By Cindy Arora
On a typical Saturday morning, Bonita Avenue is lively with locals having breakfast, grabbing a quick coffee or stopping by for a cut and color at one of the hair salons.
But the spry downtown is also home to a handful of storefronts that are treasure troves for vintage pickers looking for their next rare find.
From vintage dolls to midcentury furniture, oversized tiki drinking bowls and fondue pots from the 1980s, the shops along Bonita Avenue are run by a tight-knit community of owners who have a passion for everything from yesteryear.
We spent a morning strolling along Bonita Avenue, antiquing our way through the shops and discovering that everything old can truly be new again.
Take a walk with us and learn more about them!
The Little Back House
This charming storefront is across the way from the Pacific Railroad Society Museum. It sells vintage rolling pins, darling wood signs and vintage dishware and has beautiful furniture from children’s chairs and kitchen tables to garden decor that will add a splash of color and style. Unlike the other vintage stores along Bonita Avenue, The Little Back House caters to the DIYer seeking to paint and create their own furniture project. They sell paint brushes, chalk paint, glazes, stencils, adhesive transfers and anything else someone may need to recycle an old piece of furniture and turn it into something new. The Little Back House, 235 W. Bonita Ave., San Dimas, CA 91773, thelittlebackhouse.com
A Few Nice Things
Anthony Anderson has been running this high-end antique store for 12 years and is known around town for his collectible paintings, luxury watches, jewelry, figurines and fine furniture. Anderson is the person other antique dealers in San Dimas call when they find a piece they think would fit in his store, which is known for having “a few nice things.” Anderson is launching an online website, but his store along Bonita Avenue is a great place to spend some time poking around. Take a peek, and find a historical French tete-a-tete chair and a pair of draped end tables from Greece that have been impeccably refurbished. A Few Nice Things, 165 W. Bonita Ave., San Dimas, CA 91773, fewnicethings.myshopify.com
Bonita Antiques
Sam Acosta and his wife Kathie are the duo behind Bonita Antiques and Paradise Found for You. This little gem is the place in town to help turn your backyard, man-cave or she-shed into an island paradise with surf decor, mugs, pottery and plenty of mermaid tchotchkes. The Acostas have created a great shop with a hodgepodge of vintage wares, along with its dynamic corner of tiki memorabilia that can turn any home bar into an old Elvis movie. Don’t forget to look through the rack of Hawaiian shirts that is normally placed out front of the shop, and find your new favorite shirt. Bonita Antiques, 157 W. Bonita Ave, San Dimas, CA 91773
Heart of the Village Antique Mall
With 15 different antique dealers peddling their vintage wares, it is easy to get lost in the Heart of the Village. Each individual space has its own style and offerings, depending on the dealer’s tastes and finds. There are plenty of toys for kids, including Strawberry Shortcake dolls from the 1980s and vintage Chewbacca dolls and bobble heads. Old cookbooks explain how to make pot roast and mashed potatoes, and there is a back room filled with clothes and furniture. Look through the bookshelf in the back, pick up an old suitcase and find a new piece of artwork to create a gallery wall full of personality. Heart of the Village Antique Mall, 155 W. Bonita Ave., San Dimas, CA 91773
Old Towne Antiques
Cyndia Williams has been running this antique store for 29 years and opened it when Bonita Avenue was much sleepier than it is today. She specializes in quality vintage furniture and costume and fine jewelry. She has an impressive selection of vintage dishware, kitchen decor, tea sets, crystal glassware and coins. Williams is certified and licensed to buy precious metals, and she has the handheld monocular to prove it. With a growing interest in vintage and one-of-a-kind furniture, Williams keeps busy with folks looking for new finds. Make time to peruse the hat section here, and pick something up for the next tea party you are hosting. Old Towne Antiques, 125 W. Bonita Ave., San Dimas, CA 91773, oldtowneantiques.com
It’s About Time Antiques and Collectibles
The owner of this antique shop used to sell her wares at one of the local shops just a few doors down, until she decided it was about time to branch out on her own. She opened It’s About Time in 2019, right next door to the Enchanted Rose Tea Parlour, and she is hoping she can convince vintage pickers to cross the street to the first antique store on the other side of Bonita Avenue.
It’s About Time has vintage telephones, a wonderfully curated collection of vintage clothes for men and women, a great kitchen area with kitschy cookbooks and plenty of knickknacks to give your home a personal touch. The shop often has a charming garden collection with wind chimes. Take heed of the balloons and signs strategically placed to remind onlookers the vintage fun doesn’t stop on one side of Bonita Avenue. This delightful vintage shop is worth the walk across the street. It’s About Time Antiques and Collectibles, 120 W. Bonita Ave., San Dimas, CA 91773
