It is hard for me to believe that South Coast Plaza is 50 years old. I remember my husband and I moving to Orange County in 1969, and the retail center was newly-opened–literally in the bean fields. There was a Sears and May Co. and a long string of stores between the two anchors. Plus, there were no high-rises in sight, only small strip malls filled with grocery stores, Thrifty Drugs, small eateries, a barber, cleaners, and gas stations on almost every corner. My, how the landscape has changed! Not only are there a multitude of high-rise buildings and a 31-year-old Segerstrom Center for the Arts and a 39-year-old South Coast Repertory, but South Coast Plaza has grown to include more than 250 stores and restaurants, with many more anchor stores, and an extension of the center across Bear Street connected by the Bridge of Gardens. South Coast Plaza, still privately owned by the Segerstrom family, is now known as the premier luxury shopping destination in the country, boasting annual sales approaching $2 billion. It is a remarkable story and one which I hope you enjoy reading in this issue.