Thirdcloud Publications Surf City Strand Mag January 2016 | Page 16

W

Bella Terra

ITH
 ONLY
 two
 shopping
 Sunday’s
 remaining
 before
 Christmas
 and

still
 needing
 to
 capture
 a
 little
 holiday
 spirit,
 we
 decided
 to
 hang
 out

at
 the
 Bella
 Terra
 amphitheater.

 Our
 thinking
 was
 simply,
 let’s
 have

a
 cookie
 and
 see
 if
 that
 bearded
 fellow—Santa
 Claus—might
 be
 roaming
 the

pedestrian-­‐friendly
 confines
 of
 what
 is
 now
 a
 town-­‐center
 type
 destination.

It’s
 no
 surprise
 that
 there
 have
 been
 a
 lot
 of
 changes
 since
 The
 Broadway
 was

the
 main
 the
 anchor
 tenant
 at
 Huntington
 Center—now
 Bella
 Terra.

 Although

Barnes
 and
 Noble
 has
 been
 an
 occasional
 destination,
 we
 really
 haven’t
 explored

the
 center
 since
 Mervyn’s
 and
 Circuit
 City
 closed
 their
 doors.

We
 don’t
 mind
 telling
 you,
 once
 you
 walk
 in
 from
 parking
 your
 car
 the
 atmosphere
 is
 really
 a

nice
 blend
 of
 eateries
 and
 little
 shops—like
 a
 little
 village.

 We
 found
 families
 posing
 in
 front
 of

the
 big
 tree
 at
 the
 amphitheater,
 kids
 dressed
 ready
 for
 a
 Christmas
 performance
 and
 roaming

carolers
 setting
 the
 mood,
 making
 spirits
 bright.