South
Bay provides nearby entertainment for students
By Tina Page
On-line Forty-Niner
Local
flair and tourist buzz mix in relative harmony
in the three beach cities of Redondo, Hermosa
and Manhattan. Set up as vacation towns
in the late 1800s, these cities offer many
types of leisure activity from hiking and
surfing to drinking.
Obviously
the beach is the largest attraction during
the summer time, but there is just as much
to do during winter. Winter offers some
respite from the traffic and crowds caused
by tourists so there is a little more room
on the bike path and a little less time
between when a drink is ordered to when
it is actually received.
The
nightlife in the South Bay is diverse enough
to cater to almost any taste, musically
or socially. The most well-known spot is
Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach. With more
than 15 bars in a one-block radius, it has
become a favorite party spot for out-of-towners,
also known as legal aliens and for locals
looking to pick up on them.
Of
course, a good local band will bring everyone
down to places like the Lighthouse, Beastie’s
and TJ Charlie’s. Café Boogaloo offers
good blues in a New Orleans atmosphere and
cheap drinks.
For
someone looking to escape the long lines
at Sharkeez and the bouncers on power trips,
you can wear a short skirt and a push up
bra and skip the lines all together, or
check out the less trendy parts of Hermosa
Beach.
The
Pitcher House and the Hermosa Saloon are
two places to meet some interesting people
and escape the fashion contest and the I-make-a-lot-of-money-and-have-a-place-on-the-beach
types.
These
two bars are located on Pacific Coast Hightway
almost directly across the street from each
other, so the list of near misses as drunk
patrons stumble across the street from one
place to another is long. There is definitely
more of a welcoming atmosphere and a local
ambiance found here than anywhere on Pier
Avenue. Both offer live music on the weekends
and cheaper drinks than just about anywhere
in town.
For
a little hair of the dog, good breakfast
and a bloody mary, the North End at the
northern most part of Hermosa Beach can
provide it all. For a good, cheap breakfast
minus the alcohol, Eat at Joe’s in Redondo
on Pacific Coast Highway is one of the most
popular places. Picnic bench style seating
and quick service make this place a Sunday
favorite.
During
the winter the beaches are not as crowded,
but that does not mean that a sunny winter
day will not draw seemingly everyone from
their homes. The people in the area thrive
on random sunny weekend days at the beach.
A
bike path from Torrance runs north past
Marina del Rey providing bike riders, roller
skaters, dog walkers and just about any
mobile contraption to cruise the coast and
take in the beautiful view of the Palos
Verdes Peninsula to the south and Malibu
to the north, the two landmarks that close
in the South Bay. Surfboards, bikes and
roller skates can all be rented at the beach.
Palos
Verdes offers great hiking spots and stunning
views of the bay and the cliffs. Tide pools
and wildlife thrive along the Palos Verdes
coast. Information on more popular spots
can be picked up at the tourist office but
there are many more interesting places that
can be discovered.
All
of the cities offer their own individual
personality, from the more laid back Redondo
to trendy Hermosa to overpriced Manhattan
shopping, take a weekend and check out everything
the South Bay has to offer. A copy of the
Easy Reader will give listings of all the
bands and places to check out in town.
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