Quick Take:
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have...
Go Deeper
Continue exploring the people, places and the lore that make Boulder Creek, Brookdale and Ben Lomond such a unique place.
Some people want to be known, and some just want to blend in. Up here, it’s pretty easy to do the former, but there are also certainly some that stand out. This is by far not a complete list. I am a newbie in my fifteen years of residency. Ask any longtime local who their key character and famous folk picks would be and you’ll likely get a load more.
The Locatelli Family owns a lot of stuff. Real estate, businesses, lumberyards, the list goes on and on, as does the family tree and the stories within the five generations here. Bob Locatelli owns the two Wild Roots markets, formerly two of the original New Leaf Markets prior to the sale of the name and business to New Seasons. He also owns the Cremer House, soon to be reopened by Humble Sea Brewing Co.
In 2004 Jorah Roussopoulos & Andi Rubalcaba, high school sweethearts with big dreams, got the opportunity to start a business at “the bend in Ben Lomond”. What began as one little room was slowly built up over time as the two worked odd jobs to make money for stocking their inventory. Today the store is a thriving part of the Valley called Mountain Feed & Farm Supply, and is the best place to get your Christmas tree, beekeeping supplies, and everything in between.
Back over at Mountain Feed, owner Jorah’s dad, Gary Roussopoulos, is a seasoned veterinarian with a devout client list. His deep care and attention to our beloved animals is a gift to the Valley.
In the early 1980’s, a young dutchman who had just been living in India, settled on a mountain ridge and built an off-grid shack in the redwoods off Hubbard Gulch. That man is Ronald Donkervoort, iconic local organic farmer and owner of Windmill Farms. If you see him at the farmers’ market, ask for a story or two.
In 1992, the movie “Out on a Limb” came out about a young finance guy who ends up in a back-asswards logging town called Buzzsaw. Turns out it was filmed here in Boulder Creek, and starred Matthew Broderick, John C. Reilly and Jeffrey Jones.
Tons of famous people have stayed at The Brookdale Lodge: Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Tyrone Power, Joan Crawford, Rita Hayworth, James Dean, Hedy Lamarr, and President Herbert Hoover.
Shirley Temple had a home in Brookdale.
Nell Newman lives in Ben Lomond.
Actor Aric Cushing, grew up in Boulder Creek, and got his start in theater acting in lots of local plays at SLV and MCT, mostly known for his horror writing and other scary stuff.