Living in Gardena, Hawthorne, Torrance....pros and cons

[sacreole]

Originally Posted by Srtzrg36

Hello my family and I are moving to gardena really soon. We will be located on the main street on gardena. My daughter will be attending purche avenue elementary. Do anyone have any advice for us?

I lived in that part of Gardena from 1977 to 1989 and attended the 6th grade at Purche Elementary School. The neighborhood is known as Hollypark. After my parents split up, my mother and I moved into an apartment complex located on Van Ness Avenue between 135th and 139th Streets. Our experience was mixed. The neighborhood at the time was primarily a middle-class black area; however gang activity and overall crime were increasing. In the alley behind our apartment complex, the walls and buildings would get tagged on a regular basis. I was on a first name basis with the gal in the City's graffiti abatement department.

About a month ago while visiting So Cal for a funeral, I had an opportunity to drive through Gardena on Van Ness Avenue trying to reach Artesia Boulevard and the 91 Freeway. Frankly, I wasn't all that impressed. I was almost a victim of a hit and run driver who was trying to get around a bus and almost hit my car while stopped at a traffic light on Van Ness Avenue. The traffic congestion has gotten really bad and this was before 3 p.m. The neighborhood shopping center on the corner of Van Ness and Rosecrans has gone down hill. You would need to travel two miles to the nearest decent supermarket.