Author: cgilles
Beautiful homes, great surfing, excellent shopping, entertainment and overall fantastic standard of living. This is Manhattan Beach. We who live in Manhattan Beach know why we live here and are the first to brag about the reasons. Manhattan Beach is a blend of “old small town” charm and big city... Read More
Many of us in the South Bay have forgotten Aviation High School by now, and, of course the people who went to school there will never forget their old high school. Located at the corner of Manhattan Beach Blvd and Aviation Blvd, Aviation High in Redondo Beach opened in 1957. Due to budgetary constraints, the decision was made to close the school in 1982, and its students were sent to Mira Costa and Redondo Union high schools. The site is now Aviation Park, which consists of the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, Aviation Gymnasium and Aviation Track and Field (an outdoor running facility). Read More
With all the great Football Teams in the South Bay, many of us are starting to think about the upcoming season and tailgate parties and menus. Hot dogs and hamburgers are just not enough any more. Think outside the bun and start putting together some ideas that will shock your friends when you get together for that first tail-gater in the next few weeks. Try something different, something easy to fix, easy on the pocketbook and doesn't require a lot of cooking in the truck or at home, and something everyone will love. This has always been my philosophy and I astonish people every football season when I show up with outstanding surprises that everyone just can't get enough of. Hip Hip Hooray for South Bay and Happy Tailgating !! Read More
How many of us love to walk out on the Manhattan Beach pier in the evenings and enjoy the scenes and peace and quiet? Well, the pier has quite a history as has the city of Manhattan Beach. After the first building was built in MB... Read More
Most people who live in the South Bay today, and even many Redondo Beach residents do not realize the role that the City of Redondo Beach played in local history and the contributions made to the economy of Southern California in the state's early days. In 1890, when the 'Hotel Redondo' opened, the city was on its way to becoming the "in place" for tourists from all over the world. Thousands of people were brought to the city by the railroads and large steamships. Redondo was the first port in Los Angeles, bringing lumber and oil in by large quatities along with the tourists. Steamers stopped at Redondo 3-4 times a week at the three piers as part of the regular runs that existed from San Francisco to San Diego. The Redondo Railway headed out for Redondo Beach from Los Angeles daily. Even the Red Electric Transit Cars started serving the city on a regular basis. The Redondo Hotel was pure class with an 18 hole golf course, tennis courts and 225 luxurious suites of rooms making this resort a favorite destination for thousands who would come to spend the holidays and many would come to spend the winters here. There were many upscale beaches, sports fishing, games, rides and a huge swimming pool nearby available for the tourists pleasure. It all started to go downhill when the Port of Los Angeles at San Pedro started its development in 1899. The Steamship Company halted their stops, but lumber continued to come in until around 1926 when the railroad pulled out. A little later, prohibition caused the quarter million dollar 'Hotel Redondo' to close it doors and in 1925 the hotel was torn down and all the lumber sold for scrap. (for $300.00) Today, still known as a tourist and resort town, Redondo Beach can boast of its beautiful piers, sports fishing and amusements, a Saltwater Lagoon reminiscent of the old swimming plunge, many upscale restaurants, luxury hotels, and a beautiful harbor. Read More
Wow! Another Summer being put to bed! Even in our BEACH CITIES, we do have a Season change. Fewer crowds at the beach; kids going back to school; yet SURFERS are still out in FORCE! Here are just a few events to say GOOD-BYE to Summer 2011:... Read More
Did you wake up with Grumpy? … marine-layer skies; pull the covers over your head? OR did you wake up with a SMILE on your Face? Either way, your ATTITUDE about yourself and those things happening around you, is what makes your day! You have the POWER to make your... Read More
Looking through the local news papers and driving through the city of Torrance, I quickly realize the great housing Torrance Real Estate options that has always had for all ages and for all income brackets, and especially for senior citizens. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGtvRcs5l0E From age restricted "over 55" communities like 'New Horizons', one of the first master planned condo projects in California, to many new moderately priced and luxury priced, modern condo complexes located in the city. Many of the complexes are almost sold out before they are even completed. Read More
Once upon a time, back not too far, the city of El Segundo basically was a company town; owned and operated - lock, stock and barrel by Standard Oil. Everyone who lived in the city worked at the refinery, or one of the other Standard Oil facilities in town or close by. People came here from all over the world and went to work at the only employer in town. There were many mom and pop type support businesses like printers, hardware, tool shops, and plenty of businesses for automobiles and auto accessories, car dealers, but all were dependent on business that flowed down from Standard Oil. Beautiful El Segundo homes were built in great traditional neighborhoods, with tree lined streets, with hills and valleys. It was like living in a tiny community where everyone knew each other, but you were really living in a modern, up to date city within the everyday hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. Wonderful schools, churches, recreation facilities, parks, police and fire departments, and a great old downtown section that everyone loved and still loves today. Read More
While visiting in the South Bay recently, several family members were surprised at how much the area has grown in recent years. This started a conversation about what caused the South Bay to explode with people, businesses, homes, malls and employment centers. Most of us forget that Aerospace and Aircraft Manufacturing is what made the South Bay communities boom from the 1940s all the way up to the 1970s and 1980s. Companies like North American Aircraft, Lockheed, Northrup, Grumann, Douglas Aircraft, North American Aviation, Rocketdyne, Air Research all came here and hired thousands upon thousands of loyal, educated employees who then bought South Bay homes, cars, built the schools, and raised their families in the South Bay.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOtb41FSisU&feature=fvst When the Aerospace era began in the late 50s, companies like Aerospace Corp., TRW, Xerox Corp., Hughes Corp., Teledyne and many others took their place along side of the older Aircraft Manufacturing plants of World War II and together they lead the nation and the world into into a whole new frontier called outer space and started by heeding the challenge of a young president and put the first man on the moon. Cities like Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Hermosa Beach and others were all rural and desolated areas with few homes, trees, streets and businesses. Soon new schools were being built, new shopping centers, medical facilities, hospitals, colleges, churches, restaurants, theatres, beach facilities and all the nice amenities and conveniences that we take for granted today. I don't think that there is one family still living in the South Bay today, that doesn't have a relative, or know somebody who worked in the Aircraft and Aerospace Industry in Hawthorne, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, Redondo Beach, the L.A. strip, between the 1940s and the 1980s. Talk about great memories! Aircraft Manufacturing and Aerospace certainly changed the lives of thousands of people and the way they lived. Read More