Cheri Nails

This is place, like several salons on the block, is very cheap. You can get a manicure for $10-$15. It can get pretty busy, especially on the weekends.

It's not a luxury joint. You go here for a cheap, utilitarian deal, not for a pretty-party with your bridesmaids. But hey, the price is right.

Yang Calvin Md

Calvin Yang has gone big time. This is a whole office doing radiology - specialty x-rays. Most of the doctors in small clinics in the area refer their clients to this branch.

It is a very slick office. Everything is new and pristine. You wait downstairs and then go up to rooms for the actual x-rays.

They get a lot of volume at this clinic. So the wait times can be a little long some times. Try to schedule early or late.

Rose & Ivy Floral Design

Rose & Ivy is the ideal event florist. We used them for our wedding and it turned out absolutely perfect. Christine went over concepts and colors ahead of time with us, discussing options, ideas, and costs. She had wonderfully creative ideas, but took great care to incorporate our preferences.

We were very happy about how things turned out on the big day. They were there on time and prepared. They worked hard and fast and got everything in place exactly when they said they would. It made us not have to worry about flowers at all during our wedding day.

May Hoa Beauty Salon

I think I got a haircut here for $5. That's cheap.

I had a hard time communicating, since I don't speak Chinese. I managed to get them to understand (sort of) what I wanted and they did an OK job. Definitely not my worst haircut.

There are 3 salons in this same mini-mall. It's a little confusing as to which one is which.

Don't come on the weekends. It's a zoo to find parking because of the restaurants in the area.

Perfectly Sweet

Perfectly Sweet has one of the most delicious chocolate cakes I have ever tasted. They do everything good here, but this may take the cake. It's rich and velvety, with a touch of raspberry.

Coming here to eat is probably for the tea and biscuits set - it's decorated in a French/English country manner. But they do serve coffee if you do want to sit.

And they make some fun UCLA bear and USC Traveler cookies.

Kelley's Bakery

Kelley's does some of the best cakes around. They are quintessential Asian cakes - filled with fresh fruit and not too sweet. The only problem is wanting to eat the whole cake.

They are not particularly cheap. I think a small round cake will run about $25 or so. But they are definitely worth it. Go ahead and be the hit of your party - buy a cake here.

Diamond Bakery

Pretty good here. A lot of the old stand-bys. They also do a lot of American baked goods - napoleons, fruit tarts, tiramisu. And they are well-known for their cakes.

I'm a pretty simple guy - I just look for a curry bun and I'm happy. The nice thing, unlike other Chinese bakeries, is that during the summer they also make boba milk teas. Not anything to write home about, but it's nice to not have to make an extra stop.

Red Ribbon Bakeshop Inc

Not a bad Chinese bakery. They've got all the old staples: curry buns, BBQ pork filled buns, egg tarts. They also make cakes, although it's best to order ahead. You get a lot of people in the area in this place.

I definitely wouldn't say this is the best bakery ever. But it's good enough and in a location where there aren't any other Chinese bakeries.

A-1 Floor Covering Co

A-1 did a pretty good job installing my carpet and kitchen floor. They came out with samples and showed us what they'd need to do, scheduled it, and did it. Thankfully, they were on-time.

Their pricing was OK. I think we spent too much, but that's more due to my failure to negotiate. You should expect to haggle a little bit and call around for comparable prices.

That said, it's 5 years later and the flooring still looks good. It's held up well.

A 1 Apache Plumbing

I hope I'm reviewing the right plumber. When I used him, A-1 Apache was located in Montebello. Ask for Lenny.

Lenny does a great job with any job - from as small as installing a toilet to repiping a whole house. He even does commercial jobs - like schools and businesses.

What I really appreciated about him was that he was always on-time and did what he said he would. I can't tell you how refreshing that is when dealing with contractors.