San Diego sf stalwart Mysterious Galaxy just opened its second location, in Redondo Beach (Los Angeles). The original store, at 7051 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, opened in 1993. The new location (110 miles north) is at 2810 Artesia Boulevard, Redondo Beach, California 90278 (310-542-6000). The new store occupies about 4,000 square feet, and will soon include a cafe.
The store had a “soft opening” on Tuesday, but they promise a month-long grand opening of special events starting 9 October. Already scheduled events will feature Jeanne Stein, Larry Niven, Brent Weeks, Alma Katsu, R.A. Salvatore, Theresa Weir, Vernor Vinge, and more.
According to The Los Angeles Times, owner Terry Louchheim Gilman said “We gutted a building and completely 100% renovated it.” On the store’s blog, Gilman wrote about the current economic outlook for bookstores: “Almost every day people ask us how we can possibly open a bookstore in the current climate, with bookstores closing and eBooks catching on in such a big way. Our answer is that we think this is exactly the right time to open an independent bookstore. We think that people treasure their communities and especially bookstores, because they bring them together and introduce them to new reading experiences and the authors that write the books that they love.”
The new store shares its open hours with the original: 10AM-7PM Monday-Thursday, 10AM-8PM Friday, and 10AM-5PM Saturday and Sunday. But the owners are willing to change the hours at the new location if locals ask.