The South Bay or Beach Cities as it is commonly referred, is a coastal area of Los Angeles County, comprising Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach. It is located on the south end of the Santa Monica Bay, west and south of downtown Los Angeles, north of the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the Pacific. El Segundo and Torrance also share a strip of beach property in the South Bay, but are lesser known because they do not have a pier attraction.
The South Bay is one of the most culturally, economically, and ethnically diverse areas in the United States however the racial and economic makeup varies widely across the region. El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance have a mixture of middle-to-upper class residents. The Palos Verdes Peninsula and Manhattan Beach are two of the wealthiest communities in the United States, with some of the most expensive real estate in the country.
All three are renowned for their beaches and municipal piers. They are popular with swimmers, surfers, body-boarders, and other beachgoers. The Strand, a paved bicycle path that runs along the beaches from Torrance to Santa Monica, is a popular attraction used for cycling, running and rollerblading.
The Harbor (I-110), San Diego (I-405), Gardena (SR 91), and Century (I-105) Freeways provide the region with its principal transportation links. The Los Angeles MTA's Blue Line is a light rail line that runs between Downtown Los Angeles and Downtown Long Beach.
Housing in the South Bay varies from baby-boom ranch style, to charming Americana, to beautiful hillside, to laid back beach bungalow, and pretty much everything in between. The one thing they all have in common is proximity to the beautiful pacific ocean and weather that is pleasant, pretty much all year long. Housing costs are high, and approximately half of those who live in the South Bay are renters.
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