Redondo Beach California is a suburban beach town in Los Angeles County, located about 20 miles south of Downtown L.A. in an area known as the South Bay. The city covers a little over 6 square miles and is home to about 67,000 people according to the 2010 census.
Redondo Beach is considered a ‘full-service city’ with its own police, fire, and public works departments, two post offices, two public libraries, and fifteen parks. It’s also well known for offering an abundance of recreational activities to residents and visitors.
Geography
Redondo Beach covers over 6 square miles of Los Angeles County. The city is distinctly divided into North and South sections with 190th, Anita, and Herondo streets forming the boundary line between the sections. North Redondo is situated inland, being separated from the beachfront by the cities of Hermosa Beach and Manhattan beach. South Redondo is the ocean side section of the city with approximately 1.5 miles of beachfront. Hermosa Beach lies just north of South Redondo and the peninsula city of Rancho Palos Verdes is to the south.
Lifestyle and Recreation
The beach life and outdoor recreation reign supreme in South Bay. Residents and visitors enjoy a lifestyle that centers around the beach. Popular activities are surfing, paddle boarding, boating, fishing, beach volleyball, cycling, and neverending beach days. Redondo offers a uniquely mixed urban/suburban environment. Redondo Beach is home to many unique and locally-owned restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and boutiques. There is always something to do, yet the city remains quaint enough for those seeking a more chill living situation. The proximity to Los Angeles and Long Beach allow for quick travel to more urban areas. That means that residents have pretty much any type of lifestyle at their fingertips.
Things to do in Redondo Beach
Visit The Redondo Pier.
The pier is a major hub for activity. It is one of the largest piers on California’s coast. You will find great restaurants, eateries, bars, and shops. The adjacent marina boardwalk is where you can rent paddleboards, bikes, boats, kayaks, and more.
Take the family to Seaside Lagoon.
This waterpark is a great time for the whole family.
Stroll through the Redondo Farmers Market (There are two).
Redondo Beach Certified Farmers Market: Every Thursday from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. It is located at George Freeth Way and Veterans Park West.
Riviera Village Certified Farmers Market: Every Sunday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. It is located at 1801 South Elena Ave, 90277.
Visit the South Bay Galleria.
This mall is one of the best around. It is a great place to shop, eat, and entertain yourself and the family for hours.
Walk/Ride The Strand.
The Strand is a beach bike/walk path that stretches from Torrance Beach all the way north past Santa Monica. There are several bike rental vendors along the path.
A Beach Day.
The beach is one of the best around and it doesn’t get too crowded. Don’t forget to pack some food and activities!
Redondo Beach Economy
The local economy is diverse, steady, and robust. Recreation, tourism, tech, and manufacturing drive much of the economy. The average income of residents is $53,000 annually, which is nearly double the national average. The unemployment rate (pre-pandemic) is 3.7% and the future job growth rate is under 1%. The income and sales tax rates in this South Bay city are well above the national averages at 8% and 9.5% respectively.
The largest employers in Redondo Beach are Northrop Grumman, the city of Redondo Beach, Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach, DHL Global Forwarding, and the Redondo Beach Unified School District.
- The City of Redondo Beach
- Crowne Plaza
- DHL Global Forwarding
- Northrop Grumman.
- Redondo Beach Unified School District
Real Estate and Housing
As with most coastal cities, Redondo Beach boasts an active housing market. Homes are well-valued and highly sought after. This includes re-sale homes, new homes, income properties, and the rental market.
The housing market in the North section is slightly different than that of the Southern part of the city. Since North Redondo Beach does not offer beachfront homes, values are slightly lower. Altogether, homes in both zip codes have a median sales price of about $1,200,000. The average time on the market is about 30 days. The average monthly rent amount is about $3,600.
Homes in South Redondo Beach are extremely diverse in many ways. The market offers beachfront homes, multi-unit homes, large yards, and many different design aesthetics. Residential architecture styles include Cape Cod, Modern, Mediterranean, Tudor, and others. Popular neighborhoods include Hollywood Riviera, The Esplanade, The Avenues, and Riviera Village.
Education
The Redondo Beach Unified School District is the public school system serving the city. The RBUSD was established in 1993, with the consolidation of the South Bay Union High School District and the Redondo Beach City School District that served R.B. and two other municipalities. There are approximately 10,000 students enrolled in the RBUSD. The public school district includes 8 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 1 high school, 1 continuation school, and 1 adult school.
Redondo Union High School serves as the locally zoned high school, while the adjoining campus of Patricia Dreizler Continuation High School serves as a continuation school. The middle schools include Adams and Parras schools which both house grade levels 6 to 8. The elementary schools serving the city (K-5) are Alta Vista, Beryl, Birney, Jefferson, Lincoln, Madison, Tulita, and Washington.
RUHS students are enrolled in a standards-based course of study. Most students complete a rigorous college-prep. program as part of the curriculum. Of the student that complete the program, approximately 97% go on to attend a two-year or four-year college. This Advanced Placement Program continues to grow each year as more students enroll in challenging college-level courses on campus. The program currently offers 18 AP classes in English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language, and Visual Arts. RUHS was selected for the AP Achievement List in 2010 to recognize the Advanced Placement Program for increased enrollment and an 83% pass rate on AP examinations.
Redondo Beach in Pop Culture
Redondo Beach has definitely had a place in popular American culture throughout the years. It’s been often used as a filming location for television, movies, and music video. The city has also been mentioned and represented in movies and songs.
Redondo Beach in Television, Movies, and Music
Movies
- Several scenes of the 1991 movie Point Break were filmed in RB.
- The movie Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. The main ship used in the movie; The Black Pearl, was anchored in the harbor for many weeks in 2006.
- The Hot Chick used Redondo Union Highschool to film scenes
- The 2012 movie Savages, starring Blake Lively filmed scenes at the South Bay Galleria.
- Parts of Tequila Sunrise (1988) were filmed on the Esplanade.
- Other notable movies that reference or were filmed in the area include 1408, Heat, Pulp Fiction, Gone in 60 Seconds (1974), The Cannonball Run, and Big Mammas House 2.
Television
- Scenes of the show Dexter were filmed at the Pier.
- CSI: Miami has filmed in Redondo.
- The popular 90’s TV series 90210 filmed in the Riviera Village neighborhood of South Redondo. ‘Kelly’ and ‘Donna’ also had a beach house that is located on the Strand in Manhattan Beach.
- The TV series 24 often used the AES power plant to film scenes.
- The beach and pier were key filming locations for the television show The O.C.
Music
- Patti Smith recorded the song “Redondo Beach” for her 1975 album Horses. Morrisey covered and released it as a single in 2005.
- The Beach Boys song “Surfin’ U.S.A.” mentions Redondo.
- The Britney Spears music video “(You Drive Me) Crazy” was filmed at the Edison Power Plant.