September 2017

“I know that our bodies were made to thrive only in pure air, and the scenes in which pure air is found.” -John Muir

Have you ever felt blocked, stuck, or otherwise just not productive during your day? How many times have you heard someone say “I just need some fresh air?” Taking a walk is a cliche when you need to clear your mind; it’s also proven that more recess time is beneficial to a developing child’s mind. There are even movements for forest schools popping up all around the United States, where learning all takes place in the outdoors, no matter the weather.

Open, public spaces are so key to maintaining healthy lives that downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach, and other cities create “parklets,” where a parking space by the curb is given a

When Nook Sales Experts match a buyer with their dream home, the only thing as important as architectural style is the neighborhood. That’s why we’re bringing you the #NookNeighborhoods series, where every Wednesday you’ll find cool history and culture to make sure you don’t overlook an area that could have the best nook for you.

Little Italy sits on a hill in the northwest end of San Diego. Starting in the 19th century, Italian immigrants built the boats to sustain the fishing industry which turned the area into the “tuna capital” of the United States. This trade supported an influx of immigrants from ITaly and nearby countries.

Marco Li Mandri, Chief Executive Administrator of The Little Italy Association of San Diego, offers a bit of history and

Here at Nook, we have a passion for people, places and properties. There is a reason that we say people first, for what makes a neighborhood special if not the people who live there? Welcome to #TastemakerTuesday, where we’ll feature the visionaries in our favorite nooks who are dedicated to building a better community through their talents.

Studio Gang displays a bold statement on their homepage: An architecture and urban design practice, “We help people, organizations, and cities design their futures.” Many of the architects we’ve profiled, like Zaha Hadid and Ma Yansong, have strong visions of the future of cities and the relationship between urban living and architecture, and so it is interesting to see how Studio Gang works with city leaders to

Santa Barbara was first founded on a storm. Explorer Sebastián Vizcaín encountered the beautiful channel on the eve of Saint Barbara’s Feast (this was way before her authenticity was questioned and removed from the Great Roman Calendar - a saint scandal!). In 1782, the Presidio and Mission was founded, and Santa Barbara named after the folkloric woman trapped in a tower by her pagan patriarch.  

Since its explorers and founders were from Mexico when it was ruled by Spain, it should be no surprise that Spanish architecture flourished on these stunning landscapes. The history and evolution of how that influence came to dominate Santa Barbara is pretty fun, so we want to share these fast facts with you today!

• Downtown’s Streets are named after

When Nook Sales Experts match a buyer with their dream home, the only thing as important as architectural style is the neighborhood. That’s why we’re bringing you the #NookNeighborhoods series, where every Wednesday you’ll find cool history and culture so you don’t overlook an area that could have the best nook for you.

We are very fortunate to have excellent Orange County Experts on our Nook team, who all belief in the beauty and unique qualities of their favorite areas. One fun and often misunderstood neighborhood is Downtown Santa Ana. You may know about the many community events  -- whether family friendly, dog-friendly, or a cultural night out -- and you may be aware of the historical significance of housing California’s oldest courthouse. But do

Here at Nook, we have a passion for people, places and properties. There is a reason that we say people first, for what makes a neighborhood special if not the people who live there? Welcome to #TastemakerTuesday, where we’ll feature the visionaries in our favorite nooks who are dedicated to building a better community through their talents.

Today we take the word “Tastemaker” quite literally. In honor of California Winery Month -- and thank you to the California Wine Institute and Visit California for creating this month -- so we’ll highlight some key tastes coming out of California grapes. The San Diego County Vintners Association says that San Diego is “where wine began,” so why not start there?

I admit that I clicked on The Accidental Wine

Here at Nook, we have a passion for people, places and properties. There is a reason that we say people first, for what makes a neighborhood special if not the people who live there? Welcome to #TastemakerTuesday, where we’ll feature the visionaries in our favorite nooks who are dedicated to building a better community through their talents.

Sofia Joelsson grew up in a small town in Sweden, working as an actress, model and winning the title of Miss Sweden before relocating to Miami to pursue her love of design. Joelsson’s international experience and eye for the perfect materials propelled her design firm to the heights of sophistication; they often serve clients in not only her new hometown of Miami, but also Monte Carlo, Manhattan, Dallas, New York

We already sang the praises of the very unique Mill Valley, California. In that Nook Neighborhood piece, we barely scratched the surface of the cool arts and culture scene that still exists today. Besides live music and visual arts, Mill Valley is home to one of the West Coast pioneers of new plays: The Marin Theatre Company.

In 1966, the Mayor of Mill Valley formed its first Arts Commission with Sali Lieberman as its leader. Two years later, they incorporated the Mill Valley Center for the Performing Arts (MVCPA), an all arts-inclusive producing company, before focusing on live theatre in 1977 and officially changing its name to Marin Theatre Company in 1984.

Here are some fun facts about the theater community that has brought so many local artists

When Nook Sales Experts match a buyer with their dream home, the only thing as important as architectural style is the neighborhood. That’s why we’re bringing you the #NookNeighborhoods series, where every Wednesday you’ll find cool history and culture to make sure you don’t overlook an area that could have the best nook for you.

When you’re running late in Los Angeles, you usually say that you’re “twenty minutes away.” A seasoned Angeleno understands that they shouldn’t wait for you, but will see you at some point. If you live in Sherman Oaks, however, you actually could be just twenty minutes away from almost anywhere (depending on the traffic gods, of course).

Sherman Oaks sits right where the 101 and the 405 intersect, close to all those

Here at Nook, we have a passion for people, places and properties. There is a reason that we say people first, for what makes a neighborhood special if not the people who live there? Welcome to #TastemakerTuesday, where we’ll feature the visionaries in our favorite nooks who are dedicated to building a better community through their talents.

I’d walked by Heartbeat House for years before venturing inside the welcoming lobby hall to my first yoga class. Kumbi Butler was handing off her then-small baby to a friend to watch while she taught a beginner yoga class. We’d met perhaps once before that day, and Kumbi remembered me and my reservations with the yoga scene. As a very infrequent yoga practitioner, I just had to be sure that any teacher I had would