My Neighborhood: Beverly Hills

Wellness expert Anna Stavaridis, owner of Meraki Fitness LLC , brings corporate wellness solutions to clients by way of physical, mental, and financial workshops. Her work is often done online these days, but the Beverly Hills resident finds lots to do in the real world that gives her a sense of joy and expansiveness. “I live here, I work here, I play here,” Stavaridis says of her beloved town. “You run into your neighbors and friends everywhere you go. In a big city, that’s as arms-length as LA can be. You feel like you’re in a community here in Beverly Hills.” —by Lisa Rosen A FAST START If she has a free morning, Stavaridis is off and running. “I really enjoy going up and down the Beverly Gardens Park (9439 Santa Monica Blvd., 310.288.2220). It’s a clean, beautiful path almost two miles long. You can use some of the benches to extend your workout by doing pushups and tricep dips.” It’s also a sweet spot for walking with family or friends. “With all of the art along there, the lily ponds, and trees for kids to climb, you can spend a couple of hours up there.” On Sundays, her go-to spot is the open-air Beverly Hills Farmers Market (9300 Civic Center Dr., 310.285.6830) near City Hall. “It’s lovely, supporting our local, sustainable, organic vendors. It’s a go-to spot to see everybody.” FINE ART, FINE DINING For lunch, Stavaridis loves to head over to Cantina Frida . (252 N. Beverly Dr., 310.285.6666) “People you know walk by. They stop and talk. It’s a social outing while you’re having lunch,” she says. “I’ll order the enchilada con salsa verde, and the guacamole is awesome. They make it tableside for you. They have delicious aguas frescas too—drinks with different juices in them.” Then window-shopping is in order. “It’s a little touristy, but every once in a while it’s nice to shoot up and down Camden or Rodeo to see what’s new.” That includes a stroll up the cobblestones at the plaza Two Rodeo, “to see what new pop-ups are there.” (Parking at 9480 Dayton Way, 310.247.7040) Visiting Mouche Gallery (340 N. Beverly Dr., 310.858.8114) is always entertaining, she says. “It’s really fun and fresh, because it has a lot of art about celebrity and entertainment.” The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts ENCHANTED EVENINGS When night falls, nothing beats Mastro’s Steakhouse (246 N. Canon Dr., 310.888.8782) for a meal with musical accompaniment. “They have dining on the rooftop, and it becomes a club afterward. Well, club is pushing it,” she notes, laughing. “It’s a nightspot with music.” The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., 310.246.3800) in the renovated historic Beverly Hills Post Office is adorned with stunning WPA-era murals. “They bring in performing artists from different places, but they support local artists to create and showcase there as well,” says Stavaridis. “They bring so much culture into Beverly Hills. They live and breathe it there. Beverly Gardens Park Find your next home in California today.