THE RED CAR LINE

Henry Huntington was a very major real estate developer and public utility system tycoon in southern California. In 1901 Huntington formed the Pacific Electric Railway (“PE”) to serve his real estate development aims in the Los Angeles area. The largest of the suburban electric railways operating out of downtown Los Angeles in the early 1900s was not Huntington's Pacific Electric but the Los Angeles Pacific (“LAP”).The heads of LAP also had extensive real estate development projects in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Playa del Rey and Hollywood.

This very extensive railway ran streetcar lines out through Hollywood and suburban trolley lines to Santa Monica, Brentwood, and down the coast to Redondo Beach in what was called the “balloon route”.

In 1906 Edward Harriman, head of the Southern Pacific Railroad, gained control of the Los Angeles Pacific, and finally in 1910 he acquired Huntington's PE, and in 1911 merged the two into Pacific Electric. At that time, all of the transit cars were painted red, leading to the moniker “red car line”

One of the major problems with PE as a passenger railway was that when developers originally invested in the trolley lines to serve their subdivisions, they were interested in providing only the minimum facilities they needed in order to sell real estate, and they were not intended to make money providing passenger service. And in fact the PE passenger operations as a whole never made a profit. The Southern Pacific was willing to accept the perennial operating losses of PE because SP made quite a bit of money off the freight business that was fed to SP by PE. In the '20s to '50s era, PE was the main hauler of freight to and from the combined ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

Redondo Beach traffic with Red car tracks and red car in background

The red car line also could never be called “rapid transit”, as it had to slog its way through surface street traffic. They were also very overcrowded. The trip from downtown Los Angeles to Redondo Beach took well over an hour. The increased ownership and convenience of the automobile spelled the demise of the Red Car. The red car line suffered severe operating losses throughout the 1930’s and were slowly replaced by bus service through the 1940’s. The Redondo Beach line was eliminated in 1940. The red car line is now only a nostalgic memory.

 Red car in Manhattan Beach

                                                             History of Redondo Beach

In 1854, a natural salt lake located between Pacific and Francesca Avenues,at the northern end of Redondo Beach--just outside of Hermosa Beach, known as the "Old Salt Lake" was sold to Henry Allenson and William Johnson. This sale precipitated the establishment of Pacific Salt Works, which extracted and sold salt and operated through approx. 1908.

When Don Miguel Dominquez died in 1882, he left the Rancho San Pedro to his six daughters. Three of his daughters, Susana, Guadalupe, and Maria de Los Reyes Dominguez, inherited portions of the estate, each including individual sections collectively known as the Ocean Tract. In 1890, Susana Dominquez married Gregorio Del Amo y Gonzalez. Del Amo Boulevard is named after this family.

In 1889 this coastal tract of 433 acres was sold to the Redondo Beach Improvement Company, founded by Robert Thompson and John Ainsworth, for $12,000. They promoted, developed, and sold land that eventually became the nucleus of the city of Redondo Beach.  On April 18, 1892, Redondo voters adopted city-hood by a vote of 177-10. The first City Hall was built in 1908 at Benita and Emerald Street.

The name of the city is Spanish for "round," which either refers to the half-round street pattern of the original town site, or the adjacent "Rancho Sausal Redondo" ("Ranch of the Round Clump of Willows"), which was just north of the city.

The City was becoming "The Place" for tourists. Railroads and steamships brought people by the thousands, not to mention freight loads of oil and lumber. At this time, Redondo was the first port of Los Angeles County. Steamers from the Pacific Steamship Company stopped at Redondo four times a week, at one of its three piers, as part of regular runs between San Francisco and San Diego. The Redondo Railway Company and the Santa Fe Railroad left Los Angeles daily for Redondo at regular intervals. Eventually the City was served by Henry Huntington’s Big Red Electric Cars.

Redondo's popularity began a slow decline when San Pedro Harbor started to take shape in 1899. By 1912, the Pacific Steamship Company stopped calling at Redondo altogether. Lumber schooners still used Pier No. 3 at Topaz Street until the railroad pulled out in 1926. Because of prohibition, the $250,000 Hotel Redondo closed its doors and in 1925 was sold for scrap lumber--the price was $300.

Hotel Redonco

Storms have been an ever-present danger to the City's piers. They have been washed out, then rebuilt, then washed out again. Redondo’s first breakwater was built in 1939 and although the cost was more than $500,000, it provided only limited protection. Because of the way it was constructed, wave action and the normal movement of the beach sand was altered. Following every storm, sand accumulated north of the breakwater. Eventually the beach area between Diamond and Beryl Streets was obliterated. A raging storm in 1953 caused extensive damage not only to the breakwater, but to City streets and private property.

Redondo’s population boomed in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1890, the population was 668; in 1940 it was 13,092; and in 1965 it was 54,772. Today, Redondo citizens number a little over 63,000.

 For more, see http://www.southbayhistory.com

The Redondo Beach Police Officers’ Association, in conjunction with the Redondo Beach Firefighters’ Association, is proud to announce the return of Santa Claus to the citizens of Redondo Beach. After a short reprieve, Santa Claus and his little elves have agreed to take time out of their busy schedule to swing by our side of the globe.

Starting November 26th, Santa and his Elves will once again travel the streets of Redondo Beach. The sleigh will begin in the north end of town, ending in the south end of town on December 13th. December 14th, 15th and 16th will be used as make up days if needed. Although the time can vary, Santa generally leaves the North Pole around 5:30 PM. He travels the streets of Redondo Beach until around 9 PM. It is hard to say when Santa will stop by your street, but you can estimate this by the above times and where you fall within the route on any given night.

Originally started by volunteer police and firefighters several decades ago, the Santa Sleigh had been operated continuously up until last year. The Santa Sleigh has always been staffed by off duty police officers and firefighters volunteering countless hours during Santa’s visit. This is an opportunity for Redondo Beach’s public safety personnel to give back to the community and thank them for their support.

Come out and not only meet Santa, but also the police officers, firefighters and city employees that work the streets in your city every day!
Go to  http://www.redondobeachpd.com for a list of the dates when Santa will be in your neighborhood!

For most of us, living ocean front in Manhattan Beach or Hermosa Beach is unrealistic and unaffordable. Prices generally start in the multi millions and the few Strand "fixers" that are still out there are usually quickly bought up by developers and builders. Redondo Beach is different, however, as zoning has made for larger condo complexes, many with great views, and almost all far more affordable. As of November 6th 2012, there are currently 6 condos on the market....most with spectacular ocean views. The most prominent areas to find ocean view condos in Redondo Beach are the Esplanade, the oceanfront street in the cities southernmost area, and The Village and Seascape which are a series of buildings built in the 1970s that generally overlook King Harbor. Click here for more details on the current oceanview condos and for current listings.

When most people think of real estate in Redondo Beach their ideal is almost always living near the beach, or better yet, right on the beach.  Watching boats sail by and listening to the sounds of the waves can't be all that bad, right?  It may actually be more affordable than you think with an abundance of options.  Currently the inventory of active ocean front listings found on the Redondo Beach Esplanade is very high and there are some fantastic condos for sale.  There are currently 12 condos or townhomes available on The Esplanade, Redondo Beach's oceanfront street, ranging from 1 bedroom condos with peek-a-boo views to penthouse units that are practically on the beach.  To take a video tour of The Esplanade click here or see below.

575 Esplanade # 105, Redondo Beach 90277 LP: $1,295,000   ML#: S12065162 Status: Active MB#:   Sqft (Src): 1,502 (A) Bdr/Ba: 2/2 Pool: N View: Y Ac/LotSqft (Src): 0.460/20,028 (A) YrBlt: 1974/ASR Type: CONDO     Gar: 2

727 Esplanade # 101, Redondo Beach 90277 LP: $845,000   ML#: S12062700 Status: Active MB#:   Sqft (Src): 1,358 (A) Bdr/Ba: 2/2 Pool: Y View: Y Ac/LotSqft (Src): 0.459/19,985 (A) YrBlt: 1974/EST Type: CONDO     Gar: 3

625 Esplanade # 46, Redondo Beach 90277 LP: $629,900   ML#: S12059072 Status: Active MB#: 762-H6 Sqft (Src): 1,240 (A) Bdr/Ba: 2/2 Pool: N View: Y Ac/LotSqft (Src):   YrBlt: 1974/ASR Type: CONDO     Gar: 2

420 ESPLANADE # 3, Redondo Beach 90277 LP: $649,500   ML#: S11146297 Status: Active MB#: 762H6 Sqft (Src): 1,943 (AP) Bdr/Ba: 3/3 Pool: Y View: Y Ac/LotSqft (Src):   YrBlt: 1985/ASR Type: CONDO     Gar: 2

531 Esplanade # 301, Redondo Beach 90277 LP: $649,000   ML#: V12056368 Status: Active MB#:   Sqft (Src): 1,434 (A) Bdr/Ba: 2/3 Pool: Y View: Y Ac/LotSqft (Src):   YrBlt: 1974/ASR Type: CONDO     Gar: 2

625 Esplanade # 51, Redondo Beach 90277 LP: $949,900   ML#: S12048801 Status: Active MB#: 762H6 Sqft (Src): 1,400 (A) Bdr/Ba: 2/2 Pool: N View: Y Ac/LotSqft (Src):   YrBlt: 1974/ASR Type: CONDO     Gar: 2

565 ESPLANADE # 302, Redondo Beach 90277 LP: $379,000   ML#: 12163981 Status: Active MB#: 762H6 Sqft (Src): 717 (P) Bdr/Ba: 1/1 Pool: N View: Y Ac/LotSqft (Src): 0.582/25,363 (A) YrBlt: 1971/ASR Type: CONDO     Gar: 32

531 Esplanade # 515, Redondo Beach 90277 LP: $1,091,300   ML#: I12045569 Status: Active MB#:   Sqft (Src): 1,627 (A) Bdr/Ba: 2/3 Pool: Y View: Y Ac/LotSqft (Src): 0.555/24,169 (A) YrBlt: 1974/ASR Type: CONDO     Gar: 2

816 Esplanade # 1, Redondo Beach 90277 LP: $1,499,000   ML#: V12036769 Status: Active MB#:   Sqft (Src): 2,261 (T) Bdr/Ba: 3/3 Pool: N View: Y Ac/LotSqft (Src): 0.285/12,424 (A) YrBlt: 1990/ASR Type: CONDO     Gar: 2

531 Esplanade # 716, Redondo Beach 90277 LP: $1,950,000   ML#: V10040181 Status: Active MB#: 762H6 Sqft (Src): 1,627 (A) Bdr/Ba: 3/3 Pool: Y View: Y Ac/LotSqft (Src): 0.010/296 (A) YrBlt: 1974 Type: CONDO     Gar: 2

 

 

 

Keith Kyle is a licensed Realtor, short sale specialist and Top Producing agent with South Bay Brokers in

Manhattan Beach.  He serves his clients throughout the South Bay and his websites KeithKyleHomes.com,

TorranceRealEstateHomes.com, ManhattanBeachLuxuryRealEstate.com and FindYourSouthBayHome.com

offer the most comprehensive real estate destinations in the South Bay with free MLS access, current home

listings, open houses, recent home sales information and more.  Keith can be reached at 310-251-2344 or by

email at info@KeithKyleHomes.com.  For more information on the South Bay, visit my Beach Cities Real Estate blog.

 

As part of our ongoing tour of South Redondo Beach real estate, today we take a look at one of the oceanfront condominium complexes in South Redondo Beach known as The Sand Castle.  The Sandcastle is located at 615 Esplanade.  The Sand Castle consists of two buildings with panoramic ocean views from both (the exception is the 5th floor which is actually the 1st floor of the rear building.  The 5th floor does have views but overlooks the roof of the front building so no sand or wave views which makes that location more affordable and less valuable).  The Sand Castle has 96 units of which most are 1 bedroom with 719 square feet.  The layout has the bedroom in the back with the kitchen in the middle overlooking the living room in the front.  As mentioned above most units directly overlook the sand and surf making this a great place to own as a beach house, rental unit, or vacation home. 

          Panoramic views and sounds of the ocean                 View of a 5th floor unit with partial views

 There are a few larger units but sales are very rare with the last 2 bedroom selling in 2007 for $772,500 and a very unique 4 bedroom penthouse (was originally 2 2 bedroom unitsthat were combined) selling in 2010 for over $1.5M.  The larger 2 bedrooms are only top floor units (both buildings) so views are unbelievable.  One bedroom units have sold for a low of $335,000 for a bank owned on the 5th floor (limited views) to over $600,000 for a remodeled oceanfront unit.

 The Sand Castle as seen from the Beach

Click on the video below to tak a tour of the Redondo Beach oceanfront home options

Keith Kyle is a licensed Realtor, short sale specialist and Top Producing agent with South Bay Brokers in Manhattan Beach.  He serves his clients throughout the South Bay and his websites KeithKyleHomes.com, TorranceRealEstateHomes.com, ManhattanBeachLuxuryRealEstate.com and FindYourSouthBayHome.com offer the most comprehensive real estate destinations in the South Bay with free MLS access, current home listings, open houses, recent home sales information and more.  Keith can be reached at 310-251-2344 or by email at info@KeithKyleHomes.com.  For more information on the South Bay, visit my Beach Cities Real Estate blog.

Unlike Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach offers a much wider variety of housing options and living ocean front may be more affordable than you think.  In this tour we'll take a quick look at the first 3 ocean front buildings on the Esplanade, the bluff top street overlooking the beach.  In this tour we'll show you the 531 Esplanade building known as the Ocean Plaza, the 535 Esplanade building known as Casa Bahia, and the 565 Buildings known as the Surfrider.  All were built in the 1970s with some condos for sale having been completely remodeled while others are fairly original.  All three buildings have a limited amount of ocean front condos with the majority having partial ocean views.

Keith Kyle is a licensed Realtor, short sale specialist and Top Producing agent with South Bay Brokers in Manhattan Beach.  He serves his clients throughout the South Bay and his websites KeithKyleHomes.com, ManhattanBeachLuxuryRealEstate.com and FindYourSouthBayHome.com offer the most comprehensive real estate destinations in the South Bay with free MLS access, current home listings, open houses, recent home sales information and more.  Keith can be reached at 310-251-2344 or by email at info@KeithKyleHomes.com.  For more information on the South Bay, visit my Beach Cities Real Estate blog.