Redondo Beach was a large part of the land that made up the 43,000 acre Rancho San Pedro. Around the turn of the century Redondo Beach proved to be a perfect harbor for the bustling community of Los Angeles with it's thriving lumber and shipping business. It also became a popular resort for the "inlanders". The Hotel Redondo was constructed in 1890. It would rival any four star hotel of today with an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, and lush landscaping. The hotel had 225 luxury rooms boasting that each was "touched by the sunlight some time during the day". If you could not afford this type of lodging then you could just mosey down the beach and stay at the nearby Tent City for only $3 dollars a day or $10 dollars a month!. This Tent City was not too shabby as the tents were lighted by electricity and had wooden floors. The Hotel Redondo lost it's splendor during the prohibition era and was sold for scrap in 1926. On April 29, 1892 Redondo Beach became a city by an overwhelming vote. The city consists of 400 acres of Rancho San Pedro. There were several things to lure the visitor, one was the Carnation Gardens (Ruby & Sapphire Streets) which offered 12 acres of sweet smelling flowers which bloomed year round. Another was Moonstone Beach, natural mounds on the beach held gem stones which were free for the taking. The piers were also an attraction with rides, games amusements, in addition there was the largest salt water plunge in the world. The sports fishing was unsurpassed.
Today Redondo Beach is still a popular resort, with the Redondo pier and International Boardwalk.is still an attraction, there is still great sports-fishing and you can book a Whale Watching Tour. There are miles of jogging and biking paths, excellent surfing and swimming. There is a beautiful harbor with the King Harbor Marina, great shopping with The Galleria, a major shopping mall for the entire South Bay, and the Riviera Village ("The Village"), only a block from the beach, keeps a quaint neighborhood appeal. Fine dining can be found throughout the city. Redondo Beach is not all fun and games, it gave birth to the paramedic programs, has some of the best and most innovative schools in the state. City services are of the highest quality as are most of the South Bay cities.
