South Redondo Beach Homes for Sale and Real Estate Trends

If you’re looking for a home in Redondo Beach, but want to be closer to the actual beach, then a neighborhood in South Redondo is the right choice.

Like North Redondo Beach, South Redondo is divided into distinct neighborhoods, each with its own unique feel. South Redondo neighborhoods include West of PCH, South of Torrance Blvd, North of Torrance Blvd, and the rather controversial location of Hollywood Riviera which is technically in Torrance, but receives a Redondo Beach address.

Each neighborhood offers a unique location, cultural feel, prevailing home style and price range. Because of the size of the area, some neighborhoods like West of PCH offer easy beach access, while Hollywood Riviera puts you in a luxurious area that rivals Manhattan Beach. With such a wide variety of options, it’s best to look at each neighborhood in detail – so let’s get into the neighborhood guide below.

South Redondo Beach Real Estate and Neighborhood Guide

Offering homes closest to the beach, the West of Pacific Coast Highway (West of PCH) neighborhood is the perfect place for true beach lovers. The West of Pacific Coast Highway neighborhood is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and includes a beautiful oceanfront strand, known as The Esplanade, which is a scenic walkway that runs parallel to the ocean. The Esplanade offers stunning views of the ocean, sunsets, and the Santa Monica Mountains, making it the perfect place for an evening stroll or a sunrise jog. Anchoring the neighborhood at the north is the famous Redondo Beach Pier, and the breakwater that surrounds the two main dock basins that host the King Harbor Yacht Club, and the famous Lanakila Outrigger Canoe club. Plenty of green space is offered by Veterans Park. West of PCH is bordered by the Pacific on the west, Pacific Coast Highway on the east, Herondo St on the north, and at the south by a jagged line that links Burnout Beach with Palos Verdes Blvd. The neighborhood offers a variety of detached homes, townhomes, condominiums and apartments, and contrary to what you might think, there are many affordable housing options in the area. Detached homes are mostly classic California bungalows built in the 1920s-1940s, with surprisingly larger lots in the 5,000-6,000 sqft size given the near-beach location, with the odd 2,000-3,000 sqft lot closer to the Esplanade. Many homes have completely renovated interiors, and some have been torn down and rebuilt with a contemporary design.

Hollywood Riviera is a rather unique part of Redondo Beach – or is it? Back in the day, the then residents of the newer community of Hollywood Riviera lived closer to the Redondo Beach post office than the Torrance post office, even though the community was officially part of Torrance – but for this reason, the original homes were given a Redondo Beach address! Many years later, as the community grew southward, the newer homes received a Torrance address. This is an important feature to note, because there can be a dramatic price difference between “Redondo Beach” Riviera homes and “Torrance” Riviera homes. It’s also important to note which school district and schools are assigned to a specific address in the community as a homebuyer could be looking for a Redondo Beach school, yet find their children assigned to a Torrance school. Hollywood Riviera also offers the most private oceanfront estates in the South Bay. While the oceanfront homes of Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach have foot and bike traffic right outside your door, and the lack of privacy that comes with living along The Strand, the homes along the Riviera’s Paseo De La Playa sit along a bluff above the beach offering private, commanding views of the ocean, Catalina Island and around to Santa Monica. Some homes feature existing paths to the beach (new paths are not allowed), giving homeowners direct access to their own almost private stretch of sand.

Are you looking for a super-friendly neighborhood with beautiful tree lined streets and gentle hills that may offer a view of the ocean below? Maybe entertaining friends and family with a BBQ on your rooftop deck admiring the gorgeous Pacific coast sunset and the views across the water to Catalina? You might want to consider a new home in the super popular South Of Torrance Blvd neighborhood in Redondo Beach. There is a variety of homes here, starting with cozy beach cottages around $1M up to $5M for a modern, brand new home on a double lot where no luxury or technology featured is spared. The South of Torrance Blvd neighborhood includes the highly popular Wilderness Park where families can camp overnight without even leaving your neighborhood. Bordered on the north by Torrance Blvd, the east by S. Prospect Ave, the south by the PCH, and the west also by PCH (due to its curve), the neighborhood is further divided into Alta Vista where homes border the popular Alta Vista Park and enjoy views of open green spaces, and the Upper Avenues (roughly Avenue A to Avenue G) with homes sitting along those gentle hills that include beautiful ocean and sunset views. The Upper Avenue homes may also feature larger lots, some perhaps enough to include a pool. Condo and townhome options are also available including the beautifully tropically landscaped Brookside Village that reminds me of a Hawaiian resort, and offers condominiums priced from the $500,000s, most definitely a bargain for living so close to the beach.

Encompassing the famous Gem Streets and the Girl Streets (named for the daughters of the owner of the original Rancho granted by the King of Spain in 1784) , and featuring detached homes starting right around $1M, the North of Torrance Blvd neighborhood offers some of the most affordable detached homes in Redondo Beach, along with a quick bike over to the marinas and Seaside Lagoon for clean, safe saltwater swimming. The North of Torrance Blvd neighborhood is anchored at its center by the sprawling Redondo Union High School campus, and its borders include Torrance Blvd on the south, W. 190th St on the north, PCH on the west, and N. Prospect Ave on the east including a little jog around Beryl St. and Dominguez Park at the northeast corner. Lot sizes typically run from 2,000 sqft on the small end, up to 7,500 sqft on the larger size including some double lots. While few condominium apartment options are typically available, and their selling price is often on par with a detached home or townhome, the area does offer a number of townhomes for sale, many of which are new or newly renovated. 

South Redondo Beach is well known for its:

Top Ranked Schools – The Redondo Beach Unified School District is the largest school district among the three Beach Cities, and includes 8 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and 1 high school. The city is also home to a number of private schools and daycare facilities, as well as specialized alternative education programs for continuing study, adult education and independent learning. 

According to recent data, the overall rating for schools in Redondo Beach is 9-10 out of 10. This rating is based on a number of factors, including test scores, graduation rates, and the availability of advanced placement (AP) courses. Additionally, the schools in Redondo Beach have a low student-to-teacher ratio, which allows for individualized attention and support for each student.

Variety of Home Types and Lot Sizes – South Redondo Beach offers a wide variety of home types with a broader mix of detached homes, townhomes and condominiums across more price points, and a number of apartments for rent.

South Redondo homes tend to offer larger yards and more space with easy access to the beach, while remaining near local businesses that line the PCH.

Excellent Location – South Redondo Beach is known for offering a unique mix of residential areas closely intermixed with countless local and national brand businesses giving residents an almost endless variety of everything from restaurants to yoga studios. 

While the area is perfect for beach and recreation lovers, due to the curvature of the 405 freeway, South Redondo residents need to add extra commuting time to account for the extra drive to the closest freeway onramp.

Economic Opportunities – Northrop Grumman is the largest employer in the Redondo Beach area, and the companies of Silicon Beach in Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach are a reasonably short commute away. 

To the south, the departure of Toyota from Torrance has allowed a variety of small, medium and larger businesses to move into some of Toyota’s vacant office space, creating job growth for the area. 

To get personal advice on buying or selling a South Redondo Beach home, contact Steve Enchin, your Beach Cities and South Bay real estate marketing expert