Westlake Village Real Estate Blog

Archive for the ‘Business Spotlight’ Category

If there’s something Thousand Oaks didn’t need, it’s another grocery store chain. At least that’s what I thought until I went to Sprouts.

The second specialty market brand developed by the Henry Boney family, who sold their Henry’s Farmers Markets in 1999, Sprouts has sprouted onto the scene as an alternative food store of healthy, organic, local, fair-trade options (did I miss any buzz words?). Located at the site of the old Circuit City, in Thousand Oaks near The Oaks Mall, Sprouts is definitely a destination store – and it’s worth the trip. There are gluten free products, local produce at, believe it or not, local prices, fresh (really fresh) meats and fish. Oh, yes, there’s a selection of low-carb food too, as well as “bin” coffee and grains.

Prices are surprisingly modest. Some would say (although lately the charge is not entirely fair) that Sprouts is Whole Foods without the whole paycheck.

Take a check, check it out, and enjoy a fresh Sprouts meal tonight.

To be sure, the Conejo Valley has its share of excellent French and Italian cuisine. But now, as the anemic economy nibbles into the everyday budget, comes some lighter fare with European flair: Europa.

Located in the North Ranch Shopping Center, in Westlake Village, Europa is owned by Jorge Gruener, a professional chef and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, NY. “Good coffee is my passion,” he explains. “I wanted a European-style coffee house where you could get a great cup of coffee with light, healthy food.”

Indeed, the coffee and teas (all loose leaf) are organic and certified fair trade. Gruener orders the coffee on one day, and the next morning it is roasted and delivered in the afternoon. Each cup of espresso is made with a Rancilio espresso machine – Italian and the best in the world, Gruener says – and served in a biodegradable cup. The panini is made on the premises with La Brea bread, and the pastries come from a boutique bakery.

Outdoor seating and soon-to-come wireless Internet service complete the café. Europa is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and perhaps later on weekends.

Europa Cafe, 3945 E. Thousand Oaks B.vd, Suite A, Westlake Village 805.494.1089

I have learned over the years that the top is always relative. And so we see that www.portfolio.com has reported that Newport Beach is the richest city in the nation. In this paradise by the sea, each resident’s annual income (children included) is more than $86,000, and 28.6 percent of households earn more than $200,000.

Even in affluent Westlake Village, these numbers are smashing. For a view from the top here, we turn to Lake Sherwood, where the good news is that the billionaire developer, David H, Murdock, has broken ground on six new homes, after a long dry spell of selling standing inventory.

So what is he building, and why? The why part is easy. He believes he can sell them. This is a vote of confidence for our high-end home market, even if the price point is far less lofty that what you’d find in Newport Beach. Like the stock watcher who follows Warren Buffet, the higher-end home buyer here can take his cue.

Admittedly, the new Sherwood homes are a bit more modest in both size and price than many other homes in this luxury community.  All the new homes are less than 4,500 sq. ft. and priced below $2.5 million.

With interest rates still at historic lows, now may be the just the right time to step up to the “top end” and into a new home in Lake Sherwood, “one of the most beautiful places to live,” in the words of the developer himself.