As shown on the map at right, Torrance is one of the largest cities geographically in the South Bay.
. Although Torrance does have a tiny bit of beach in the area of the Hollywood Riviera which is known as RAT beach (no, not rodents — it stands for Redondo and Torrance beach), for the most part Torrance is less about the beach and more about affordable housing with great schools.
Madrona Marsh, an interesting natural wetland, a huge weekend Farmer’s market at Wilson Park, and lots of shopping at the second largest mall in the United States, Del Amo are all included within Torrance’s boundaries. The area known as the Hollywood Riviera has Redondo Beach post office addresses but is really part of the City of Torrance; this area has lots of hillside homes with views of the Los Angeles basin or the Queen’s Necklace of the South Bay.
Torrance real estate consists mainly of single family homes built between 1940 and 1970, although the Old Torrance area has terrific Craftsman bungalows dating from the turn of the last century. A typical Torrance home is an approximately 1200 square foot 3 smallish bedrooms with a tiny 3/4 bath for the “master”, a nice sized, sunny living space, a galley style kitchen, and a large yard with lush plantings. Remodeling along the way, however, has resulted in lots of larger and remodeled homes, so be sure to look at what Torrance has to offer.
Schools are excellent in the Torrance Unified School District. Be careful when looking in Torrance; some homes near the Harbor Freeway in the County Strip area have Torrance Post office addresses but do not have Torrance schools.
