Njoy Games and Comics started behind Liane Singh’s mother-in-law’s store in 2000, located in the same complex as Chuck E. Cheese on Reseda. Fast forward to 2013 and the comic bookstore finds a home on Reseda Blvd and Rayen Ave in Northridge and is a neighborhood staple for all comic books and tabletop gaming fans. Her daughter, Jasmine, helps with
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What started as a hobby in April 2019 grew into one of the biggest social media accounts in the San Fernando Valley. Meet 818 local Ralph Nicandro, creator of San Fernando Valley Eats, the number one source for food and drinks in the San Fernando Valley. A foodie at heart, he is no stranger to marketing and promoting, having run
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Community historian Joe Bernardo is valley born and raised. His parents immigrated from the Philippines in 1970s, setting up roots in Northridge. At that time, they were the first people of color in the neighborhood. They moved to Calabsas in the early 90s where he attended Calabasas High School. The family eventually found their way back to Northridge. Joe comments
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818 local Alyssa Necesito grew up on Filipino food. In high school, she started branching out and trying different cuisines. “I grew up in Canoga Park and my Filipino got to spot was at Nipa Hut. I literally lived just around the corner there…I just had to go to the church, walk and I was right there,” she shares. She
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For over a decade, Christina Villegas had a stable career as a reality television producer, working on docu-reality series for various networks. She was a co-executive producer when a tragic incident changed her life and impacted the trajectory of her life. This led her to establishing Flying Curves Dance Studio, empowering women through the art of pole dancing and burlesque.
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Robert Shindo started his culinary journey when he was 16. He was worked in a variety of restaurants, filling any and all restaurant jobs you can think of. He is currently the General Manager of two restaurants while owning his own business, Chiisai Cakes. Family is–and has always been—at the heart of his culinary interest. “Growing up always seeing my Grandparents and
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Duy Nguyen, owner and baker of Baking for Twelve, is a valley boy, born and raised. It’s not surprising that 818 is his luckiest number. By day, he’s a space system’s engineer, working on exploring the final frontier but when the moon rises, he transitions all that “nerd energy (his phrase)” into baking–a passion of his since Food Network captured
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When the CDC restrictions allowed for outdoor gatherings again, business owners Christina Bernal (owner of 1984 Vintage), Joeleen Medina (co-owner of Truman House), and Board President of the San Fernando City Chamber of Commerce, Adriana Gomez planned and organized a monthly outdoor market in historic downtown San Fernando, featuring local vendor in the San Fernando Valley. Their goal was to
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Marie Urquidi, the author of DLI Parent books, a series of Dual Language Immersion books teaching both children and parents Tagalog (Filipino). Starting this series during the pandemic, her goal was to introduce Tagalog to her children while keeping the cost of learning affordable and the time committed to learning flexible. She shares a bit about her story with us
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Born and raised in Sepulveda (now known as North Hills), local boy Dimitru Ioakim was a fan of Rosie’s BBQ Grillery at an early age. Going out on family dinners was always a treat, with choices being El Torito (his mom’s favorite) or Rosie’s BBQ and Grillery (his dad’s). Little did he know that the 40 year old BBQ establishment,
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818 local, mother of three and Licensed Vocational Nurse, Khristine Talactac is a woman of many talents. Not only is she a LVN, she’s also a licensed Cosmetologist, licensed Body Art Practitioner, Blood Borne Pathogen Certified, Multi-Certified Lash Extension Specialist, Licensed Permanent Make-up Artist and Hyaluron Pen Certified Technician. Whew! That’s a long list of licenses and certifications. It only
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In today’s Meet the (818) Interview, Andy Zaldivar, best known as Double A, the creator and host of Profile Pod TV, shares the beginnings and the evolution of his podcast. We chat about shinning a spotlight on people making waves and impacting their communities in a positive way. He talks about the successes and the growth he’s experienced both personally
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