“Home Demolition – Copyright Jon Rochetti – 2007” by jonrochetti is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Bellflower is now seemingly home to a growth spurt, with new buildings and businesses popping up left and right.

Metropolis Comics employee Christian Womack said, “I think it’s super cool that they’re building this city up, we’re benefiting from the increased foot traffic, and it just keeps on coming.”

Fantasy Cakes employee Nick Elchert describes the change as “a more uptown vibe, it’s starting to look along the lines of Whittier Blvd. where people make plans to go to places like Steelcraft and Kalaveras, and that really brings people together on a regular basis and into our store.”

Guild House employee Charles Dundre said he noticed a huge change because of the increased business, and sees only further growth for both the city and his business in the years to come.

He stated, “with all the street fests and community events, friday night magic and duengeons and dragons are bigger than ever, and with the city’s increased revenue I think it helps us out because they invest more in businesses like us, which just helps us draw a larger crowd and it’s an awesome cycle.”

Dundre went on to say, “out of nowhere I just started seeing new businesses and food joints pop up left and right, and I’ve seen the boulevard grow from a small little place to a happening spot for everyone.”

The sudden and rapid growth is what led to the city being named as a finalist for the 2019 Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation’s Most Business Friendly City Award for cities over 50,000 in population.

Here’s everything that contributed to the nomination, and everything still yet to come.

Recent additions include:

Dunkin’

Serving up fresh coffee, ice tea and donuts every day of the week , this location features a drive-thru window for a quick morning run. For those looking for an even faster experience, using the Dunkin’ mobile app will allow you to bypass ordering and simply pick up your oder at the window.

In-n-out

Located across from Golden Corral ,this location has one drive-thru lane and a dining room that can seat 84 people, with two entrances into the parking lot for ease of access from all sides.

SteelCraft

An outdoor urban eatery that encourages community, completely constructed from repurposed shipping containers. Features a television that takes ups whole wall to stream football and other sports games, and foosball tables and other games setup throughout.

Restaurants in steel craft include:

• Ten Mile Brewery – serving up craft beers and other drinks
• Off Duty Wine Bar – wind down after a long day with choice wines
• Long Beach Creamery – ice cream with enough flavors to rival Baskin Robbins
• Solid Coffee Roasters – wake up with freshly brewed coffee
• Fritzi Coop – a fried chicken restaurant created by well-known chef Neal Fraser of Redbird
• Pholanthropy – serving pho for a warm meal after a cold day
• Prime by Shenandoah – feel the taste of home with comfort foods from here
• Cassidy’s Corner – a breakfast spot known for homemade bagels in over 20 varieties
• The Standing Room – a burger joint that experiments with new and unique styles of burgers

Mayne Events Center

Home to the Los Angeles County Fire Museum, a museum of firefighting vehicles and equipment. The museum exhibits some of the 60 antique fire engines in its diverse collection. The building also houses a ballroom and center that can be rented out for events such as parties and weddings.

Coming Soon:

Aldi

A market known for having great sales and low prices, this will soon be opened where Ralph’s previously stood. Expected to open late December 2019

West Santa Ana Branch Corridor Project

Routed to stop at Bellflower Boulevard and the Pacific Electric Right-of-way. The 20-mile line will stretch through many different cities from City of Artesia to Downtown Union Station.