LA HABRA AT EUCLID : You Pay a Little, Then Play a Lot in Few Short Blocks
La Habra is a sleepy suburb where nothing much ever seems to happen. But if you find yourself near the corner of Euclid Street and La Habra Boulevard, you’ll discover there is quite a bit more than first meets the eye.
11:30 a.m. to noon: Best for Less is a real eye-opener, a fashion store with glitzy shoes, umbrellas, handbags and leather wear piled almost to the ceiling. The store specializes in close-out merchandise from major department stores--everything from men’s sport coats to designer evening wear for women--but at bargain-basement prices that almost come as a shock.
It’s not surprising that proprietor Joseph Rajczi has built up a fiercely loyal following or that the store is often crowded with bargain-hunters. George Brown comes regularly from far off Lake Elsinore. San Carlos Martinez comes all the way from Corona. “I work across the street from South Coast Plaza,” Martinez says. “I go there, look at the prices and puke.”
Noon to 12:45: Eat a big lunch at a place such as El Leoncito, in the same strip mall as the clothing store, and you may find that a minor adjustment is necessary in that new belt. The restaurant is dark and intimate, pure south-of-the-border nostalgia, white stucco walls, hanging plants, Tiffany lamps, wrought-iron chairs, cornball poster art. But the food is surprisingly well prepared . . . and stupefyingly rich.
If you want to go all out, order the crab enchiladas--thick pancakes filled with lump crab meat and topped with melted cheese and smothered with sour cream. There are terrific carnitas--wonderful chunked pork baked in the oven with spices--and great, gooey chiles rellenos that ooze white cheese, plus the usual assortment of sloppy burritos and tacos. Practically everything comes with fragrant, fluffy Mexican-style rice and lardy refritos (refried beans). Great Saturday breakfasts, too, starring killer pancakes.
12:45 to 1:30: You don’t have to be a child, or even a parent, to enjoy the Children’s Museum at La Habra, a hands-on discovery museum where scores of delighted youngsters can be seen poking their noses into such exhibits as the “Duck Under Kaleidoscope,” the “Bernoulli Blower” and “Lego City.”
Adults are bound to enjoy such permanent exhibits as “Model Train Village” and “Nature Walk”--which features more than 50 taxidermic animals and a full-blown bee observatory. Even the most curmudgeonly are apt to smile just watching the kids cavort on the museum’s indoor carousel.
The museum has been brightened up of late, and there is also a series of changing exhibits. “Puzzle of Places,” which runs until Jan. 23, is an interesting geography showpiece highlighted by several giant floor puzzles. Bet you don’t know where Lake County is. My 5-year-old niece does, now.
1:30 to 2:30: Meanwhile, adults get to play seriously just a few feet down from the museum at La Habra Tennis Center, one of Orange County’s largest and best-equipped places to play tennis. This outdoor tennis club is open to the public and features 12 courts (lighted, should you choose to play in the evening), numerous ball machines, private lessons from five in-house teaching pros and various open tournaments, including a round-robin tournament every Wednesday.
At the attached pro shop, head pro Bill Carpenter will see to it that your racket is strung to maximum tension, that you outfit yourself with Shockbuster wrist grips, graphite rackets and the latest hot fashions, and that all your tennis needs are met. The rest is, of course, up to you. Now, hit the showers. You’ve earned it.
* 1. Best for Less, 140 W. La Habra Blvd., La Habra. (310) 694-3006. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
2. El Leoncito, 100 W. La Habra Blvd., La Habra. (310) 690-3685. Open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. All major credit cards accepted.
3. Children’s Museum at La Habra, 301 S. Euclid St., La Habra. (310) 905-9793. Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission: Children (2 to 16) and seniors, $2.50; adults, $3.
4. La Habra Tennis Center and Pro Shop, 351 S. Euclid St., La Habra. (310) 690-5040. Open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rates vary.
PARKING
There is free, unlimited parking along Euclid Street and on adjacent 2nd Avenue.
