Together with BLVD Burger

Together with BLVD Burger

“Your body is not a temple, it is an amusement park. Enjoy the ride” – Anthony Bourdain

Ventura County, we hope you had a safe and joyful holiday weekend. Thank you for joining us this week. Summer is in full swing in Ventura County. The sun is out, the days are long, the beaches are packed, and events are happening all over the county, so pack up your bags, pack up the kids, and don’t leave anyone behind. With that being said, we have a lot to cover. Let’s catch this week’s wave! 🌊 

Neighbors, this week’s edition of the wave will highlight:

• Yatish Brar, owner of BLVD Burger in Camarillo 🍔

• Real estate snapshot brought to you by V is for Ventura 🏡

• Local Events 🎡

• Ventura County Fair Concert Schedule

• Local Sports News

• Local news

• Weather

This week's feature interview is with Yatish Brar, the owner of BLVD Burger in Old Town Camarillo. I wish every interview could take place this way—with a burger and a beer 🍺. A BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger to be specific 🤤. After indulging in my burger, side salad and beer. We talked about living on the East Coast, die-hard Philly fans, coaching youth baseball, and managing restaurants. To clarify a couple of things, Yatish is the Philly fan (Go Dodgers!) and the only one of us who has coached youth baseball, however his coaching stories were relatable and reminiscent of my childhood. Shout out to all of the parents who dedicate their spare time to coaching youth sports. You are true community hero’s.

Yatish is an alumnus of Penn State University, where he studied Finance & Accounting. His post-graduation story is similar to that of many college graduates I know, in that he has never worked in his field of education. He has exclusively worked in risk management consulting, but always had aspirations of owning a restaurant/bar. He thought the restaurant would be in the DC area, not in Ventura County, but life had different plans for him. He is only in his sixth month of operation, but the excitement in his voice, as he talks about the restaurant and his future plans, is palpable. It’s truly a breath of fresh air when you speak to someone who is passionate about their career. Yatish was excited to share his future expansion plans with me, which include a ghost kitchen and a full liquor license at his Camarillo location. 🍸

BLVD Burger has 22 beer taps that get rotated regularly. I was on my best behavior and only tried one of the 22 today, a “Happy Days” Blonde Ale from Malibu Brewing Company. It’s the perfect summer beer; light but flavorful. It’s the type of beer that prefers to be enjoyed outside, shirtless, with your feet up on a table, an urge I had to resist to maintain some professionalism during our conversation. Yatish is hands-on in selecting the beers at BLVD Burger. His goal is to bring in the best beers from the best local breweries while providing enough variety for even the most discerning palettes. During my visit, they had taps from Colima, Tarantula Hill, Naughty Pine, Enegren, Ventura County Coast, & 14 Cannons, to name a few.

I asked Yatish how he enjoyed being a restaurant owner, and he replied, “I wouldn’t say it's easy because I spend a lot of time here, but I do enjoy it. I like working out of here. I enjoy speaking with the customers, creating promotional ideas, and curating the beer list. I also enjoy being a small business owner. This is my first business; I feel very connected to the community. I love seeing young families in here. It’s cool seeing parents and children in here who are around the same age as my family. We did our best to make it a fun place for families to gather to eat.” Having formerly been in the restaurant industry myself, I understand that feeling of accomplishment.

BLVD Burger’s dining offerings are as plentiful as its beer list. Menu options include specialty burgers, chicken and vegetarian sandwiches & appetizers, salads, chicken wings, and hand-made milkshakes. If you are a fan of fresh food, friendly faces, and community building, please stop in and give them a try. If Yatish isn’t there, he’s probably on the baseball field signaling his players to steal 3rd.

If you have children in youth sports leagues and are interested in fundraising opportunities or sponsorships, please email [email protected]

BLVD Burger is located at:

2145 Ventura Blvd. Camarillo CA 93010. (805) 389-9200

Hours of Operation

Sunday - Thursday 11am-8pm. Friday - Saturday 11am - 9pm.

Your local real estate report is brought to you by
V is for Ventura 

You’ve likely heard by now that the Real Estate industry is facing a major shake up in how it’s going to operate in the near future, thanks to the recent settlement between the National Association of Realtors and the Department of Justice. You know when the DOJ gets involved, a whole lot of people are shaking in their boots. So what’s the TL;DR? How does it affect YOU?

Well if you’re a seller, the truth is not much is changing... In California, anyway. Realtor’s commissions have always been negotiable. However, we will see brokerages' posture about how not offering a buyer’s agent commission will save you tons of money to capture more listings. The truth is it will likely limit your buyer pool and likely impact what your take home is. On the other side of the coin, agents will educate you on the benefits of offering a buyer’s broker compensation. It’s going to get weird and convoluted and confusing. Your Uncle is definitely going to be an expert about it at the next family BBQ. 

If you’re a buyer, this will likely not be the hail mary that will grant you your dream home in California. The media would like to portray this as good for the buyers and a major cost savings. The reality is that as of August 17th, you’re going to have to enter an “exclusive” or “non-exclusive” representation agreement. Basically - if you want to see a house you’re going to have to have a signed agreement with your agent stating that you’ll pay said agent if the seller won’t. Thus, some houses will be off limits unless you’re somehow able to muster thousands of even more dollars towards your closing costs. TIP: if you think you can skip out and just head to an open house untouched, be sure to read what you’re signing at open houses because you don’t want to inadvertently sign a representation agreement when you’re just trying to leave a fake email/telephone number (I see you). 

Was that too doom and gloom? There will be opportunities in the confusion of it all. If you’re thinking of buying and/or selling, find yourself a Realtor to help guide you through this maze because it’s about to get a lot more complicated. Want to stick to daydreaming about real estate online? Check out my blog,

The 8-0-FIVE, to take a peek at the current 805 housing scene, with categories to satisfy every budget.

Want to connect? Vent? Debate? You can reach me at [email protected].

Follow @VisForVentura for more real estate insights.

Vanessa Porter

LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

DRE 02131118

Three Ventura County Softball Teams Advance to
USA National Championship Tournament

Three youth fast pitch softball teams competed in the Southern California State Tournament and won the title for their respective divisions. They competed against some of the best teams in So Cal and now will go on to compete in the USA National Championship Tournament in Oregon at the end of the month.

Summer event schedule

Oxnard

July 12th, 2:30pm-Midnight NardFest at the Canyon at Oxnard PACC (Nardfest is an annual punk rock festival that first started in 2013). Tickets can be purchased at the link below: https://www.axs.com/events/537685/nardfest-tickets?skin=oxnard

July 13th 4-6pm Free Concerts by the Sea with Psychedelic Summer Harbor View Park 3600 Harbor Blvd

July 13th 1-8pm “Chelita” at Heritage Square Oxnard Chelita is an Art, Music, and Michelada competition. Tickets are $15 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chelita-art-music-and-miches-festival-2024-tickets-889861288067

Levity Live is bringing in well-known comedians almost every night of the week. Check out their line-up below: https://levitylive.com/oxnard/

Camarillo:

The 3rd Annual Camarillo Heritage Days Mid-Summer fiesta takes place this week in Old Town Camarillo. Ventura Blvd is transformed into a carnival-like experience. Admission and music are free. Ride Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the festival.

Camarillo Heritage Days run from July 10-14th. There will be several vendors, food trucks, a beer & wine zone, and a car show. For the full schedule of events, please check out the link below: https://www.camarillooldtown.org/heritage-days

July 19th 5-9 pm “Foodies at Night” in Old Town Camarillo

Ventura

July 13th 1-9pm The Tequila & Taco Music festival is back at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Tequila-tasting tickets can be purchased in advance.

July 13, Music Under The Stars at The Olivas Adobe Historical Park This event is sold out, but will occur every Saturday until August 31st. For the full summer schedule, and to purchase tickets, please use the link below: https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/1738/Music-Under-the-Stars

July 20th 1-7 pm. Streets of Vintage Flea Market in Downtown Ventura. Follow @streetsofvintagefleamarket on Instagram for more information

The Ventura County Fair is less than a month away! 🥳

Fair hours are 12pm-midnight from July 31-August 11th

🎶 Fair Concert Schedule 🎶

Wednesday July 31- I love the 90’s Tour (Vanilla Ice, Tone Loc, Sugarhill Gang, C+C)

Thursday August 1st- Brantley Gilbert

Friday August 2nd - Sublime with Rome

Saturday August 3rd- Dustin Lynch

Sunday August 4th- Tapy Quintero y Los Tucanes de Tijuana

Monday August 5th- Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias

Tuesday August 6th - Ludacris

Wednesday August 7th- Gary Allen

For more information on daily specials, promotions, or to purchase tickets, please click the link below:

Thousand Oaks

July 13th 2-10pm Emo Kids @ Naughty Pine Brewery 766 Lakefield Rd. Thousand Oaks 91361

July 13th 1-7pm Beer & Music Festival @ 14 Cannons 31125 Via Colinas Suite 907 Westlake Village 91362

Ojai

July 12-14 “Spamalot” a musical comedy dedicated to Monty Python. https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/tix/991/

Simi Valley

July 11-14 Scavenger Hunt Simi Valley ( A family-friendly scavenger hunt with a modern twist) Tickets can be purchased below: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scavenger-hunt-simi-valley-tickets-683320408737

Summer Sports News

Camarillo High School Graduate Boston Bateman could be drafted in the first round of the 2024 MLB draft. The 6 foot 7 left-handed pitcher had previously committed to LSU but is anticipated to be drafted in the first or second round of the draft. The MLB draft begins this Sunday at 4pm PST

Ventura High School Junior Sadie Engelhardt was given the 2023-2024 Gatorade Player of the year award for Track & Field

The Dodgers maintain their lead in the National League West Division despite a 3 game-losing streak. Their next homestand is against the Boston Red Sox, the team that beat them in the 2018 World Series. The Dodgers host the Red Sox for 3 consecutive games from July 19 to 21. https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/tickets

Local Ventura County News

• Cal State University Channel Islands, also known as CSUCI placed in the top 15% of 745 Universities ranked by Money Magazine. CSUCI received 4.5 out of 5 stars for affordability, access, and success. All 23 Cal State Universities made the list, earning a minimum of 4 stars each.

• Over $700,000 worth of grants were awarded to local Ventura County artists 👨‍🎨 , and non-profit art organizations. The grants supported 36 Ventura County-based non-profits and 62 independent artists who were selected through a highly competitive grant application process.

My Favorite Beaches (In no particular order)

I recently had a blood work panel examination and was informed that I am very low in Vitamin D. I was shocked by the results because I spend a decent amount of time outdoors. Two walks a day, frequent beach trips. Sure, I usually wear a hat, but it’s because I’m going bald, not because I’m trying to block the sun. Reality is a double-edged sword. We are told that we need plenty of sunlight, but at the same time, are advised to use SPF to prevent skin cancer. That same SPF blocks the rays that supply our bodies with Vitamin D. As with most things in life, balance is critical to our overall health. If you need a little more sun exposure, check out my list of favorite beaches below:

El Pescador State Beach in Malibu. Parking at El Pescador fills up relatively early on weekends. Most of the parking is in a makeshift dirt lot off of PCH. It’s a bit of trek downhill to reach the beach, but totally worth it. There are porta potty’s in the parking lot, but none on the beach. Lifeguards are typically stationed there during the summer.

Zuma Beach in Malibu. Zuma Beach is the quintessential SoCal Beach. There are dozens of volleyball nets, lifeguard towers every 100 yards, ample parking, (however it does fill up quickly) and plenty of places to set up camp.

Emmawood State Beach in Ventura. Emmawood is one of my favorite weekday beaches. Parking is limited on weekends, and setting up camp during high tide can be a little tough. The perks include beautiful views of the Channel Islands, and Santa Barbara coastline. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can walk along the train tracks that run parallel to the beach.

Mothers Beach Ventura. Mothers Beach is more like a lagoon. It is a small strip of sand right outside of the Ventura Harbor. The location creates a natural cove that is very still and great for swimming or small children.

Mandalay Beach Mandalay Beach has been a favorite beach of mine since high school. It is full of giant sand dunes, walking paths, and ominous views of the abandoned generating station. It’s also a short walk to the Oxnard Beach Park, and Zachari Dunes.

The Horizon swim team will be having their annual team tryouts on Thursday, August 22nd, in Westlake Village and on Saturday, August 24th, in Simi Valley. To register for tryouts or inquire about the team, please visit: www.hrzn.org

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Instagram pages we love:

@smokin_jays_805

@streetsofvintagefleamarket

@visforventura

@livemaana

@gordoshotchicken

@venturacountycoast

@oxnardusa

Weather

Oxnard

Ventura

Camarillo

Thousand Oaks

Santa Paula

Simi Valley

Message from the authors:

Thank you for reading The Neighborly Wave. If you are low on Vitamin D, please visit one of my favorite beaches and share this newsletter with everyone working on their tan.