Redondo Beach

Redondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in southwestern Los Angeles. With a population @ 66,750 and 6.3 sq. miles, it is the largest of the three (3) Beach Cities. The city has a distinct division between the north and south sections of the city with 190th, Anita and Herondo streets dividing North from South. It also has an unusual shape with one area inland from Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach (North Redondo Beach) and an area along the beach south of Hermosa Beach (South Redondo Beach).

 

Redondo Beach is full service city with its own police and fire departments, two public libraries, a performing arts center and fifteen parks. The primary attractions include South Bay Galleria, Redondo Beach Pier, King Harbor and Marina, Riviera Village, Seaside Lagoon, Esplanade and the long strip of beach that is home to many sports enthusiasts. Shopping, sailing/boating, surfing, volleyball, running and biking are just some of the activities residents enjoy.

 

In addition, Redondo Breakwall is a well-known surf spot in the South Bay. Bordering the Marina is the massive AES power plant, which is set to shut down in 2020 and will be developed into a mixed use of parks, retail and residential space. This power plant sports Walling Wall number 31, a 586 ft. × 95 ft. whale mural by world-famous artist Robert Wyland titled “Gray Whale Migration”.

North Redondo Beach is north of 190th Street, east of Manhattan and Hermosa Beach and south of Marine Ave. It is very popular due to its easy access to the freeway, airport and Downtown Los Angeles. While primarily residential, North Redondo contains some of the city’s major industry and commercial space, including the inland aerospace and engineering firms that are part of Southern California’s long space legacy.

 

North Redondo is home to the South Bay Galleria shopping center and a revitalized Artesia Boulevard. Also within this community is the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, one of the South Bay's premier cultural facilities. The North Branch of the Redondo Beach Library serves this area. North Redondo is home to nearly two-thirds of the children in Redondo Beach.

 

The residential portion to the Northeast is known as the TRW tract. It received its namesake due to its closeness to the TRW business complex located near that area. The TRW tract is zoned R1 and is predominately single-family homes. The lots measure an average of 5000 sq. ft. however, because the streets are not in the typical grid pattern, some of the lots are much bigger and can exceed 10,000 sq. ft.

 

A large portion of North Redondo Beach was originally zoned R2. Since the majority of the R2 lots are 7500 sq. ft. (50x150ft), it allows developers to tear down the older homes and build 2 new townhomes. A good portion of these townhomes @ 2400 sq. ft. with 3-4 bedrooms and bathrooms.

 

The area to the north of Artesia and south of Grant Ave was originally zoned R4. This zoning allowed for 3 townhomes to be built on the same 7500 sq. ft. lot. These townhomes are @ 1900 sq. ft. and usually would have 3 bedrooms.

 

If you are traveling southeast in North Redondo you will find another community that is mainly zoned R1 and is predominately single-family homes. This area has a more traditional grid pattern with most lots 5000 sq. ft. (50x100ft) and some streets 7500 sq. ft. (50x150ft) lots. The homes in this area are typically 1600 sq. ft. and modest in price compared to the rest of the South Bay.

 

Just to the west and south of Artesia & Mira Costa High School and east of Hermosa Hills is the Golden Hills area of North Redondo. The homes in this area are referred to as “Tall & Skinny”. This area was zoned R1A which mean you can split the traditional 50×100 lots in half resulting in 2 – 25×100 parcels. Instead of building townhomes, developers have built two, side by side, detached single-family homes. These homes are @ 2000 sq. ft. with reverse floor plans with the living area, kitchen and Master bedroom located on the upper level and the other bedrooms on the lower level. Due to the amount of room a 2-car garage takes, there is not sufficient space to have a kitchen and living space on this floor.

 

North Redondo Beach is home to Adams Middle School (grades 6-8) and five elementary schools, Jefferson, Birney, Madison, Lincoln and Washington. All are grades K-5 with the exception of Lincoln, which grades K-6. All schools are highly ranked nationally and some of the best in California.

 

In summary, North Redondo Beach gives you easy access to freeways, DT Los Angeles and LAX while being much more affordable than Manhattan Beach and slightly less expensive than South Redondo Beach.

 

South Redondo Beach is south of Herondo St., Anita St. and 190th and along the beachfront with the RB pier and marina/harbor complex. The majority of this area is on the coast and lies directly south of Hermosa Beach. Because of the proximity to the beach and ocean, South Redondo Beach has typically remained more expensive than North Redondo. Many of the homes offer views of the Pacific Ocean and if you are located west of PCH, you are a short walk to the beach. South Redondo has wide streets, wide beaches and laid-back feel make it a prime destination for those seeking a “bike to the grocery store” community.

 

At the southernmost part of this area is called “Riviera Village”. This is a very quaint downtown area with incredible restaurants + bars, special eateries, little shops and great boutique shopping. Riviera Village is really the heart of the city and you are fortunate if you are within walking distance of this area. The homes in this area vary quite a bit. There is a mix of smaller original beach bungalows to very large 6000 sq. ft. estate-style homes. The lot sizes have a wide range as well. From lots slightly larger than the small bungalows, to lots well over 9000 sq. ft. with large backyards.

 

Along the coast you will also have a mix of Single Family Homes, Townhouses and Condominiums. In addition, this is the only area that has high-rise style condos that have terrific views of the ocean and coastline. If you are living along this coastline you are only a short walk or bike ride from King Harbor and/or Riviera Village.

 

King Harbor, RB pier and the Marina complexes are large, planned centers of activity that host Korean seafood restaurants, touristy bars, smaller shops and a games arcade. The pier is a common spot for anglers to cast for a local catch; many residents of inland Los Angeles drive to Redondo Beach to take advantage of the long and unique shape of this pier. The adjacent Marina, located just north of the Pier, is home to another half-dozen restaurants + bars, the Shade Hotel, Portofino Inn and Crowne Plaza Hotel. The large, monolithic concrete structures that make up the pier and harbor area stand in stark contrast to the venerable cozy feel of the rest of the South Bay’s neighborhood-style street front architecture; the city continues to consider options for the area as new entertainment and dining choose to locate in other areas of the Beach Cities.

 

The streets take on an interesting thematic history in South Redondo. Starting at the Northernmost street (just South of 190th), all of the streets that travel East and West are named after gems, and some of them were known to exist in this area as early as the 1700s. The first street is Agate, then Beryl, Carnelian, Diamond, and so on. The streets that travel North and South are also in alphabetical and are all women’s names in reference to the Dominguez heirs from whom the Redondo Company purchased 1,400 acres from back in 1887. You’ll see “the girl” streets as you travel west from Prospect Ave: Paulina, Francisca, Gertruda, Helberta, Irena, Juanita, etc. In what is known as the Clifton Area, South of Knob Hill, the east-west streets are referred to as “The Alphabet Streets”, as they are named after letters of the alphabet streets.

 

South Redondo is home to the city’s only High School, Redondo Union High School or RUHS, which was opened in 1905 and has a long history of award winning education, an arts & sports program. South Redondo middle school children attend Parras Middle School (grades 6-8), which runs along Prospect Avenue. There are three elementary schools, Beryl, Alta Vista, and Tulita all (K-5). All schools are highly ranked nationally and some of the best in California.

 

For more information on the city of Redondo Beach, including: Local Business Directories; Links to Schools; Demographic Information; City Calendar of events; City Government, Services and Organizations Directories, please visit: