Bay Cities Frames

I’ve been going to Dave for about 10 years now. He will work with you until you find the right frame for your piece. Dave is an honest and kind man… great to converse with! He is the only framer I trust with my Pink Floyd posters :)

Dave is one cool cat. Good conversation and takes pride in his trade.

I’m very picky with who frames my artwork because my Mother is an artist and a framer on the side. Dave is a great framer because he is also an artist. I think that is very important. He’s not just a random dude working at a place like Aaron Brothers. He cares about each piece and takes the time to make sure the customer is happy with what they are getting. I now live in Venice and I travel to him every time I need something framed. See you soon, Dave!

All the reviews are true. I dropped in to have a frame repaired on short notice.
Fixed while I wait at a very reasonable price.
Dave is a very personable person.
I highly recommend him.

Dave is a really great guy and did a truly wonderful job on framing the picture I brought into him. I sat there and watched him work. He was meticulous, making sure every detail was ironed out. As a person he’s a really wonderful guy too, we talked about a bunch of stuff, he’s just a nice guy to hang around. He’s been in the business 19 years as well, so he knows his stuff. I must highly recommend you use bay city frames the next time you need a frame job done!

Dave is truly an artist. He has an eye for color and design and truly produces impeccable work. He has a huge selection of mats and frames. He is patient and spends a lot of time with you. I recently had 6 pieces framed by him and I am thrilled with the mats/​frames he helped me choose. Such great quality.

As a person and a framer, I give Dave, the owner, five stars. The guy knows his stuff and does excellent work with great craftsmanship. Not only that but he’s a genuinely good guy.
But as a business overall I have to give Bay Cities Frames a three-​star rating. Dave, as the sole employee for some time now, is over worked and is much better suited to the back end of the shop (where the framing gets done) rather than the front end, where all the sales from pictures and so forth happen. I’ve spoken with Dave about the overall business, and as a one-​man show he’s admitted to me that it’s difficult for him to keep up with the business demands and then turn around and frame everyone’s pieces. As a result, you generally have to give him some leeway with the time frame he quotes you. Either that or have him nail down in writing an exact completion date on the invoice.
For those who might say these are excuses and he should just hire somebody… well, he’s tried. People flake… and let’s be honest… it takes a special person to want to work at a frame store. Especially one that’s been a part of the local community since 1948. I doubt he’d trust the front end to some high school kid who couldn’t care less about being there, and local artists who would seem to be a good match are, well, flakey. So until that right combination of person is found, Dave’s fighting the good fight by himself.
Despite the three star rating and long lead times, my wife and I continuously come back to Dave for our framing needs because we’re a fan of his work, we want to support him and his local business, and he’s just a good guy. He even let me cut glass on some leftover pieces he had. Being a hands-​on kinda guy, I really appreciated that.

My elderly friend has been going to Dave for years. Since she doesn’t drive, I often take her. Dave is an artist with a great eye for color. He spends as much time as you need, offering many different options. The work is always impeccable. He has done some work for me as well but my great impression of him is from the numerous pieces he has done for my friend.
He is also one really nice man. My friend is 87 and he knows how hard it is for her to get around. He offered to deliver her latest pieces to her in Manhattan Beach to save her the stress of trying to find transportation. That is kindness as well as talent.

I agree with the earlier review; David has a real talent to frame the artwork and he’s glad to show you many different combinations. This place might cost a bit more than the big-​box store (Michaels?) but totally worth it as the result is excellent quality.
David was born/​raised in the South Bay too… it’s nice to spend dollars with the local businesses.
Highly recommended!

What? No reviews yet for this place? Well, let me introduce you! David, the guy who owns it, has THE best eye for frames and matting. Sometimes I come in there knowing exactly what I want, other times I leave it up to him and he brings out frame samples and matte samples until he gets exactly the right effect for whatever’s being framed. It’s a bit pricey compared to just buying a ready-​made frame at Michael’s, but for custom work it’s actually very reasonable. The store also usually has a few smaller frames available for pick-​up-​and-​go, just made up out of odd ends of frame stock, but they’re quite nice AND very low-​priced. I’ve been going here for years and have never been disappointed yet.