AREA INFORMATION
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Los Angeles County
The Los Angeles region is a terrific place to live, work and raise a family. From the mountains to the beaches, Southern California has the best. It’s home to Disneyland, Hollywood, the Lakers and the Dodgers. You can surf, snow ski and blaze a trail through the desert all in the same day, thanks to the area’s unique geography, which ranges from 10,080-foot Mt. San Antonio to 81 miles of picturesque coastline.
Los Angeles County has nearly 10 million residents—which represents 30 percent of California’s population; with 4,083 square miles, it is larger than 42 states. Within its borders are 88 municipalities, ranging from Vernon—with a population of 191—to Los Angeles—with a population of 3.7 million.
Los Angeles is more than just swimming pools and movies stars, however. We have a diverse economy, nationally respected colleges and universities, excellent public schools, and one the world’s largest ports. Home construction, sales and prices are among the strongest in the country with a wide variety of real estate available.
Best of all, the Los Angeles area averages 329 days of sunshine (90 percent of the year), with the average high temperature in January reaching 66 degrees.
Climate
The county is situated in a Mediterranean climate or subtropical zone, experiencing mild, wet winters and warm to hot, summers. Generally the weather is warm and dry in all seasons, with 325 days of sunshine a year. Breezes from the Pacific Ocean tend to keep the beach communities of the Los Angeles area cooler in summer and warmer in winter than those further inland, and summer temperatures can sometimes vary by as much as 20 degrees warmer in the inland communities compared to that of the coastal communities.
Jobs and Commerce
The economy of Los Angeles is driven by international trade, entertainment (television, motion pictures, recorded music), aerospace, agriculture, petroleum, and tourism. Los Angeles is also the largest manufacturing center in the United States. The contiguous ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach together compose the most significant port in North America and one of the most important ports in the world, and they are vital to trade within the Pacific Rim. Other significant industries include media production, finance, telecommunications, law, health and medicine, and transportation.
The city is home to three major Fortune 500 companies, including aerospace contractor Northrop Grumman, energy company Occidental Petroleum Corporation, and homebuilding company KB Home.
Parks and Recreation
Since 1944, the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation has been meeting the diverse needs of not only residents but visitors from all over the world. With over 63,000 acres of parks, gardens, lakes, trails, natural areas, and the world's largest public golf course system, the Department of Parks and Recreation is committed to providing the public with social, cultural and recreational activities for everyone to enjoy the whole year round!
Arts and Culture
Los Angeles County residents and visitors have access to a vast array of cultural and recreational opportunities. In addition to all the attractions offered by the private sector, the County has a number of world-class facilities that it oversees.
The County's gardens include the Arboretum and Botanic Garden, the South Coast Botanic Garden, Descanso Gardens and Virginia Robinson Gardens. Under County management are more than 63,000 acres of parks, gardens, lakes, trails, natural areas and the world's largest public golf course system. These include 87 regional and local parks, 344 miles of horse and hiking trails, 19 golf courses and 31 public swimming pools.
Los Angeles County Links
Education
Los Angeles County encompasses 80 school districts that serve nearly 1.7 million students at more than 1,700 school sites. One-third of students are considered English language learners. Students and families in the county speak some 90 different languages. Racial distribution among K-12 public school students is: 59 percent Latino, 19 percent Caucasian, 11 percent African American, 8.5 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, 2 percent Filipino, and 0.3 percent American Indian.
In addition to K-12 school districts, Los Angeles County also encompasses 13 community college districts. Click here for detailed information on each School District and a list of individual schools.
Our Cities
Below you will find valuable links and information on all the Los Angeles County communities I am proud to serve. Enjoy, and feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.
Hawthorne
Incorporated in 1922, Hawthorne has been dubbed “Hub of the South Bay” because it has quick and easy access to Southern California offerings such as culture, sports, entertainment, the mountains and the beach...only four miles to the Pacific Ocean!
More than half the area is residential with twice as many apartment dwellers as single family homes plus some light industry and commercial business. Crime is average for a city this size—population 77,700.
Served by three school districts: the Hawthorne Elementary District, Centinela Valley District and Wiseburn Elementary District percentiles rank from 40 to 90. Hawthorne was named in honor of author Nathaniel Hawthorne and incorporated in 1929. There are two libraries and a half dozen parks.
Downtown Los Angeles is about 25 miles away. The light rail can get you to downtown, LAX and Long Beach.
You can reach the Hawthorne Chamber of Commerce at (310) 676-1163.
Inglewood
This city of 117,000 is just east of LAX. Served by the Inglewood Unified School District, school rankings are often between 50-80th percentile.
About 70% of the housing was built between 1940 and 1970. Among single family homes, two and three bedrooms dominate. Newer tracts are gated and most areas are well manicured. There are more renters than homeowners. Crime is above average but like most of Los Angeles County, crime is declining.
Downtown Los Angeles is 13 miles away. There are thousands of jobs in surrounding communities and LAX. The beach is four miles. Buses and light rail, the 405 and 105 make Inglewood an easy city to come and go.
Amenities include Boys & Girls Club, after-school activities for children, a senior center and 13 parks plus all the activities associated with Hollywood Park Race Track and The Forum.
City Links
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Gardena
A city known for it’s natural beauty and abundance of trees, Gardena is also known as “The Freeway City” due to it’s close proximity from LAX, Long Beach Airport, Port of Los Angeles and the Alameda Corridor.
There are approximately an equal number of apartments and single family homes. Slightly more than half the homes were built during and immediately after WW II. The newer styles have adopted the postwar model with three bedrooms.
Neighborhoods are clean and well maintained. Education provided by the Los Angeles Unified School District, ranks in the 20th and 30th percentile. Crime is about average for a city this size—population 57,500.
Amenities include a half dozen parks, community center, community gym, swim center, senior’s center and first class library. El Camino Community College sits on the southern border. Gardena is six miles from LAX, five miles from the beach and 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles.
City Links
Torrance
The 4th most populated city in Los Angeles County, has 141,500 residents.
It boomed in the 50’s and 60’s with mostly three bedroom houses. Newer homes have four or five bedrooms. Two thirds of residents own and the remainder rent. Many streets go all out with trees and flowers.
Served by the Torrance Unified School District, education is strongly supported. Most schools rank in the 60 to high 90th percentile. Crime is suburban average.
Hawthorne Blvd. has a huge mall (Del Amo) and almost every other store known to modern civilization. If you can’t find it here, it doesn’t exist. There are two dozen parks, five libraries and El Camino Community College.
Business booms with large financial centers, car dealerships, manufacturing and medical to small businesses, hotels, restaurants, retail, Honda headquarters and oil refinery.
Pockets of Torrance touch the beach but residents living inland travel two to five miles to the beach, 19 miles to downtown Los Angeles and seven miles to LAX.
City Links
Lomita
Lomita is a small, middle-class community of 20,300 squeezed between Torrance and Rolling Hills Estates. Meaning “little hill”, most of the city is flat except for the southern section rising into the hills.
Incorporated in 1964, about 60% of residential units were built between the 50s and 80s. Homes in the flatlands reflect the housing styles of that era. As you move toward the hills, some homes have views, customized touches and more extensive landscaping.
Single family homes are more prevalent than apartments. Crime is extremely low.
Los Angeles Unified School District serves the community and percentiles rank from 50s to 90s. There are five parks, a wading pool, public library and a railroad museum.
Downtown Los Angeles is 22 miles but Long Beach is only six miles away.
The local chamber of commerce can be reached at (310) 326-6378.
City Links
Long Beach
Long Beach is the second most populous city in Los Angeles County and the 5th largest city in the state with a population around 442,000. Aerospace is a major employer. Other local employment includes hospitals and medical, city government, tourism, shipping, manufacturing, high tech and retail.
About 24 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach is a short drive from business hub Orange County. Long Beach’s light rail service ties into the L.A. Metro and four freeways run through the city. It has its own municipal airport.
Housing varies with a rich architectural heritage of Spanish Mission-style, Victorian and California bungalows side by side sharing neighborhood space. Beach living mixes hi-rises, artists’ colonies, California bungalows and casual apartment living. Most middle class homes have three bedrooms. There are almost twice as many single-family homes as apartments. Crime is average for a city this size.
The Long Beach School District was the first to make school uniforms mandatory. Scores range from low to very high. There are two community colleges and a large state university (Cal State University Long Beach) with 28,000 students.
You’ll never be bored with three performing art centers, four museums, galleries, shopping, restaurants and movie theatres. Sports fans can cheer for their own hockey team, the Ice Dogs or the Grand Prix.
Get some exercise at the 62 parks, 40 tennis courts, miles of bicycle trails or hoofing it through the Queen Mary. The once ocean liner is now a 365 room hotel with daily tours, restaurants, wedding chapel and ballroom.
A newly opened 150,000 square foot state-of-the-art aquarium attracts all ages. And speaking of water, the state’s largest owned marina has 3,400 boat slips, harbor cruises and romantic gondola rides in Naples.
City Links
Lawndale
With a population of 30,000 Lawndale is located between Torrance and Hawthorne. Lawndale was designed for veterans getting into the housing market (two and three-bedroom homes) so it’s not a fancy city but streets are clean and homes are well cared for. Sixty-nine percent of the residents are renters.
Schools, served by the Lawndale Elementary Unified District and Centinela Valley Union High School District, rank between 30 and 50th percentile. Crime is suburban average for a city of this size.
LAX and the beach are only five miles away. Downtown Los Angeles is 16 miles.
There’s a library, three parks, large playing fields at local schools, a nearby golf course and community colleges.
The chamber of commerce can be reached at (310) 679-3306.
City Links
Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach is an ocean city/bedroom community of 55,000 that angles inland. South Redondo boasts two miles of sandy beaches for swimming, roller blading, biking, surfing, tanning and walking as Technicolor sunsets create glorious well being.
Condos, apartments and single family homes abound, as do shops, restaurants and small businesses. North Redondo jags inland but the mostly single family units and condos make for good neighbors and well-kept yards. If you don’t already have a dog, you’ll probably get one.
Although there is no “downtown”, retail pockets such as the South Bay Galleria anchored by Nordstrom’s on the east and boutiques at Hollywood Rivera on the west offer ample shopping opportunities. Crime rate is low.
The Redondo Beach Unified School District has rankings from 40th through high 90th percentile. Some high school students attend Manhattan Beach’s Mira Costa High School but most attend Redondo High School where all freshmen receive laptop computers.
With 15 parks (including a huge dog park), a marina, senior center, performing arts center, movie multiplex and brand new library...why would you want to live anywhere else?
Downtown Los Angeles is 23 miles and LAX five miles.
City Links
El Segundo
A great community located just south of the Los Angeles International Airport. El Segundo in name and situation turns some people off but once you get beyond this, you'll find this charming little city.
The population is 16,864. It's name means "the second". In this instance the second Standard Oil Refinery, built in 1917. Standard, now Chevron, remains a big presence, controlling on the south side about half of El Segundo. Down through the years, a small community covering about 550 acres grew up between the refinery and the airport and, because the town had a strong tax base and corporate sponsors, it did an excellent job of installing parks and amenities.
El Segundo has a library, recently renovated, a seniors' center, a swimming pool, a driving range, a golf course and about half/dozen parks. The city recreational department offers many activities for children, teens and adults. Secluded, intimate town, close to everything, but buffered by the airport and the major industries, seemingly stuck off by it self. It's on the Pacific and has a short drive to some of the finest beached in L.A. County.
El Segundo has its own school district, including one elementary, one middle and one high school. Scores generally run from the 80th to 90th percentile. This indicates strong support for education. A $24 million bond passes in 1997 to renovate their schools. Center Elementary, in 2000, was split into Center Street Elementary and Richmond Street Elementary schools. The town also has a parochial school.
There were zero homicides between 1995 and 1999. Counts for previous years are 1, 1, 0, 1, 2. This city has its own police department.
About 25 percent of the town's housing was built before 1950. About 40 percent was built between 1950 and 1970 and the rest over the last 30 years. The great majority of the single homes have two and three bedrooms. About two dozen homes are positioned along the beach bluff's to command views of the ocean. The rest of the town is built along gently sloping land away from the beach. The state in 2000 counted 7,362 housing units, 293 single attached, 3,887 multiples (many of them hotel rooms), one mobile. In the 1990's, El Segundo's population increased by 1,5000 people and its housing stock by 175 units.
It has a short commute for many because the town is surrounded by and includes job producing offices and industries. It also has several major hotels.
For commuters going to downtown L.A., the drive is about 20 miles. Check out the plane noise. The Chamber of Commerce number is 310-322-1220.
City Links
Carson Incorporated in 1968, Carson is a relatively young city. True to its motto, “Future unlimited.” it’s the 8th largest city in Los Angeles County with a growing population of 89,000.
Served by the Los Angeles Unified School District, students rank in 20 to 60th percentile. Cal State University-Dominguez Hills provides a great bonus to the city by raising the perception of academia, offering low cost extension classes and numerous cultural and sporting events.
The majority of housing is single family homes with neat and trim lawns. While mostly a bedroom community, light industry, retail and big business create about 6,000 local jobs. Crime is about average for a city this size.
Only six miles from the ocean, Carson has a sports complex, community center, two golf courses, its own symphony, a dozen parks, jogging and recreational facilities at the university, a large shopping mall and convention center.
There’s light rail to Long Beach as well as downtown Los Angeles (18 miles). LAX is only 10 miles away.
City Links
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