Southwood

Southwood is yet another one of those bland 60’s style neighborhoods filled with flat, leafy streets and Ranch homes—kind of the signature of Torrance neighborhoods. This is good neighborhood for kids because it offers them sidewalks and calm peaceful streets where parents can feel somewhat assured their kids won’t get run-over or shot while they are out front playing. The streets create this peaceful insulated effect by curling the surface streets in on themselves and by having a series of interior cul-de-sacs. It’s actually a very simple but ingenious set-up for creating a calm, safe feeling.

The elementary school, Anza Elementary, has the highest rankings around and there is also a private high school at the far western end, Bishop Montgomery which is well regarded, though of course, since it is a private school, finding objective standards for evaluation is difficult.

Just north of the elementary school is Paradise Park, a good little green space with a play area and tennis courts. There is an even better park on the western end of the neighborhood, Hopkins Wilderness Park. There are lots of trees and squirrels and you can even feed the ducks (be sure to buy their food not give them human food that is bad for them).

The other nice thing about this neighborhood is that you are close enough to the beach to smell the sea in the air and get a refreshing cooling in the summer. A definite plus for an otherwise rather dull neighborhood with only the most run of the mill restaurants and businesses to offer as enticement for new residents.