South Bay: There’s Something for Everybody

The South Bay region, which is called so due to its location to the south of the Santa Monica Bay, is a collection of 15 cities along with portions of Los Angeles City as well as unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County. It is bound by Pacific Ocean on the west and south and by Los Angeles City to the east and north.

History of the Area

The cities of South Bay began developing a after the decline of ranchos. A man named Phineas Banning founded Wilmington town in 1858 as a port. Slowly, a few independent cities, like Gardena, Redondo Beach, Inglewood, and Hawthorne, started developing and survived through the period of land boom in the 1880s. In 1887, Redondo Beach became the first of the cities to be incorporated and became an entirely agricultural area. Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and other beach cities slowly became tourist locations and this propelled the development of hotels, amusement parks, and piers in this region. Around the same time, El Segundo was developed as the site for ‘Standard Oil’s’ second plant.

In the 1920s, the Palos Verdes Estates and the rest of the peninsula began developing as residential communities. The discovery of oil, and the rapid industrial growth in aerospace and related industries caused a boom in these areas during the two world wars, and the subsequent years. The development continued through the 1950s and 1960s. During the 1970s, the area began developing, with the establishment of office, residential, recreational, and retail centers to serve the growing number of residents. Transportation and other intercity enterprises also developed, and these have evolved into what we see in South Bay today.

Boundaries of Area

The South Bay boundaries are not clearly defined, but using the broadest description, it can be said to include most of the communities that lie to the south of the ‘Interstate 105’ and all areas to the west of the Long beach region. It is bounded by Gateway cities in the east, by Westside in the north, and by South LA in the northeast. The rest of the area is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean in the west and south.

Characteristics that Make South Bay Unique

One of the most important features of South Bay is the amazing ethnic, cultural, and economic diversity of this area. People from various economic and cultural backgrounds, and from various ancestries, including Latinos, Africans-Americans, Europeans and Asians, make up the population of this area.

One of the historical features of this region is the Port of Los Angeles. Though it officially became a port only in the early 20^th century, it has been documented as a natural harbor ever since 1542. From the mid 1800s, commercial ventures started operating from San Pedro, and they started utilizing the harbor.

The development of the port led to the industrialization of these areas from the early 1900s, the aerospace industry, and the oil refining industry were set up and this in turn, led to the development of these areas. Nowadays, the port and the Los Angeles Airport form the major hubs for transportation in the region. The port has also led to many foreign automotive companies setting up shop in this region, as it allows them to keep an eye on the import activities as well as keep them close to the customization culture in nearby South LA.

South Bay is a vibrant with many events, from Manhattan Beach to San Pedro; there is a wide variety of activities available to both tourists and residents. Whether it is shopping, water sports, dining, or just relaxing on the beach or at a spa, South Bay has something to entertain everyone.