Montclair Village may look like nothing special to outsiders, but it’s ours.  Photographer Peter Henderson recently decided to share his Montclair snapshots.  What I really like is that you see the stores and streets without special adornment or emotion.

Let’s start with the core showing Peet’s in the frame, and food row on the right.  Nearby you see folks milling around, which always happens because there are a few open chairs and tables right here.  It’s a bit empty and must be a weekday.

The rest of the shots are different views around two blocks, hitting LaSalle, Mountain and Antioch.  Starting on the left, you can see the classic clock on the intersection of LaSalle and Mountain.  How long has this feature been around, can someone tell us?

Moving clockwise, notice the plain building with Mountain Yoga on the left and Grinder’s Subs on the right.  Even photographer Pete points them out as “the signs of happiness for us both.”  Personally I like to combine the experiences, by taking a late weekend class and picking up a big sandwich as a quick reward.

The street view on lower LaSalle includes Montclair Pharmacy, one of the oldest businesses which also sits right on the Hayward fault line running through the store.  This is book row, with The Book Tree located on the left side of the pharmacy and A Great Good Place for Books across the street.

Finally we end this quick tour back at the LaSalle and Mountain intersection, this time looking towards Mountain.  The all-important Le Bon Bon chocolates is under the green awning, followed by the barber shop and Glamour Paws.  There are a few spots changing hands, notably the new cafe which will occupy the defunct Royal Ground soon.

You weren’t expecting anything surprising, right?  We’re just a settled place and prefer things that way.  Of course, things will be bustling Thursday night – remember to drop by for the Holiday stroll and festivities.