Why my heart will always belong to Torrance
T-town, Borrance, the city that almost made it to Palos Verdes. Call it what you want, but it’s the heart of South Bay
There’s a procedure. A pretty prominent one if I say so myself. When you grow up in the beachside city of Torrance, California, you can expect to attend a normal public school for twelve years. You meet a number of friends through your classes, sports, and extracurricular activities you kindly, or forcibly (college apps kill), invest your time in. If you’re really lucky you get to make funny faces to the same best friend across the field at high school graduation the way you did at elementary school graduation. And although the last summer really spent at home comes to an end as college or work inevitably leads everyone to varying paths, the most important step in the procedure seems to successfully occur through Torrance’s charms: bringing us all back.
The weather
I promise, on my dearly owned Patagonia fur vest, which I will probably never have to wear due to lack of harsh weather, that few places beat Torrance climate. With a few random exceptions, it’s the epitome of James Blunt’s ‘Stay the Night’ lyrics: “It’s 72 degrees. Zero chance of rain.” You can be tanning on a beach in February, while the rest of the US is under a blanket of snow.
Me tanning in the middle of February
Two-Buck (.50) Tuesdays
If you think of life’s best deals, Handel’s Ice Cream easily makes it to the top five. Every Tuesday, the five-windowed parlor on PCH serves the perfect solution to celebrations, random cravings, and dessert nights for just $2.50.
Graham Central Station (one of my all time favorite flavors!)
Del Amo
We grew up taking photo booth pictures and spending our awkward first dates here. From Nordstrom to Popbar, the newly renovated Del Amo seems to really have it all now: favorite stores, an AMC, and everyone’s favorite: Chipotle!
High school
Ok, everyone claims high school was the worst thing ever. And I couldn’t have agreed more when I was crying tears of frustration at 3 in the morning as my sister gained serious therapy skills. But I definitely can’t say high school wasn’t one of the best things that has happened to me or God forbid, fun. We met some of our best friends, our first loves, and our craziest memories here. And as much as most of my classmates will never admit it, we’re able to say that because we attended South High. What would we have done without our class comps (and its gift of shortened schedule) and the comfort of Jack’s Pizza just steps away from our campus?
The beach, the strand, the Village
There’s a year-round open invitation to tan, swim, surf, or my favorite, walk or bike on the strand. You’ll see Torrance Beach occupied with teens catching the sunset at the renowned BPL (Beach Parking Lot), and fellow families and long-time residents strolling down Riviera Village. Let’s face it, no one can resist Original House of Pancakes on Late Start Tuesdays or açaí bowls on Saturday mornings. And as overflowing as it is on the Fourth of July, you can expect to see the serenity of the beach any other day, even in sunny December. It’s the true golden ticket to come back to it all when you’re missing home.
I can’t do my hometown justice in an article of 500 words when it has given me 1,000 reasons to fall in love with it. I can only hope that those who grew up there with me cherish it as much as I do and others have the opportunity to visit and experience just a taste of how lucky we are.