by Garrison Frost

Given the scale of most cities in the South Bay, you don't often hear people divide them into north and south, east and west. Some cities, such as Hermosa Beach, are so small that as soon as you realize you're in north Hermosa Beach, you're already in south Hermosa Beach. Most cities in the South Bay are so small or homogenous that it just doesn't make sense to divide them up that way. Sure, you will occasionally hear someone refer to north Manhattan Beach or south Torrance, but as a general rule, one part of these cities is pretty much the same as the rest. You don't hear people talk about north Rancho Palos Verdes, South Hawthorne, East Lomita or West Lawndale.

Redondo Beach is an exception. It makes perfect sense to talk about North Redondo Beach and South Redondo Beach. Attached by just a tiny sliver of geography, the two ends of the city have very little in common. They could very easily be two different cities, and rare is the person who has looked at a map of the town who hasn't thought so. On the map, the city looks like two horizontal rectangles, with the top left corner of one attached to the bottom right corner of the other. Redondo Beach police commonly drive into neighboring towns just to get from one end of their own city to the other.

Whether or not you're a Redondo Beach resident, the question quickly arises: Which one do you prefer? Where do you live? Where would you want to live? Are you a South Redondo Beach person, or a North Redondo Beach person?

Of course it doesn't matter, but those searching for answers to these questions might consider:

• If you like elegant curving streets that often lead nowhere and are named after Latino women, South Redondo Beach is for you. If you like straight streets named after famous rich white men, North Redondo is for you.
• If you think your downtown is the Riviera Village, you are a South Redondoan. You are a North Redondoan if you think it is the South Bay Galleria.
• Casa Pulido: South Redondo Beach. Las Brisas: North Redondo Beach.
• If you like steep hills, live in South Redondo. If you like your neighborhood flatter, try North Redondo.
• If you have a security clearance that would scare off Dick Cheney, you should be living in North Redondo. If you are a fuzzy-headed artist, try South Redondo.
• If you surf off Knob Hill, odds are you hang your board in South Redondo Beach. If you surf at El Porto in Manhattan Beach, your woodie spends its nights in North Redondo Beach.
• If you need to be freeway-close, you're better off living in North Redondo Beach. If you don't mind driving for 30 minutes just to reach an on-ramp, perhaps South Redondo Beach makes more sense.
• If you went to Redondo Union High School, you're probably a South Redondoan. If you went to Mira Costa High School, you're like a North Redondoan. If you went to Aviation High School, you might be a serious old-school North Redondoan.
• If you need a park where you can let your dog run free, both ends of the city will work for you. The Redondo Beach Dog Park is pretty much right in the middle.
• If you want to live on a boat, you're best off living in South Redondo Beach, unless you want that boat to be in your driveway.

(October 19, 2006)

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