If there was a position for ambassador of the Coronado Cays it would have to go to Aldo Ciani, a resident and realtor in the Cays since 1972. Ciani and his wife Alberta moved to the Cays from Orange County to Antigua Village, which was only one of two villages built at that time. The landscape of the Cays looked different then with Jamaica Village, the only other village and two houses on Green Turtle. Ciani remembers white sand dunes all over. The family bought sand buggies to ride around their new neighborhood. Around the time Ciani moved to the Cays, a condo in Antigua cost $58,000, a number that was high in those days.

As we hope for a better 2021, you may have made a resolution to take better care of your body. I’ve personally struggled over the years with keeping up on my resolutions, and often don’t follow through. As this new year approaches, I’m more motivated than ever to feel better physically, lose…

It’s that time of year again when we start thinking about the lifestyle changes we want to make as we enter a brand new year. For many, fitness plays some part in our goals for improving our lives and Chris Foote, owner of the Coronado Fitness Club gym, has a fresh perspective for positive growth.

Foote started the Coronado Fitness Club 11 years ago with the support of his family after moving to Coronado. Playing sports through college started his interest in health and physical training where he would help friends who were fellow athletes and went on to work at various gyms before starting his own. “I think I always knew that I wanted to do something in athletics, I loved being on a team,” Foote said. “I didn’t know I wanted to have a gym until I became a trainer and I just liked it. I got out of it for a few years but quickly discovered it was the only thing I was really passionate about for a career.” After working for larger gym corporations, Foote and his family, who had ties to Coronado and loved the city, decided to take a risk and open his own gym here. “I just saw an opportunity and it was a huge risk, and we just said, ‘why not?’”

The rich history of businesses in Coronado is still here today providing us with a new generation of families who own them and are dedicated to this community.

Crown Cleaners is one of those businesses. Looking back at the pictures from the 1970s the location is the same and the cleaners has modernized and changed with the times. Its current owner is Sang “Steve” Gi, who bought Crown two years ago after the previous owner retired. Gi was born in Korea and moved to Brazil with his family when he was 10 years old. He spent 15 years of his life in Brazil as a student, until his family decided to move to the U.S. in 1998 for better opportunities.

“I have lived in San Diego for over 20 years and I love Coronado,” said Gi. “When the old owner of the cleaners contacted my family, it was a great opportunity to own a well established business and be a part of this community”.

Since Hanan Martha opened her café in the Cays it has become a popular place for Cays residents as well people who live in the village and nearby Imperial Beach. Martha first opened a coffee cart in the Cays near the Homeowners Association office. Once she realized the business model worked,…

Music is a universal language which everyone speaks. We hum or sing at odd times; sway, tap our foot, or swing a leg when a melody begins. We all wish we were musically talented and often regret not sticking with those piano lessons in childhood. Ms. Mariah’s Music, a new business at 505 Orange Avenue, offers an opportunity for people of any age, even three-year old children, to pursue a love of music.

Taking lessons at any age can result in a pleasurable hobby or a profession, but Mariah Gillespie, owner of Ms. Mariah’s Music, quotes research in her brochure touting early instruction as beneficial for brain development: “Playing music has more positive impact on the brain than any other human activity.” She continues with, “Exposure to music and music instruction accelerates the brain development of young children in the areas responsible for language development, sound, reading skill, and speech perception.”

If you stroll through the Ferry Landing you might run into Tali Bercovitz, owner of Miss Match Boutique and fashion guru. She’s been helping customers look and feel their best for over 10 years, though 2020 has brought on challenges unique to operating a clothing store during COVID-19.

To say that Mary Frese is passionate may be the understatement of the century. Owning and managing Clayton’s Coffee Shop and Clayton’s Mexican Take-out is a huge undertaking on its own for her and her team. Then you take a short walk down Orange Avenue and you arrive at Clayton’s Bakery and Bistro.

If you are a woman looking for a sleek, modern style to take you from workplace to evening without the chore of going back to your closet, there is the perfect new store in Coronado to help you succeed.

Opening three weeks ago, Wild Dove is the latest boutique in town, owned and styled by Rachel Webb. Located in a high profile location next to The Henry restaurant, Wild Dove is creating buzz for it’s creative window displays, modern outdoor walls, and the sophisticated clothing inside its doors.

When you look through the windows at Wild Dove, you quickly notice something different about their approach to grabbing your attention as you walk down Orange Avenue.

Five Coronado Island hotels generously offered complimentary stays to incentivize shoppers to make the most of the Holiday Sidewalk Sale on Dec 5 and 6, and now the lucky contest winners have been announced!

Forty-three local businesses deliver festive messages in the Coronado Chamber’s joy-inducing Happy Holidays video, but only one of those businesses passes the mistletoe-accented sign from right-to-left. The Chamber invited eagle-eyed viewers to spot the switch in the direction and name the location for a bumper prize.

All entrants gave the correct answer - Nado Republic passed against the flow to Lamb’s Players - but Kathleen Rosania was the lucky winning name drawn from the hat.

“I live just off Orange Avenue so I am familiar with many of the friendly local business

For Coronado local Rich Brady, 2020 was going to be a business challenge even before the COVID-19 shutdowns pulled the rug out from under small businesses. Brady is the owner of the upscale menswear shop, Brady’s Menswear, that has dressed discerning locals and hotel guests for 46 years. Wit…

We know you want to show your support to Coronado restaurants, especially while they are limited to offering only take-out service, but what to order?

To help you decide, the Coronado Chamber of Commerce asked 12 local restaurant owners to make two selections: 1)the must-try menu item for people ordering with them for the first time and 2) something a little more unusual for regulars who always default to their same favorite!

We’ll kick off the two restaurants that have opened since the last lockdown - Parakeet Cafe at 1134 Orange Avenue with its super-healthy, prettily-presented fare, and Serrano’s Coronado at 126 Orange Avenue with its extra-tasty Mexican street food and creative cocktails.

With over 12 million unemployed this holiday season, the Gensler Group has opened its doors to the community as a Toys for Tots drop off location through Dec. 16th.

There are many reasons why your knees can have nagging, constant, and irritating pain. If your foot became stuck on the ground and your upper body twists over it, you may feel no pain at the time. However, later you can experience a significant amount of discomfort on the inside connection o…

Coronado businesses help community organizer Col Michael Wastila USMCR kick-off this year’s Toys for Tots campaign. Your donations are needed now more than ever during this inauspicious period of COVID. Please bring a new, unwrapped toy to any collection site from now until Friday, Dec. 18. Your thoughtfulness will help make a difference in the lives of San Diego County’s most needy children this Christmas season.

This year marks the 73rd year of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program.

It is hard to say goodbye after 11 years of serving food and seeing their customers’ happy faces, but it had to be done. Café di Roma owners Mary and Robert Jabalee had thought about retirement for a while. They first decided to close the doors of their restaurant in January 2021, then changed the date to December 2020.

This past August, Mary strained her back and although she recovered from her injury, she realized she is not getting any younger. She recently turned 70. “I’m healthy now. I don’t want to push it anymore. I want to have a slower pace and enjoy life more,” she said.

All the heartwarming traditions of our Annual Holiday Parade will be sorely missed this year, but the team at the Coronado Chamber of Commerce are working as diligently as elves to bring you a special Holiday Sidewalk Sale on the weekend of Dec. 5 and 6.

Orange Avenue stores will be brimming over with gift ideas, stocking stuffers and major bargains, all accessible al fresco so you can shop safely in the crisp winter sunshine.

Treasures of the Heart is offering a great gift card deal of “Spend $25 Get $30”; the

Ashley Mendham, a Coronado native with an experienced real estate career path, joins Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty, in Scott Aurich’s office, as a Real Estate Sales Agent, available to work with buyers and sellers in Coronado and throughout San Diego County.

After graduating from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a major in Communications and minor in Art, Mendham moved to Dallas, where she began her real estate career working at a major commercial real estate management and development company specializing in high-rise buildings.

After a long career as a Corporate Merchandising Executive, Pat Marshall relocated to Coronado. As the daughter of a Navy pilot, this was a place she visited throughout her life and where she hoped to retire. Once she made her home in Coronado, she pursued her passion for home décor and deco…

This week I met with the executive chef at the Hotel del Coronado, Stefan Peroutka, to discuss the new offerings at the classic resort. Amidst the Del’s Master Plan of renovations and updates, locals and visitors can enjoy the recently reopened Sun Deck restaurant and ENO Market & Pizzeria, in addition to the outdoor Beach & Taco Shack and other favorites at the hotel.

Peroutka grew up in Austria where he learned the joys of cooking from his mother. “[Cuisine] was always really predominant in my house when I grew up,” Peroutka said. “Cooked meals and having lunch together as a family was always important. It was always something that was just in my life. When it came time to decide on a career I liked different trades and I wanted to do something with my hands and be more creative.”

Dr. Kimberly Byers-Lund opened a new family practice medical office in Coronado on Oct. 5, 2020. Joining her in the practice are Dr. Neal Ridge and Natasha Hicks-Lubrano NP-C. 

Byers-Lund has been a family practice physician in Coronado since 1999. She has received numerous patient satisfaction awards and is happy and excited to serve her patients in a smaller and more personal setting. The new Family Practice Medicine group offers outpatient services to all ages, from newborns to centurions. Both Byers-Lund and Ridge are military physicians and are honored to care for military families.

Support staff members include Monica Medina, Cynthia Camacho, Polett Salazar, and Sam Lund.

Christmas holds the gamut of memories for each individual. The pleasant ones include candlelight midnight services, stockings by the chimney, favorite carols, candy, and of course, Santa’s secret deposit of toys under the tree. Too many children, however, shudder at the thought of Christmas: no stockings, no candy, no Santa with toys, no food. Toys for Tots steps in to alleviate some of those memories. The familiar organization, mobilized in 2003 in Coronado that gained traction in 2006, is spear headed by Col Michael Wastila USMCR, a life-long resident of Coronado, who devotes time throughout the year to assure the program is effective. As the Coronado coordinator, he is responsible to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation for planning, organizing, and conducting the local campaign.

The Glorietta Bay Inn has introduced a dedicated “Government Travel” page on their website to help local military get the very best value from their assigned per diems.

The key is to book direct with this charming historic hotel as you will receive the special rate of $149, keeping you comfortably under the $161 currently allotted for hotel stays. As a significant bonus you will also receive a priority room upgrade and complimentary parking. (Offer runs from now until February

Are you struggling to turn your head while driving? Do you wake up in the morning with a stiff neck? Have a tense neck while on the computer or phone for a long time?

Symptoms of neck pain can be varied and unique. They sometimes show up as an aching muscle, spasms, and tension, or they can present as sharp-shooting discomfort and pain upon attempting to move the neck. Frequently, irritation in the neck is one-sided. Meaning you can turn your head to one side

Loews Coronado Bay Resort Offers Dine-In and To-Go Thanksgiving Feasts

There is exciting news for existing and new patients of Coronado Eye Care: they have moved to a new location. You can find Dr. Stephen Moffett, Dr. Greg Giles and their dedicated and friendly staff at brand new offices located at 950 Orange Avenue. “If I tell people we are a few doors down from Starbucks and where the old Sunglass Hut used to be then everyone knows where we moved,” laughed Moffett.

Moffett has been leading Coronado Eye Care since 2003. The old location on Eighth Street became too small and it was time to look for something newer and more accommodating for their patients. “I also wanted to be in a place where I could secure a long term lease”, said Moffett. “The new office on Orange Avenue gives us a permanent home with more visibility, more space, and people know exactly where we are”.

All the heartwarming traditions of our Annual Holiday Parade will be sorely missed this year, but the team at the Coronado Chamber of Commerce are working as diligently as elves to bring you a special Holiday Sidewalk Sale on the weekend of Dec. 5 and 6.

Orange Avenue stores will be brimming over with gift ideas, stocking stuffers and major bargains, all accessible al fresco so you can shop safely in the crisp winter sunshine.

Treasures of the Heart is offering a great gift card deal of “Spend $25 Get $30”; the

Jessica Tompane is the owner and principal designer of J Hill Interiors, Inc. in Coronado. Not only are she and her former Navy SEAL husband celebrating their ten-year wedding anniversary, but J Hill Interiors just enjoyed a landmark accomplishment of 10 years as an interior design business in Coronado.

“J Hill is known for their timeless, diverse and layered designs,” said Tompane. “We have five designers on staff who each bring a different talent to the mix in our company. They are experienced designers on their own and bring an inherent set of knowledge from various aspects of design and building. When a client hires us they have the experience of a team with construction, interior design, estate, and refurbishment backgrounds.We pride ourselves in being able to work together to bring visions to life for our clients. We truly make each other stronger on each project. This is priceless for any project big or small.”

When Juice Crafters came to town six years ago it brought new options for juices, smoothies and bowls. Now owners Jonathan and Carol Goldwasser have created a new brand and concept with Parakeet Juicery and Parakeet Café. While Juice Crafters changed its name to Parakeet Juicery, the couple also recently opened Parakeet Café in the former location of Café 1134. Parakeet Café offers a variety of of breakfast and lunch dishes with gluten free, vegan, paleo and keto choices in a bright, cheerful environment.

While at first the Goldwassers opened Juice Crafters as a reflection to their daughter’s strict food needs, the concept behind Parakeet Café is more of a celebration of her improved health. Their new business endeavors show the happiness in their lives. “Our daughter had a super strict diet with lots of raw foods and mainly vegan. The Juicery made a lot of sense. As our daughter grew …she was craving things I wasn’t giving her, like meat,” said Carol Goldwasser. “When you have a sick body, a plant based diet makes sense; with a healthy body you can add food variety with super clean, best quality.”