Friendly Neighborhood Is A Near-Hidden Gem Of The South Bay
When I moved to Los Angeles, the first place I settled into for a while was in the north section of Manhattan Beach.
With palm trees and lush vegetation in a median between the walking and running part of The Strand and a parking lot full of surfers going into and coming out of the Pacific Ocean, I loved it immediately.
“It looks like a place in the tropics,” I marveled to my new 42nd Street roommate, a long-time local, Big Howard.
I noticed a lot of locals referred to this area as El Porto, but I was defiant; I wanted to say I lived in Manhattan Beach. After all, that sounded so much more prestigious.
After a while tho – under the careful tutelage of Big Howard and in the company of the colorful characters of the neighborhood including Surfer Mike, WD, Grambeaux and Jimbo – I began to look at living in El Porto with a sense of pride.
I realized that El Porto was a tiny, tight community within a slightly bigger community (Manhattan Beach), within a slightly even bigger community (the South Bay) within a large city (Los Angeles). El Porto beach parking is next to impossible – for one thing, the lot between the walk Strand and the surf closes at sunset unless you have an all-but-useless resident’s permit – which is why all the locals have bikes. There also very few celebrity sightings in Manhattan Beach, which is the way locals and the celebrities prefer it.
I also realized you have to live in El Porto to appreciate it. People who live in other parts of the South Bay don’t get it. They can’t understand why anyone would live “so far away” from the action at the Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach piers.
Well here’s why: I had to leave El Porto when the house I was renting was sold. Recently, I was back for a few days cat sitting for a friend on Gull Street and immediately felt as if I had just returned to a place I call home.
Within minutes, I had reconnected with several former neighbors. I waved hey to Chase, the local multi-millionaire who keeps a yacht around the oceans and beaches of Europe.
Before even stepping inside my friend’s apartment, I exchanged pleasantries with Hugh, who was walking out of his garage.
I saw Big Howard, now living in a small unit in the alley, sitting outside on his tiny porch. I later joined him for a couple of beers to catch up and reminisce.
Somewhere during this time, I realized that when you leave El Porto, El Porto never really leaves you. It sticks to your soul like wet sand sticks to the soles of your feet.
Except that you don’t want to brush El Porto off of you.
Cheers,
#ElPorto
#ManhattanBeach
#lifestyle
#California
#Californialifestyle
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Kevin, I grew up at 123 40th St. in El Porto. We were two houses above Ocean Drive. When they later put in the parking lot 40th St was the parking lot exit street.
I married and moved away but so wish we hadn’t sold the property. We owned two full lots 40th to Kelp St.
We went to school in El Segundo, class of 1957, ha ha. I now am 80 yrs old and living in Florida with my daughters family.
Last night while on Facebook I saw a photo looking down 40th to the beach, it must have been taken about where we lived. I tried to save it to my photo but no luck, now can’t find it again. Darn!
Loved reading about your experience in my home town.
If you ever come across a photo like I described feel free to email it to me.
Regards,
Geraldine Peterson
Hi Geraldine. Thank you so much for the nice photo. I think Mike Love of the Beach Boys lived on 40th and Ocean. Was he your neighbor? El Porto is such a special place. I may just take a modern photo of 40th Street looking into the parking lot just about your old properties. Passion for Porto, right!?