Across 6 square miles in the South Bay basin, Gardena is an accessible urban community with a unique cultural and culinary landscape. Just 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles and 6 miles from Redondo Beach, residents have their pick of inland and coastal delights. In the early 20th century, Gardena was watered by the Dominguez Slough, creating a fertile valley where strawberries, raspberries and blackberries flourished — earning the city its historic “Berryland” nickname and status as the berry-growing capital of Southern California until World War I. Japanese immigrants played a vital role in the area’s early farming and their influence contributes to Gardena’s 2024 Niche ranking as the 11th most diverse suburb in California. With Japanese and Pacific Islanders making up a quarter of its nearly 60,000 residents, they’ve helped shape everything from the city’s architecture to the economy and cuisine.
No longer known as Berryland, today’s Gardena is often called “Freeway City” for its proximity to major LA County freeways. “Gardena is a very connectable city,” says Derek Hirano, founder of Hirano Homes Group with Keller Williams South Bay, who’s been selling in the area since 2015. “Whether it's Orange County or downtown LA or to freeways like the 405 and the 91. You can get to everywhere you need to be. It’s a convenient place to live.” This connectivity creates a growth environment, earning Gardena the Most Business-Friendly City by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation in 2022. Hustler Casino, Crenshaw Lumber Co. and Southwest Offset Printing are Gardena’s top employers, while Digital Manga, Nissin Foods and Tokyo Central are all headquartered here.
Gardena is a cultural and culinary landscape that holds nearly 60,000 residents.
Tokyo Central is a favorite grocery store among locals, and is headquartered in Gardena.
Gardena is now called Freeway City for easy accessibility and abundant employers.
Gardena was long ago nicknamed Berryland for its lush valley farmed by Japanese immigrants.
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Condo, townhouse and single-family options
Condos and townhouses range between $400,000 for investment rentals near El Camino College to $650,000 for townhouses built in the 1990s. Many single-family homes are midcentury remodels, starting around $800,000 and rising to $1.2 million depending on size and upgrades. Eco-friendly townhouses built since 2022 in the gated Azalea Walk community ask between $750,00 and $850,000. Light-colored stucco prevails and sparsely tree-lined streets include sidewalks on one or both sides. Gardena’s late 2024 median home price was $775,000, and homes typically sell within a month, faster than the 45-day national average.
Find quaint Spanish bungalows throughout South Bay neighborhood of Gardena, CA.
Midcentury ranchers are the most commonly found homes in Gardena, CA.
Opt for a colorful ranch style home with a small front yard in Gardena, CA.
Brand new Spanish style condos are popping up around Gardena, CA.
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Some of the best Japanese cuisine in LA County
From the eight-seat Sushi Sonagi run by celebrity chef Daniel Son to karaoke pubs and noodle shops, Gardena is an LA area foodie favorite. According to Hirano, two of the best are Kotohira and Otafuku, both hole-in-the-wall eateries known for their noodles. Inside the popular Gardena Bowl alley, Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop was featured on the Netflix show “Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.” Hirano says, “There’s a dish there called Hawaiian Royal that’s delicious, and I also like the kimchi bacon fried rice.”
On the sweet side, Chikara Mochi is run by one of the last remaining handmade mochi specialists in LA, while the iconic Donut King II has been a Gardena go-to since the 1950s. Since the 1940s, the family-owned Gardena Cinema has been a quaint movie hub. Shopping is convenient at Albertsons, Tokyo Central, or 99 Ranch — a Pan-Asian grocery store and bakery in Gardena Gateway Center.
Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop was featured on Netflix's “Breakfast, Lunch And Dinner."
Stop by Tokyo Central Specialty Market for your weekly grocery haul in Gardena, CA.
Kotohira Noodles is favorite Japanese restaurant among locals in Gardena, CA.
For viewing movies, single-screen Gardena Cinema has been a go-to for generations.
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Parkland and preserve trails, plus two historic casinos
Nearly 80% of residents can walk to one of the city’s 11 parks within 10 minutes. Mas Fukai Park includes a garden and sports courts, and in 2023, the city secured $2 million to upgrade Mas Fukai with new pickleball courts, an interior walking track and exercise equipment. Rowley Park is 18 acres and provides paved trails and a skate park. Wildlife seekers roam Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve trails. In February 2024, the city broke ground on a new Gardena Community Aquatics and Senior Center, slated for completion in spring 2025.
Poker players appreciate that Larry Flynt’s Lucky Lady Casino and Hustler Casino remain in Gardena, long after the city’s 1940s-1970s heyday, when six since-closed casinos established Gardena as the unofficial poker capital of Southern California. Beach lovers are only about 6 miles from Manhattan and Hermosa beaches.
The skate park at Rowley Park in Gardena is world class and open to the public.
Mas Fukai Park offers playgrounds and grass field to Gardena, CA residents.
If you are looking for a place to play tennis in Gardena, Rowley Park is the place for you.
Walk 928 feet out into the water on the Manhattan Beach Pier.
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Close to top-ranked University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles Unified School District earns a B on Niche and the largest public school in the city is Gardena High, given a B-minus. In 2024 Gardena High’s girls and boys basketball teams won the Marine League Championship. College-bound students are within 20 miles of the University of California, Los Angeles, ranked the No. 1 public university in the country by U.S. News & World Report. El Camino College is only a mile from the city center.
One Hundred Fifty-Third Street Elementary has an overall C+ grade from Niche.
Peary Middle School has an overall C+ grade from Niche.
Gardena Senior High School has an overall B- grade from Niche.
Juniper Serra High School in Gardena, CA has a yearly tuition of $10,700.
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Easy freeway and airport access
Interstates 405, 105 and 110 travel throughout LA County, and Route 91 intersects the city east-west. While freeway proximity can be a bonus, noise and traffic are the tradeoffs. G Trans provides city bus routes, and Metrolink provides rail services. Los Angeles International Airport is a 10-mile, 30-minute drive northwest.
Mild temps and rising property crime rate
Gardena’s Mediterranean climate is characterized by dry, warm summers, rising to around 80 degrees, and wet, mild winters, dropping only to around 50 degrees. FBI crime data shows that Gardena’s violent crime rate rose by about 9% between 2022 and 2023, but it is still lower than the statewide and national rate. Gardena’s property crime rate went up by 3% — and was higher than the statewide rate as of 2023, and significantly higher than the national rate.
Hinamatsui and Obon festivals
Every spring, the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute hosts the Hinamatsuri Festival, celebrating community traditions with food, games and a beer garden. The annual Strawberry Park Days Fiesta each May also keeps the city’s heritage alive with live music, carnival rides and global cuisine. Every August more than a thousand people head to Gardena Buddhist Church for the three-day Obon Festival, replete with Japanese lanterns, traditional foods and Bon Odori folk dancing.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
