Richmond Street

 Take a tour of El Segundo

El Segundo is the last of the four South Bay/Beach Cities and the only one who doesn't have beach as part of the name.   A lot of people forget that El Segundo does have a stretch of beach just north of El Porto in Manhattan Beach.  El Segundo is the Country Cousin compared  to Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach. 

This is the little town that is off the traffic path of the other beach cities.  This is where  Main Street really is the name of the main street in town.  Many residents call it Main Street USA  because it looks  like a street from an 1940's movie set.  You can just see Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney leading the neighborhood kids to the High School auditorium where they will put on a play to save the town from the bad guys.  I love this town.. it is just so adorable and did I mention it doesn't  have a lot of traffic.

El Segundo actually started life as a company town. It was part of the old Rancho Sisal which included the areas we now know as Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach.  Most of the land along the coast was huge sand dunes. I'd be willing to bet that as commuters make their way along Vista del Mar each morning and afternoon they don't realize that those hills to the west are actually big sand dunes.. In 1911 Executives from Standard Oil were looking for another location in California to use as a refinery.  They needed to have it close enough to the ocean that they could set up shipping and near enough to a major city they would be able to attract workers.. El Segundo looked like the ideal spot.  The name El Segundo means the second and El Segundo became the second refinery for Standard Oil of California.   Six years later the town of El Segundo became incorporated on January 18, 1917.

El Segundo was truly a company town.  For many years probably 85% of the population worked in some capacity for Standard Oil.  Standard Oil has donated a lot of money for various city projects over the years. After World War II the dynamics of the community began to change as the aerospace industry began to be the major employer in the area.  By 1960 El Segundo became the "Aerospace Capital of the World".  Today El Segundo is home to people who work in many diverse fields. 

Walking down Main Street is like walking back in time to another era and place.  El Segundo has always had the feel of a small midwest town and over the years the city has maintained its charm. although it is literally surrounded by Standard Oil on the south, Los Angeles International Airport on the north and both Edison and the Hyperion plant on the west the city is still a place where people enjoy living.  Many of the residents have ties that go back to the founding of the town.  

El Segundo has a terrific School system with two elementary schools , an Intermediate school and a High School.  The High School is a striking example of art deco and has been made famous in many TV Shows and films.

The July 4th Fireworks program is famous through out the South Bay.  The Hometown Fair is in May in Library Park . In the fall the El Segundo Art Association has a show in the Library.

Sports and sport programs have always been a part of El Segundo. The Lakers  have their practice sessions in El Segundo as do The Kings.  George and Bobby Brett are home town boys.  The Lakes is a wonderful Par 3 Executive golf course with a great practice area.

While El Segundo has had much success with their two Business Parks on Sepulveda and Rosecrans.. it may be commercial ventures and new restaurants that will make El Segundo famous.  The Plaza El Segundo on Rosecrans and Sepulveda and Rosecrans just opened  to rave reviews from the neoghboring communities. 

The Real Estate market in El Segundo is always fairly stable.  There is rarely a lot of inventory.  Many of the homes are classic Craftsman and Spanish from the early days.  In recent years El Segundo has seen an upswing in townhomes.  There have beensome  major projects on Grand Ave in the last few years.  One of the most popular seems to be a group of  work/live Artist townhomes that sold quickly.  El Segundo also had  Office/Live units on Richmond that sold well.    Other cities in the South Bay are taking note and we may soon see similar projects.  You can buyt a new home on a large lot in El Segundo for under $2,000,000 which is a bargain compared to other beach cities.   There are also a number of condos with elevators that are selling in the under $600,000 range.

If you are looking for a small town feel close to the bright lights of the Big City then El Segundo may be the place for you.