Where the Mountains Meet the Sea: A Life in the Pacific Palisades
In 1970, my father began working at Earl’s Bay Music on Swarthmore Avenue in the Pacific Palisades. Just three years later, in 1973, Earl sold the business to my dad. He moved it to Antioch Avenue, inside the Water and Power building, and gave it a new name: The Music Bag.
The 1970s were a golden era for the Palisades. It felt like a small, sun-drenched village by the sea—alive with community, charm, and character. Local landmarks like the Bay Theatre, The Hot Dog Show, Mort’s Deli, Art Pools Diner, Hacienda Galvan, House of Lee, and the Palisades Hobby Shop created a vibrant network of family-run businesses. It was a haven for kids growing up back then.
We filled our days with skateboarding, surfing, riding BMX bikes, playing tennis and baseball, and joining team sports. We explored our town with the kind of freedom that’s rare today. Celebrities like Mel Blanc, Walter Matthau, Peter Fonda, Captain and Tennille, and musicians like Robby Krieger and John Densmore from The Doors were just part of the neighborhood. They were friendly faces who’d stop to chat or discuss the news of the day. Fame didn’t create distance in the Palisades.
We even had our own local weatherman named Jimmy. He went from shop to shop, delivering the daily forecast by hand. This was long before computers, the internet, or cell phones. Everything was real, personal, and human. Jimmy was just one of many colorful characters who gave our town its unique small-town feeling—a place where everyone knew each other, and life moved at a gentler pace.
I attended both Palisades Elementary and Baldwin Hills Elementary through the school busing program in the 1970s. That experience connected me deeply to two very different parts of Los Angeles. From there, I went on to Paul Revere Middle School, then Palisades High School, and later Santa Monica College. During those years, my path toward becoming a professional musician began to take shape.
In 1980, my father renamed the business Amazing Music Store and moved it to a small building behind what was then the Hobby Shop. While our store continued to grow, the Palisades began to change. During the 1980s and 1990s, many of the family-run businesses we loved shut down as lease prices soared. Chain stores began replacing the originals. Still, Amazing Music Store remained, one of the last of its kind.
Eventually, another major shift arrived. The name “Palisades Village” was used for a new upscale development created by Rick Caruso, located across from the original village and the Village Green. Where modest charm and local flavor once stood, high-end storefronts and a more polished aesthetic took over. Much of the town’s character began to fade.
But even then, we kept going. We made it through the global pandemic, which reduced our business to a third of what it had been. Yet Amazing Music Store kept rebuilding, slowly regaining its loyal customers and working back toward the success it once knew.
Then came January 7, 2025. The fire.
It tore through our town and changed everything. Most of the original village, including Amazing Music Store, was lost to the flames. The Caruso development was spared, reportedly thanks to a private fire crew. Of the older businesses, only the Palisades Garden Café survived. Our store, like so many others, was reduced to rubble. All that remains is a brick wall by the Swarthmore entrance where our sign once hung. It stands now as a quiet reminder of nearly five decades of music, community, and history.
From 1980 to 2025, forty-five years of love and service lived through the doors of Amazing Music Store. My father taught thousands of students, sharing his passion for music five days a week. He rarely took vacations. His devotion helped shape generations of Palisadians.
I grew up in that shop—a skateboarding, guitar-obsessed kid with a front-row seat to the soundtrack of the town. I played in countless local Palisades bands throughout my childhood and teen years. In 1990, I began teaching music at the store myself. Then, in 1993, my band El Magnifico signed a record deal. We toured the country, lived the dream for a time, and learned the hard way what “recoup” really means. Eventually, the band parted ways.
In 1998, I returned home—to teach, to live, and to reconnect with what I loved most about the Palisades. This was the place where I had my first kiss, landed my first skateboard curb jump, caught my first waves, and experienced my first love. Every formative event, every early adventure, happened here.
It didn’t just feel like home—it was home.
After 9 p.m., when the town quieted down, cool coastal breezes and the soft sounds of nature would lull me to sleep. Unlike the constant buzz of most of Los Angeles, the Palisades was a peaceful corner of the city where you could still hear yourself think.
This place—where the mountains meet the sea—is one of the most beautiful landscapes Los Angeles has to offer. I’ve lived all over the city: Santa Monica, Venice, Westchester, Mar Vista, Culver City, West LA, Palms, and Hollywood. But no matter where life took me, I always found my way back to the Palisades. It’s where I spent my youth and most of the past few decades.
Now, so much of it is gone.
The fire didn’t just destroy buildings. It took with it decades of memories, stories, and a sense of home. I still find myself holding back tears when I pass through the ruins. The familiar skyline of homes along the bluffs and coastline is now only a memory. Yet my love for this town remains unshaken.
There are too many stories, too many moments, too many lives woven into the fabric of the Palisades for them to simply disappear.
This was, and still is, one of the most unique and wonderful places to live in the United States. And even as the ashes settle, the spirit of what we built here—the music, the community, the history—lives on in those of us who remember.
Let’s Share Your Story
Tell us a little about yourself. Where did your story begin, and what led you to the Palisades?
Where the Mountains Meet the Sea: A Life in the Pacific Palisades
In 1970, my father began working at Earl’s Bay Music on Swarthmore Avenue in the Pacific Palisades. Just three years later, in 1973, Earl sold the business to my dad. He moved it to Antioch Avenue, inside the Water and Power building, and gave it a new name: The Music Bag.
The 1970s were a golden era for the Palisades. It felt like a small, sun-drenched village by the sea—alive with community, charm, and character. Local landmarks like the Bay Theatre, The Hot Dog Show, Mort’s Deli, Art Pools Diner, Hacienda Galvan, House of Lee, and the Palisades Hobby Shop created a vibrant network of family-run businesses. It was a haven for kids growing up back then.
We filled our days with skateboarding, surfing, riding BMX bikes, playing tennis and baseball, and joining team sports. We explored our town with the kind of freedom that’s rare today. Celebrities like Mel Blanc, Walter Matthau, Peter Fonda, Captain and Tennille, and musicians like Robby Krieger and John Densmore from The Doors were just part of the neighborhood. They were friendly faces who’d stop to chat or discuss the news of the day. Fame didn’t create distance in the Palisades.
We even had our own local weatherman named Jimmy. He went from shop to shop, delivering the daily forecast by hand. This was long before computers, the internet, or cell phones. Everything was real, personal, and human. Jimmy was just one of many colorful characters who gave our town its unique small-town feeling—a place where everyone knew each other, and life moved at a gentler pace.
I attended both Palisades Elementary and Baldwin Hills Elementary through the school busing program in the 1970s. That experience connected me deeply to two very different parts of Los Angeles. From there, I went on to Paul Revere Middle School, then Palisades High School, and later Santa Monica College. During those years, my path toward becoming a professional musician began to take shape.
In 1980, my father renamed the business Amazing Music Store and moved it to a small building behind what was then the Hobby Shop. While our store continued to grow, the Palisades began to change. During the 1980s and 1990s, many of the family-run businesses we loved shut down as lease prices soared. Chain stores began replacing the originals. Still, Amazing Music Store remained, one of the last of its kind.
Eventually, another major shift arrived. The name “Palisades Village” was used for a new upscale development created by Rick Caruso, located across from the original village and the Village Green. Where modest charm and local flavor once stood, high-end storefronts and a more polished aesthetic took over. Much of the town’s character began to fade.
But even then, we kept going. We made it through the global pandemic, which reduced our business to a third of what it had been. Yet Amazing Music Store kept rebuilding, slowly regaining its loyal customers and working back toward the success it once knew.
Then came January 7, 2025. The fire.
It tore through our town and changed everything. Most of the original village, including Amazing Music Store, was lost to the flames. The Caruso development was spared, reportedly thanks to a private fire crew. Of the older businesses, only the Palisades Garden Café survived. Our store, like so many others, was reduced to rubble. All that remains is a brick wall by the Swarthmore entrance where our sign once hung. It stands now as a quiet reminder of nearly five decades of music, community, and history.
From 1980 to 2025, forty-five years of love and service lived through the doors of Amazing Music Store. My father taught thousands of students, sharing his passion for music five days a week. He rarely took vacations. His devotion helped shape generations of Palisadians.
I grew up in that shop—a skateboarding, guitar-obsessed kid with a front-row seat to the soundtrack of the town. I played in countless local Palisades bands throughout my childhood and teen years. In 1990, I began teaching music at the store myself. Then, in 1993, my band El Magnifico signed a record deal. We toured the country, lived the dream for a time, and learned the hard way what “recoup” really means. Eventually, the band parted ways.
In 1998, I returned home—to teach, to live, and to reconnect with what I loved most about the Palisades. This was the place where I had my first kiss, landed my first skateboard curb jump, caught my first waves, and experienced my first love. Every formative event, every early adventure, happened here.
It didn’t just feel like home—it was home.
After 9 p.m., when the town quieted down, cool coastal breezes and the soft sounds of nature would lull me to sleep. Unlike the constant buzz of most of Los Angeles, the Palisades was a peaceful corner of the city where you could still hear yourself think.
This place—where the mountains meet the sea—is one of the most beautiful landscapes Los Angeles has to offer. I’ve lived all over the city: Santa Monica, Venice, Westchester, Mar Vista, Culver City, West LA, Palms, and Hollywood. But no matter where life took me, I always found my way back to the Palisades. It’s where I spent my youth and most of the past few decades.
Now, so much of it is gone.
The fire didn’t just destroy buildings. It took with it decades of memories, stories, and a sense of home. I still find myself holding back tears when I pass through the ruins. The familiar skyline of homes along the bluffs and coastline is now only a memory. Yet my love for this town remains unshaken.
There are too many stories, too many moments, too many lives woven into the fabric of the Palisades for them to simply disappear.
This was, and still is, one of the most unique and wonderful places to live in the United States. And even as the ashes settle, the spirit of what we built here—the music, the community, the history—lives on in those of us who remember.
How long have you lived or worked here — and what do you love most about it?
53 years out of my 57. See above story
Tell us about your work or your passion — past, present, or future. What lights you up?
The story above again answered much of this question however, I recently found a renewed love for two wheel therapy on my electric dirt bike. This took me anywhere and everywhere in the hills and town that also sparked a new found love for the whole Malibu, Palisades, Topanga and Santa Monica area and its history.
Tell us a little about your family, community or what “home” means to you.
Again I believe I shared that in my story above.
What’s something unique or special about the Palisades that you’ve experienced firsthand?
Of all the experiences I had growing up in the Palisades, one that has always stuck with me happened when I was about five or six years old. Mel Blanc—the Mel Blanc—was chatting with my father at the store. At some point, he turned to me and started doing voices: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and a few others. He also explained these were all inspired by the people he served with during WW2. I was completely starstruck. In that moment, I felt like I had just met a superstar. And honestly, I believe I did.
Community Favorites
Is/Was there a local business that makes you feel nostalgic or rooted here?
Morts Deli was where we would hang out before and after school druing the 80s. So many memories there. So many other spots mentioned above as well.
Who’s the most interesting or inspiring person you’ve met here in the Palisades?
There are too many unforgettable moments to name just one—but one that truly stands out is a long conversation I had with Peter Fonda. We talked about the ’60s, the Grateful Dead, and the counterculture of that era. It was a mind-blowing exchange. He spoke openly and vividly, sharing personal stories about Laurel Canyon, the music scene, and the spirit of the time. It’s hard to even put into words all that we discussed—but for a music lover like me, it was like getting a firsthand history lesson from someone who lived right in the heart of it all.
Fire Reflection
What stands out most from your experience?
That day, I found myself riding through the smoke on my motorcycle, checking on friends and neighbors—some I knew well, others I didn’t know at all. I gave people rides to retrieve their pets, helped the elderly, and did whatever I could to get people out of danger. With no rescue or fire crews in most of the affected areas, it was just us—neighbors helping neighbors. If I had to I would do it all again.
Was there someone — a neighbor, local hero, or group — that really made a difference for you during or after the fires?
My friend Marc Samama who is a retired station 69 firefighter. I leaned on him hard after to help retrieve our sign, the only thing left. He helped me process “losing everything” And I did loose everything. Only had the clothes on my body and contents left in car and one motorcycle I stashed in the bank parking lot that survived.
What did the experience teach you about the Palisades or about yourself?
I can’t articulate this question at the moment.
A Few Fun Ones
What advice would you give to others — in life, work, or being a good neighbor?
Know your neighbors, you may need them or they may need you when it counts most.
What’s something about you that would surprise most people?
Well those who know me already know I am an open book to a fault. lol.
Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
It’s almost too much to even think about—especially in this day and age, with everything moving so fast. Technology is advancing in leaps and bounds every few weeks, the political climate and state of affairs etc. I just take it one day at a time and focus on survival, connection, and community.
Business Link
https://www.amazingmusicstore.com
Business Link 2
https://www.surronbythesea.com
