Southern California boasts so many different environments. Just jump in your car and within hours you can visit an ocean, a mountain, a desert, or anything in between! 

Los Angeles County’s fourth biggest city, Torrance has top schools, sunny beaches, smog-free air, and family-friendly neighborhoods. Easy access to Southern California freeways and Los Angeles International Airport has given Torrance a business edge and the city has diversified from a primarily industrial region to a chief monetary and retail center for the entire South Bay region.

LOCATION
Torrance is the southwest corner of Los Angeles County just inland from the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Downtown Los Angeles is just over 17 miles north, Redondo Beach is 3 miles east and Manhattan Beach about 7 miles northeast.

Several key interstates and highways connect Torrance to surrounding centers. Hwy 1 follows the coast, passing along Torrance’s western boundary and linking it to Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica, and Oxnard to the north, and Long Beach and San Clemente to the south. I 110 in the eastern part of Torrance connects the city and the Palos Verdes Peninsula to greater Los Angeles and beyond, as does I 405 on the city’s northern border.

TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS
Torrance is served by Zamperini Field airport which offers private services. The Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is just 8 miles northwest, with flights throughout America and the world.

The efficient Torrance Transit runs four routes within the City and five throughout the wider region; a service connects with Los Angeles Airport and the popular Del Amo Fashion Center terminal.
 
BRIEF HISTORY
Torrance is named for its founder, real estate developer Jared S. Torrance, who planned and built it on former cattle grazing land in 1911. Settlement was sedate and first but boomed in 1921 when petroleum was discovered there. After the Second World War increasing urbanization and better roads further boosted Torrance’s population, as families were drawn to the city’s gorgeous climate, outdoor way of life and job prospects.

Torrance’s first inhabitants were energetic and hardworking; their efforts built the foundation on which Torrance’s strong economy rests today. The City is one of Los Angeles County’s most essential industrial, commercial and residential hubs.

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS
Torrance is a vibrant city with a thriving economy, some of South Bay’s top shopping, world-class restaurants and cultural life, and an enviable climate and lifestyle.

With over 350 acres of green space within the city limits, residents can really make the most of their long sun filled summers. From volleyball and swimming at Torrance Beach to wildlife spotting at beautiful Madrona Marsh, there is plenty to enjoy out of doors. Torrance’s 24 parks include the huge Columbia Park, a golf course, a swimming pool, and plentiful ball parks and tennis courts. Wilson Park is home to a weekly Farmers Market and a variety of fun family events throughout the year.

ABOUT EDUCATION
Renowned for its excellence and innovation, the Torrance Unified School District administers 17 elementary schools, 8 middle schools, 4 high schools and one special education service. Students characteristically achieve scores appreciably above the national average for their level. Several schools have been earned the California Distinguished School Award and many are state designated state Exemplary Schools.

Torrance has several private schools; most are denominational.

Higher education options are wide ranging. Inside Torrance there are the El Camino Community College, the ITT Technical Institute, the Harbour-UCLA Medical Center, two flight schools and a beauty school.
 
Nearby facilities include, the City University—Los Angeles campus in Inglewood, the University Of Southern California in Los Angeles, California State University—Northridge campus, and Los Angeles Pierce College. All are about 5 miles away.

The California State University—Dominguez Hills and the Los Angeles Harbor College are both about 7 miles from Torrance and Los Angeles Southwest College is around 9 miles away.

If the idea of sitting at a beachside café in your swim suit after an exhilarating surf appeals to you, you’ll love Redondo Beach! A resort town for over a hundred years, Redondo Beach has a relaxed populace who enjoy all that the beach and pier have to offer. Modern surfing was born here and local surfboard and beachwear industries have thrived since the 1950s. Local amenities reflect the family orientated population; Redondo has great cafes, parks, and stores, and some of the finest and most ground-breaking schools in California.

LOCATION
Redondo Beach is in the South Bay region of Los Angeles, on the coast between Santa Monica and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Downtown Los Angeles is about 15 miles northeast, Santa Monica is about 15 miles north and Rancho Palos Verdes is about 8 miles south. Hermosa Beach is directly adjacent to Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach is about 4 miles north. Torrance is about 3 miles southeast.

Los Angeles is traversed by interstates and highways which connect the city to the rest of California and beyond. Hwy 1 follows the coast, linking all the beach towns to the north and south. I 405 runs inland to the east, connecting to north and south LA and beyond; 190th Street runs straight to it from downtown Redondo Beach.

TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is about 6 miles inland from Redondo Beach; flights operate to most American, Central and South American, European and Asian centers, as well as African, Australasian and Pacific nations. 

Torrance Transit connects Redondo Beach to Torrance and Long Beach, and the Del Amo Fashion Center terminal, which is a hub for connections to other parts of LA. The Redondo Beach Wave bus service further serves the city and connects to the Galleria Mall terminal, which is likewise served by several bus lines running to different parts of Los Angeles.

BRIEF HISTORY
The original inhabitants of Redondo Beach were Native Americans, who lived off the sea. The Spaniard Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was the first European to reach the area, which he did in 1542, but the region remained largely untouched by Europeans until 1784. At this point the Californian government granted it to the Dominguez family, who used it for cattle grazing.

In the early 1800s, the city of Los Angeles developed Redondo Beach as a port with a railway connection to central Los Angeles. Visitors began to arrive by sea and from the city. By 1890 Redondo Beach was the “place to go” for tourists and the beautiful Hotel Redondo was built. The holiday town flourished until the new Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro ended the shipping trade.

By 1912, the Pacific Steamship Company stopped calling at Redondo and the railroad pulled out in 1926. Prohibition forced the Hotel Redondo to close; it was sold for scrap in 1925. A somewhat seedy period followed, complete with big time gambling, mobsters and shootings, until the post-World War Two boom bought new families to the town and a fresh breed of young vacationers intent on enjoying themselves.

Modern surfing was born on Redondo Beach and the Beach Boys popularized a new sound associating freedom with boards, baggies, and bikinis.  Young people flooded the city in the 1960s and ended up raising their families here.

Today the city is still a tourist and resort town, with a vibrant and fun beach centered way of life.

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS
Redondo Beach is a lovely town, with a gorgeous surf beach, a fun and funky pier, a nostalgic saltwater lagoon, many fine restaurants and hotels, superb seafood, and a beautiful harbor. From surfing and sunbathing to fishing and whale watching, beach volleyball and bike riding, there is always plenty to do out of doors in Redondo Beach. Shopping is a vibrant and varied experience, from cute beachfront stores to the upmarket Galleria mall to the historic Riviera Village from the early days of the nearby Hollywood Riviera.

EDUCATION
The superb Redondo Beach School District encompasses 8 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 1 high school, 1 continuation school and 1 adult education facility. Schools foster a challenging and support environment for the district’s ethnically and culturally diverse children and emphasize excellence, cooperation and sensitivity to one another and the natural environment.

There are several private schools in Redondo Beach; these are mostly Christian or Jewish facilities.

The American Alliance Academy of Languages and the Redondo Beach Beauty College are within city limits, and there are several fine colleges and universities within 10 miles of Redondo, including the Loyola Marymount University, the City University—Los Angeles, the University Of Southern California, California State University—Northridge, El Camino College, Los Angeles Pierce College, and the Los Angeles Southwest College.

With its miles of clean yellow sand, cool blue Pacific Ocean, swaying palm trees and stylish Mediterranean buildings, Manhattan Beach is a sun lover’s paradise. Great shopping, dining and nightlife adds to the attraction of this charming beach town, while Manhattan Beach’s superb schools and proximity to busy commercial and industrial areas makes it possible for families to relocate.

LOCATION
Manhattan Beach is in Los Angeles County, California, on the western city limits of Los Angeles. Downtown LA is about 19 miles northeast of Manhattan Beach.

Hwy 1 passes along the Pacific coast through Manhattan Beach, linking it to Santa Monica to the north and Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach and the Palos Verdes Peninsula to the south. Torrance is about 8 miles southeast.

I 405 runs inland to the east, connecting to north and south LA and beyond; several avenues run east from downtown Manhattan Beach to meet it.

TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS
Los Angeles International Airport is just 3 miles northeast of Manhattan Beach, bringing the nation and the world to resident’s doorsteps.

Torrance Transport and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) run bus services linking Manhattan Beach to surrounding communities and the greater Los Angeles region.

BRIEF HISTORY
Native Americans lived in the Manhattan Beach area for thousands of years; the sea and shore provided their livelihood. In the early days of European colonisation the land was made part of the Rancho Sausal Redondo (Round Clump of Willows) and used to graze cattle.

By the early 1900s, George Peck owned the northern end of the ocean fronting land and Stewart Merrill the southern. They wanted to found a town there; Merrill wanted to call it Manhattan after his home town and Peck disagreed. In the end they flipped a coin for it and Merrill won.

Merrill built the first downtown building and the first pier in 1901 and planks were laid in the sand for vehicles. City dwellers started to come out for vacations and the settlement grew slowly until the end of the Second World War, when servicemen who had visited on leave returned to live with their new families.

The development of the defense industry brought many to the South Bay and much of the land east of Sepulveda Boulevard was urbanized to house the ever expanding populace.

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS
Like Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach enjoys a relaxed pace and outdoor lifestyle. With its sweeping beachfront, scenic pier, and over 60 acres of parkland, Manhattan Beach makes the most of southern California’s fabled sunshine. Sand Dune Park, a large beach dune area between El Segundo and Manhattan Beach, draws locals and tourists alike, with its stunning views of the Pacific and Los Angeles.

EDUCATION
The Manhattan Beach Unified School District cares for 5 child development centers (elementary and preschool level), 1 middle school and 1 high school, and runs a full range of summer school programs for children and adults.Higher education options include the American Alliance Academy of Languages, the Redondo Beach Beauty College, Loyola Marymount University, City University—Los Angeles, West Los Angeles College, Santa Monica College, University Of Southern California, California State University—Northridge, El Camino College, Los Angeles Pierce College, and the Los Angeles Southwest College.