Pier Plaza

 Take a Tour of beautiful Hermosa Beach 

 Hermosa means beautiful in Spanish and this little beach town certainly fits the description.  Hermosa is often thought of as the little sister to her more upscale neighbor to the north Manhattan Beach.  Hermosa is a younger version of Manhattan Beach with its quaint downtown and trendy Pier Plaza night life. 

Some of the fun things not to miss in Hermosa Beach are the Saint Patrick's Day Parade held in March.  Hermosa also is home to a number of special sports Events.. check the Hermosa Beach City Calendar for dates.  You can see some of the best pro- volleyball on the beach at Pier Ave.>

Fiesta Hermosa inaugurates the beginning of summer over Memorial Day Week-end and  says farewell at the end of summer over Labor Day Week-end.The event hosts local artists as well as others.  There is a food court and a games area for the kids..I always find fun and unique items for gifts.

Don't forget the Farmer's Market every Friday at Valley and 11th Street.

One of the highlights of Hermosa Beach is The Hermosa Beach Playhouse located in the Civic Center Auditorium on Pier Avenue.  There is always something fun going on so don't miss out. Season tickets are a bargain.

While Huntington Beach and Santa Cruz fight over the term Surf City USA.. Hermosa and surfing is where it all came together and is the official birthplace of surfing in California... think Greg Noll, Hap Jacobs, Dewey Weber and Body Glove.   These are the pioneers in surf boards and wet suits.  The Hermosa Pier has the Surfers Walk of Fame...The seven charter Surfers Walk of Fame Members are: Bing Copland, Hap Jacobs, Greg Noll, Mike Purpus, Jeff Stoner, Dale Velzy and Dewey Weber (1969 National Surfing Champion).

 Hermosa is the only city with a condo-hotel.  The Beach House is unique to the South Bay. It is possible to actually buy a unit which is operated as a room in the hotel.  For those who like the idea of having a beach retreat and making income at the same time this concept is ideal.  You can occupy the unit for 89 days of the year and still use it as an income property for the rest of the time.   The Beach House was the ideal solution facing the city for the Biltmore Site.  At one time  there was a resort hotel originally called the Surf and Sand Beach club when it was built in 1926 then renamed the Biltmore sometime around the early 1940's.  The old hotel operated for many years until it was damaged by an earthquake and the price of repairing it far outweighed the value.   For almost 30 years the city  tried to figure out what to do with the beach front propertyuntil finally a compromise was reached with much of the land being retained as a park and the rest turned into a parking structure and the Beach House Hotel.

Hermosa Beach almost didn't get started. The vote to incorporate was passed by one vote.. 24 to 23. The close vote could have been because when the Hermosa Land and Water gave the city the deed to the land there was a clause that no liquor could be sold in the city. This lasted until prohibition was voted out. 

Officially Hermosa is the smallest of the Beach Cities with 1.3 square miles of land. The 2000 census puts the population at approximately 19,435 with slightly more males then females. The average household income is about $100,755.   60% of the population are homeowners and 40% are renters.  However that figure may be changing as more and more renters are deciding to stay in the city and are buying homes.  Townhomes are a popular choice for many who live in the city as they are less expensive then single family homes.

Hermosa Beach is divided into three main areas...

 Hermosa Beach School District:

Hermosa has its own elementary and intermediate schools..

Hermosa View is located on Prospect and  is for grades K-2

Hermosa Valley on Valley Drive  has classes for 2-8.

Hermosa Beach does not have a high school but gives students the option of attending either Mira Costa in Manhattan Beach or Redondo Union in Redondo Beach.

Library

 The Hermosa Beach Library is located off Valley Drive next to City Hall.

City of Hermosa Beach

MEETINGS:
City Council: Second and fourth Tuesday at 7:10 PM
Planning Commission: Third Tuesday at 7:00PM
Public Works: Third Wednesday at 7:00 PM
Parks and Recreation: First Tuesday at 7:00 PM
School District Board of Trustees: Second Wednesday 1645 Valley Drive