As a lifetime resident of the South Bay, my love for where I live…which is where I grew up and where I have raised my family…runs deep and wide. What a special place to be able to live all these years and I feel very blessed to be part of and call home to such a caring and beautiful community. The South Bay’s magnetic charm never fails to captivate me.
I was born in Torrance and my parents moved to Palos Verdes when I was two. I grew up in Lunada Bay and attended Lunada Bay Elementary School, Margate (now PVIS) and PV High School. My parents still live in the house I grew up and I now live in Torrance on the street that runs into the street we lived in when I was born, talking about coming full circle! My roots are solidly planted here and everything I know and love is here too!
I have so much affinity and fondness for this place and all that it has to offer, for all the iconic landmarks, favorite locales, the beach, the laid back lifestyle and of course, the sunsets! It has been a magical experience to grow up and live here my whole life, minus my college years (just down the way at USC) and a year as ski bum in Sun Valley, ID, after college. After living in the mountains for a year I couldn’t wait to get back to the South Bay and the smell of the ocean air.
With all this in mind I decided to create a poster with a listing of some of my favorite things about the beautiful South Bay. It was inspired by something similar I had seen for cities like NY, Chicago and LA and was truly a passion project for me. I launched it a while ago but haven’t promoted or written about it until now. So here is a brief rundown of the letters and what each ones means to me:
A is for Appetizing Sushi Dinner at the Avenues…did someone say sushi?!? 🍣
B is for Beach Volleyball on the Strand 🌊🏐
C is for Coffee and Conversation at Hi-Fi. A favorite spot for my daughters and me when they are home. Have you tried the French Toast Latte?? ☕️ 🗣️
D is for the Dolphin Statue at Burnout in Redondo Beach. This was my first drawing in the alphabet series….and brings back lots of memories with hours spent here with my kids when they were young. 🐬
E is for Enjoying a Walk Along the Esplanade…my favorite place to walk, just walked 5.5 miles this morning!
F is for Fireworks at the Manhattan Beach Pier. 🎆
G is for Golfing at Terranea…my son had a golfing birthday party here growing up and we love Terranea Resort. ⛳️
H is for Happy Hour at Hennessey’s…a true South Bay classic! 🍻
I is for I Scream for Ice Cream at Handel’s…both of my daughters worked here and we are big fans! 🍦
J is for Junior Lifeguards on the Run…so much to say here, all 3 of my kids did JGs…they didn’t always love it but they’re glad they did it (I think, haha) 🏊♂️
K is for Kite Flying on a Summer Day….or any day really in the South Bay! 🪁
L is for Looking Out from the Local Lifeguard Tower…beach life at it’s best! 🛟
M is for Magical Sunsets Along the Coast…and don’t we have the best sunsets of all? 🌅
N is for Night Caps at Tony’s on the Pier….my grandparents used to go on date nights after spending a day at the beach. 🌛
O is for Ordering Pedone’s Pizza…definitely a family favorite! 🍕
P is for the Pier to Pier Swim…hats off to everyone who has competed in this race, including my sister Kristin!
Q is for Quick Surf Session at El Porto…I’ve never done it but it sounds cool! 🏄♀️
R is for Riviera Village Window Shopping…highlighting my my personal favorite Alandrea boutique! 🛍️
S is for Swimming in the Ocean at Rat Beach…grew up boogie boarding and body surfing here…complete with tin foil, lemon juice and baby for “optimal tanning” (oh my??) 🌊
T is for the Tide Pools at Abalone Cove….I grew up going to the tide pools at Portuguese Bend…my parents even let us bring crabs home in a bucket overnight…not too cool but the crabs made it back safely! 🦀
U is for Upbeat Vibes at the BeachLife Festival…a new South Bay classic! 🎶
V is for Vows at Wayfarer’s Chapel…my sister got married here and I love this beautiful landmark glass church along the coast, so sad to see it being dismantled due to the groundshift. I hope it finds a nice new home! 💒
W is for Whale Watching at Point Vicente…there is nothing like spotting a whale off the South Bay coastline…have you spotted one lately?? 🐳
X is for the Xmas Lights in Candy Cane Lane…aka as my neighborhood. We love the holidays around here! 🎄
Y is for Yoga Poses in the Park….not because I do them but because others do! 🧘♀️
Z is for Zipping Down PCH….it’s my two daughters cruising in their shared (and no longer owned) red convertible VW bug. 🚗💨
The poster measures 11” x 17” and is perfect size for framing. It is printed on 110# card stock and I hope it makes you as happy as it has made me to create it. Thank you for letting me share!
xo…Jill
