s series will be awesome!

Listen: “Nate And The Roadtrip Nation”

by The Mesa Maven | May 11, 2018

In this episode, we “wade into the depths” with Nathan Gebhard, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Roadtrip Nation. Roadtrip Nation started with a few friends who didn’t know what to do with themselves after college. So, to figure it out, they piled into a lime-green RV and road-tripped across the country – stopping along the way to interview thought-leaders, creatives and experts for job advice and wisdom about the lives they lead. The road-trip became a documentary, which inspired a book, that awakened a movement, which became a TV show, which inspired more books, which grew to include a non-profit, that birthed a curriculum – and now there are thematic road-trips being filmed all over the country…

Listen: “Travel Costa Mesa”

by The Mesa Maven | May 4, 2018

On this episode of the I Heart Costa Mesa Show, we talk to Paulette Lombardi-Fries and Jenny Wedge from Travel Costa Mesa, our city’s local travel and tourism organization. Come along with us as we flip our usual POV and take a tourist’s perspective of Costa Mesa. We talk food, attractions, theater, shopping… and did you know there were 33 hotels in Costa Mesa? We didn’t! Listen, learn – and maybe get inspired to take a staycation of your own.

Listen: “Swap Meet Shake Up”

by The Mesa Maven | Mar 23, 2018

The Swap Meet at the Fairgrounds is almost 50 years old! So we discuss all the new changes going on at the recently re-imagined Orange County Market Place. Now under new ownership, they’ve got big ideas to modernize the OC Market Place weekend experience, while still staying true to its historic, local roots…

Bocce Me, Bambino

by The Mesa Maven | Jan 1, 2018

We don’t just love Costa Mesa for the beautiful weather, beach-close location and endless options for fun, food and festivities – but for the kinds of people this city attracts. Our neighbors have got to be the very best thing about this community and what make it such a unique place. And today’s featured Costa Mesans are nothing if not unique, having created a local, after-work, social league putting a fresh, modern spin on an ancient sport. The game is bocce ball. The place is Gunwhale Ales. The night is Tuesday and the Costa Mesans are Rachel Wong and Corey Walker, co-owners of Left Coast Sports.

The State Of Gray

by The Mesa Maven | Sep 20, 2017

“What makes Costa Mesa different from other places in Orange County?” It’s the question we ask in every, single interview we do. And while the answers have varied from, “independent spirit,” to “lack of that cookie-cutter vibe,” to “blue-collar history,” to “the Segerstrom family” – one theme keeps coming up over and over again: passion. That thankless, penniless, knuckle-down, bootstrappy kind of passion that’s so much a part of who you are, it takes more effort to reign it in than it does to go out and act on it.

Camp Lila: Behind The Garden Gate

by The Mesa Maven | Aug 31, 2017

It’s no secret we think Costa Mesa is a pretty magical place. There’s just something about this city – an energy, a scene, a gravitational pull – that inspires creativity, courage and independence. People want to be a part of it. Or as today’s featured Costa Mesan, Katie Sherouse, more eloquently puts it: “Our vibe attracts our tribe.”

Farm It Out: SOCO Farmers’ Market

by The Mesa Maven | Aug 4, 2017

The beauty of living in a city as diverse and eclectic as Costa Mesa is the panoply of pastimes laid before us. From social clubs to health clubs, escape rooms to spring blooms – and everything in between – this town is truly replete with recreation. Lucky us! Luckier still every Saturday morning from 9am – 2pm, when the charming, community-minded SOCO Farmers’ Market comes to South Coast Collection, in the parking lot adjacent to The OC Mix.

Fall Into The Trap

by The Mesa Maven | Jun 4, 2017

One of the best things about Costa Mesa is there’s always something fun to do. Golfing, mushing, felting, sweating, rocking out – the list goes on and on! Just when you think you’ve seen it all, something new comes to town and the thrill of discovery begins all over again. So we were thrilled to discover a fun, Costa Mesa first, recently, when we popped in on TrapZone Escape Rooms in the SoBeCa District.

Hit The Trail

by The Mesa Maven | Apr 24, 2017

This city is made great by all the people “just quietly doing their thing.” By and large, Costa Mesans aren’t big on bragging or self-promotion. They don’t necessarily want or need praise…

Keepin’ It Groovy with Ubiquity Records

by Ben Sauer | Feb 22, 2017

Photo Credit: Ben Sauer Ubiquity Records, originally a San Francisco-based label, has been local...

Airstream Spintrospective

by The Mesa Maven | Jan 29, 2017

We were cruising around our Mesa the other day – just walkin’ and soakin’ up...

Splash And Learn

by The Mesa Maven | Jan 15, 2017

And today we mean “dive in” in the most-literal sense, because we’re happily highlighting the pool-based program that’s quickly become the pride of Newport-Mesa: the Costa Mesa Aquatics Club, or CMAC (pronounced: see-mac), for short. When it comes to harboring a deep and abiding love for Costa Mesa, we are hard-pressed to find people who wear it louder or prouder than the swimmers, polo players, coaches and staff at this popular, non-profit program.

Of Amps And Audiophiles

by The Mesa Maven | Nov 9, 2016

Costa Mesans are a lot of things, but sheeple we are not. There isn’t a...

The Club Level

by The Mesa Maven | Oct 5, 2016

Here at I Heart Costa Mesa, we are all about authentic connections; the kind you make when you’re in your most open, community-oriented, heartfelt frame of mind. We love listening, week after week, to the everyday stories that make our town tick. And we’re especially thrilled when those local conversations lead to deeper understanding and new perspectives of this spectacular city of ours. Today’s feature is the perfect example of how easily stereotypes can be swept clean when we connect at the in-person level. That’s because we’re featuring the Mesa Verde Country Club – the local, private, country club of Costa Mesa for over fifty years.

Biker Babes

by The Mesa Maven | Sep 15, 2016

A great way to better know your city is to “get lost” within it – find new routes home from work, drive through random neighborhoods and generally learn to take a tourist-eyed view of your very own town. With this sense of newness and discovery, even the most ordinary, Costa Mesa days can reveal extraordinary finds. This exercise is adventure is fun enough to do by car, but the experience is tenfold while tooling around on two wheels. There’s just something about cycling through our city that makes the whole experience “more than.” More real. More sensory. More neighborly. More active. More enjoyable. But if you’re feeling a little shy about getting in that saddle – maybe because you haven’t ridden in a while, feel too overweight for the endeavor, or never learned to ride at all – today’s featured Costa Mesans are here to tell you: anyone can (and should) cycle.

Running With The Pack

by The Mesa Maven | Aug 21, 2016

Just when you think you’ve seen it all – lapped up every last drop of cool, creative and quirky our city can dish out – Costa Mesa rounds the corner of the unexpected with new surprises and delights. Today’s feature is one you have to see to believe – but if you spend Saturdays at Fairview Park, perhaps you already have. We’re talking about that cheerful-but-curious collection of canines harnessed to scooters, pulling people; more officially known as the grassroots recreational group, Urban Mushing. It’s a band of merry dog-sledders that meets weekly to give their high-energy breeds a chance to run, pull, focus and socialize – all with happy, healthy results. They’re an eclectic collection of pet owners who don’t let a little thing like our lack of snow stop them from bringing fulfillment to the lives of dogs bred to pull.