South of Sunnyside

Kim and I headed downtown yesterday to check out the Billion Dollar Tour. We made it through about 1/3 of the tour before deciding to get off at one of the stops; Kim wanted to walk through the Caglia auction at Warnor’s Theater, and we weren’t very impressed with our tour guide.

After the auction we grabbed coffee and a cinnamon roll from Cafe Corazon, and on our way to the grand opening of the fire museum, Kim noticed the that the doors to Pacific Towers were open, so we walked inside. It just so happened they were giving tours, so we were escorted to the 10th floor, and then guided through the four lofts there.

Kim has wanted to see these spaces for months, and we’re glad we did, but we were a bit under whelmed. There are great design features, and each loft is unique, but overall the spaces suffer from inattention to detail. Anyway, more on the lofts in another post.

As we headed to the elevator, we were encouraged to check out the gym, deli and salon on the 2nd floor, just above the Banker’s Ballroom. Well, the deli is non-existent and the gym leaves something to be desired (like a gym), but the salon is owned by George Garcia, a Redken-certified color artist (his wife mentioned a more formal title, but it escapes me). From the salon’s website:

One of Redken’s most sought after artists, George’s work can be seen in national and international publications such as:  Passion, Modern Salon and American Salon.  In 2001, he was voted one of the top 10 colorist in the U.S.by celebrity Style 101 magazine.  George just recently played a key role as a contributing artist in the development of the first edition “Redken Creates”, a collection of inspirational cut and color techniques for Redken’s amazing color dvd.  George created “Camo & Spice Block”, two techniques that show his eye for choosing the right color for any client.

Honestly, I don’t know what any of that means, but I know that we were blown away by the design of the space. George and his wife Monique have created a beautiful, relaxing environment, complete with six-foot, standing mirrors and metal sculptures from a local artist.

Evidently, Garcia spends half of his time in New York, so he doesn’t advertise in Fresno. But maybe he and Monique will open the The Loft up for ArtHop or another event—it’s a great example a transformed space.

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