Green Light District Plans to Make Eco-Biz Shine
Santa Monica, Calif., is looking a bit greener lately, thanks to the Green Light District, a neighborhood association founded to promote local stores and restaurants specializing in eco-friendly products.
Business owner Frank Angiuli believes the area will become a destination for eco-minded tourists and shoppers. And the moniker—the Green Light District—is meant to evoke other famous neighborhoods around the world.
“Somewhat like the Red Light District in Amsterdam or Little Italy in New York and Boston, there is a high concentration of like-minded businesses here,” Angiuli said. “It’s built a community, and we’re driving retail traffic into this neighborhood and other neighborhoods,”
Angiuli’s Natural High Lifestyle, located at 2400 Main St. in Santa Monica, joined 11 other Main Street merchants and restaurants in organizing Santa Monica’s Green Light District in the past year. It is part of the larger Main Street Business Improvement Association.
“It’s a collaboration to bring awareness of what we’re doing there,” Angiuli said of the association, which will connect eco-clothing retailer Patagonia with restaurant Euphoria Loves Rawvolution and bicycle shop Bike Attack. “As a result, it will drive traffic to Santa Monica of people who want to eat clean, raw food, buy natural cleaning products and natural, socially conscious clothing,” Angiuli said.
This summer, the Green Light District will publish a neighborhood map of its member boutiques to pass to tourists and other shoppers.
Other district programs and services including trying to publicize the district in travel articles and guidebooks, Angiuli said.
The district might be America’s first official green-merchants association, according to Starre Vartan, founder of the Eco-Chick blog and editor for green business directory Greenopia. She said organizations such as New York–based Brooklyn Botanic Gardens have run contests to name the greenest commercial block in Brooklyn, N.Y.—in 2009, the green honor went to Atlantic Avenue between Nevins Street and Third Avenue—but no group has looked for an official designation.
The Main Street Business Improvement Association, through newspaper and local television ads in the past year, has encouraged tourists and consumers to visit the association’s green businesses, said Anthony Schmitt, chair of the association. He deems the venture a success. “It’s going to continue to grow,” he said.
Indeed, the street will be welcoming a new green fashion business soon. The Green Denim Initiative will open at 2716 Main St. later this month.
