Hermosa Beach

HISTORY

Hermosa Beach was part of the 1884 Rancho San Pedro Spanish land grant that later became the ten-mile ocean frontage of Rancho Sausal Redondo. In early days, Hermosa Beach was one vast sweep of rolling hills covered with fields of grain. During certain seasons of the year large herds of sheep were grazed over this land, and corrals and large barns for storing the grain, as well as providing shelter for horses and farm implements were located on the ranch between Hermosa and Inglewood. The Spanish words Rancho Sausal Redondo mean a large circular ranch of pasture of grazing land, with a grove of willow on it.

The first official survey was made in the year 1901 for the boardwalk on the Strand, Hermosa Avenue and Santa Fe Avenue; work on these projects commenced soon after. In 1904 the first pier was built. It was constructed entirely of wood even to the pilings. In 1913 this old pier was partly washed away and later torn down and a new one built to replace it. This pier was built of concrete 1,000 feet long, and paved with asphalt its entire length. Small tiled pavilions were erected at intervals along the sides to afford shade for fishermen and picnic parties. A bait stand was built eventually out on the end. Soon after, about 1914, an auditorium building was constructed; it has housed various enterprises and at present the public rest rooms, the Los Angeles Life Guard Service, and the local branch of the Los Angeles County Public Library occupy rooms in the building.

EDUCATION

Hermosa Beach has its own elementary school and middle school but high school students are served by either Manhattan Beach or Redondo Beach where rankings are in the 80 to 90th percentiles. Hermosa Beach residents are zoned to Hermosa Beach City School District for grades Kindergarten through 8.

In 2005, Hermosa Valley and Hermosa View schools were honored as U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon Schools, along with 33 California schools and less than 300 schools across the nation. The award was based on academic achievement. Hermosa schools are among the top 10% of schools in the state with students scoring at or above the 90% in the highest grade tested in reading and math.

WEATHER

Average air temperature – (Summer 74 degrees F (23.3 ∞C)/ Winter, 55 degrees F (12.7 degrees C))

Average water temperature – 60 ∞F (15.5 ∞C) (Summer 68 ∞F (20 ∞C)/ Winter 50 ∞F (10 degrees C))

Hermosa Beach has an average of 325 days of sunshine a year.

Because of its location, nestled on a vast open bay (Santa Monica Bay), morning fog and haze is a common phenomenon in May, June and early July. Locals have a particular terminology for this phenomenon: the “May Gray” and the “June Gloom”. Overcast skies are common for June mornings, but usually the strong sun burns the fog off by noon.[19] Nonetheless, it will sometimes stay cloudy and cool all day during June, even as other parts of the Los Angeles area will enjoy sunny skies and warmer temperatures. At times, the sun shines east of PCH, while the beach area is overcast.

2010 CENSUS

Hermosa Beach population was 19,506 at the 2010 census.

There were 10,162 housing units at an average density of 7,123.5 per square mile, of which 44.6% were owner-occupied, and 55.4% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.4%.

The city has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2), all of it land.

Reference source: Wikipedia