Redondo Beach Pier — Local services in Redondo Beach

One of the saddest (non-tragedy) days of my life began with a pleasant drive through the South Bay area with an old friend, when suddenly we spotted a pillar of dense smoke to the west. Following an overwhelming urge (what young man can resist a fire that he himself did not set?), we let the smoke lead us to the beach, where we watched the old Redondo Beach Pier burn to cinders. I had spent many a teen day cruising that pier, and as far as I knew, it was gone forever.

Not so! I moved to Northern California shortly after that, but when I moved back to LA ten years later I discovered--much to my delight--that the pier was back and open for business. Lesson learned: they constructed the new parts of the pier from concrete instead of timbers coated with highly flammable creosote; smart thinking... decades too late.

The pier is actually a bit larger, but most of what was still remains, including Tony's, where you can have a decent seafood meal for too much money. Personally, I would find the pizza joint--if it's still open (they were threatening to close down a while ago); the pizza isn't great, but it's about the same caliber as Tony's for a couple dozen dollars less.

Like so many places in LA, this pier is a great place for people watching throughout the summer, and on any weekend all year long. From the outer reaches, you can occasionally spot migrating whales or dolphins frolicking in the waves. However, you're apt to find fishermen there almost always, and when a school of mackerel passes by, it's a jolly good time watching them hoist the fish up by the bucketful.

Be sure you walk around to the north side of the pier and go down the ramp to the nether regions of the pier. You can dump your kids at the giant arcade if you're made out of money (they'll each need at least $40 to keep them occupied for more than 30 minutes) and stop for oysters in the half shell and whole steamed crabs at the--again overpriced--Quality Seafood Market across from the arcade. It's worth it, though, because what's more fun than whacking a dead crab with a wooden mallet? After lunch, you'll find several touristy shops, an ice cream parlor and a bar or two for those who need a couple stiff drinks before collecting the half-crazed and overly stimulated kids.

Parking is costly, though less than you'd spend at the Santa Monica Pier; but if you're in luck, you'll find a street spot not too far away, or if you arrive early enough, you can park at one of the metered spots in...

Good food, good vibes and great weather makes for a fun time. The seafood on the pier is fresh! And so good. It gets crowded at the popular restaurants but more than worth the wait. I recommend you walk the whole pier before deciding where to eat or drink. There’s...

Loved it here its quite small in my opinion everything is very close together. But it was very peaceful and most importantly beautiful! The arcade was fun, outdated but who doesn’t love a classic game! Any who it was beautiful the scenery that is...