Trivia Question❓

Which world-renowned landscape architecture firm helped design the original City of Torrance?

TUSD Labor Talks Hit a Pivotal Week

Torrance Unified heads into a pivotal week of labor decisions. The school board is set to consider agreements involving multiple employee groups Tuesday, while teacher contract bargaining resumes Friday. Teachers’ latest proposal seeks a 4% ongoing salary increase and higher benefits funding, with compensation still unresolved after months of negotiations.

Torrance Is Getting a 12-Story Chargers Landmark

Torrance is about to add a 12-story sports landmark to its skyline. Artist Robert Vargas will unveil “The Storm Is Coming” Tuesday, featuring Chargers stars Justin Herbert and Derwin James on the DoubleTree’s north wall. Paired with his Dodgers mural opposite it, the hotel is becoming a massive two-sided public-art destination.

A $64.7 Million Refinance Bets on Torrance Offices

A major Torrance office tower just landed a $64.7 million refinancing at a time when much of Los Angeles’ office market remains under pressure. The 301,000-square-foot property called The Torrance is reportedly 93% occupied, offering a striking sign that well-positioned South Bay offices can still attract substantial investment and lender confidence.

Quote of the Day

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
— Alan Kay

Selena Takes Center Stage at Torrance’s First Hispanic Heritage Festival

Torrance closes its Summer Nights season Saturday with a celebration bigger than a concert. The inaugural Hispanic Heritage Festival at Columbia Park features 512: The Selena Experience, a Mariachi opening act, food and family fun. Admission is free, giving residents a festive way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month together this weekend.

Come Hungry: A Mediterranean Food Festival Takes Over Old Torrance

Come hungry Saturday. The South Bay Mediterranean Food Festival fills Old Torrance with a full day of authentic dishes, live music, drinks and family activities. Admission is free at St. Matthew Orthodox Christian Church, while food and beverages are available for purchase from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for everyone.

Rams Fans Can Watch a Historic Season Opener Together in Torrance

Rams fans can kick off the NFL season together Thursday without leaving Torrance. Dave & Buster’s hosts a Harbor Area MobSquad watch party as Los Angeles faces San Francisco in the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game in Australia. Expect game audio, a dedicated viewing area, raffles, giveaways and a family-friendly crowd all night.

Raise a Glass—and Help Local Theater Grow

Local theater gets a Sunday-afternoon boost at Scholb Premium Ales. Raked Stage Productions is hosting “Raise a Glass for Theater Arts” with live music, food, craft beer, a silent auction and opportunity drawings. Proceeds will help the South Bay nonprofit launch its 2026–27 season and create more opportunities for local artists.

Heidi Ashcraft Named Torrance’s 2026 Distinguished Citizen

Torrance is honoring decades of service with Heidi Ashcraft named the 2026 Distinguished Citizen of the Year. Her record spans local schools, youth sports, the YMCA, foster-child advocacy, arts, civic boards and elected office. The recognition celebrates a resident whose volunteerism has quietly touched generations of Torrance families across the city.

Special Olympics Is Launching Something New in Torrance

Special Olympics Southern California is bringing a new Young Athletes program to Torrance—and it needs local volunteers. The seven-week Friday program serves children ages 2–7 with and without intellectual disabilities, using inclusive sports and play to build movement skills, confidence and friendships. Coaches and team volunteers can help make the launch possible.

What Happens to Farmers Market Produce That Doesn’t Sell?

Something generous happens after the Torrance Farmers Market closes: volunteers collect fresh produce that vendors would otherwise leave behind and redirect it to hunger-relief organizations. Food Forward’s local glean teams return throughout September, turning surplus fruits and vegetables into food for neighbors while reducing waste—one box at a time, together.

A Tropical Jungle Is Hiding on Hawthorne Boulevard

A tropical jungle is hiding in plain sight on Hawthorne Boulevard. Rainforest Flora surrounds visitors with air plants, towering staghorn ferns, rock walls, waterfalls, koi and turtles inside its sprawling Torrance greenhouse. It is part nursery, part botanical escape—and one of those places that makes you wonder how you never knew it was there.

There’s a Giant Submarine Hiding in a Torrance Park

La Romeria Park has something most neighborhood parks definitely do not: a giant Nautilus submarine waiting beside the playground. Donated in 1961 and later restored, the quirky structure gives this six-acre West Torrance park a personality all its own. Add tennis, basketball, picnic space and shade, and “La Ro” becomes an easy local discovery.

An Entire Tiny World Is Hiding in Old Torrance

Step through a small Old Torrance storefront and suddenly everything gets tiny. My Doll’s House is packed with miniature furniture, lighting, wallpaper, room boxes, dollhouse kits and collector accessories. Serious hobbyists can hunt for exact pieces, while curious visitors can lose themselves in an entire world built at miniature scale.

Why Is Torrance Airport Called Zamperini Field?

Most Torrance residents know the airport as Zamperini Field, but the name carries a remarkable story. It honors Louis Zamperini, the Torrance High track star who became an Olympian, survived 47 days adrift in the Pacific and endured years as a prisoner of war. The airport itself began as a wartime Army airfield.

Onigilly Japanese Kitchen - Del Amo Fashion Center (Torrance) Is Officially Open

Onigilly is officially open at Del Amo Fashion Center, giving Torrance a new grab-and-go Japanese option built around stuffed rice balls. The menu ranges from Spam and teriyaki chicken to salmon, eel, tofu and poke-inspired fillings, plus bento sets, bowls, karaage and matcha drinks. It’s compact, casual and easy to customize.

Tamistea Puts a Filipino Twist on Coffee Time

Torrance Boulevard is hiding a sweet little café with a Filipino-American point of view. Tamistea pairs coffee and matcha with ube, pandan, coconut and sweet-corn flavors, then backs it up with house-made cookies and pastries. The result is colorful, creative and deeply personal—more neighborhood bakery than cookie-cutter coffee chain.

Spicy Chinese Kitchen 湘蜀小馆 (Chick Go) Turns Up the Heat

If your idea of comfort food includes serious heat, Spicy Chinese Kitchen deserves a look. The Sepulveda Boulevard spot leans into Hunan and Sichuan flavors with grilled fish, roast duck, peppery beef, spicy chicken, rice and noodles. Portions run generous, the chiles are not shy, and sharing is strongly encouraged.

Torrance’s Civic Center Redesign Is Getting a Longer Runway

Torrance’s long-running effort to reimagine its Civic Center is getting more time. The City is extending work with Gruen Associates through December 2027 as planners study what to do with aging buildings across the roughly 40-acre campus. The eventual plan could reshape City Hall, public facilities, open space and future land uses.

A New Trail Could Link Torrance’s Transit Center to Downtown

A long-discussed connection between Torrance’s Regional Transit Center and Downtown is moving through design. The City says its approximately 5,000-foot multi-use trail project has commenced and remains on schedule. Backed by Measure M funding, the proposed off-street route is intended to close a missing link for people walking and biking between the two destinations.

Torrance Hotels Generated an Estimated $9.3 Million for the City

Visitors are quietly making a sizable contribution to Torrance City finances. A new economic-development report estimates local hotels generated $9.3 million in room-tax revenue during the first half of 2026—up 7% from last year. Occupancy dipped slightly, but higher nightly rates helped push hotel revenue upward across the city.

Soto Del Amo Is Fully Framed

Soto Del Amo has reached a visible milestone near Del Amo Fashion Center: framing is complete on the five-story, 200-unit apartment project. The development will add studios, one- and two-bedroom homes, a rooftop pool, fitness center, coworking space and 440 parking spaces, with completion currently expected in summer 2027 as construction moves indoors.

Torrance Home Prices Are Cooling—But It’s Still a Seller’s Market

Torrance home prices are showing signs of cooling without becoming cheap. August data put the median sold price at $1.125 million, down 8.5% from a year earlier, while listings approached $998,000. Homes are taking longer to sell, but Realtor.com still classifies Torrance as a seller’s market with demand exceeding supply.

Section 8 Payments Now Vary by Torrance ZIP Code

Torrance has changed how Section 8 rent assistance is calculated, with payment standards now varying by ZIP code under HUD’s Small Area Fair Market Rent system. The new figures can mean different subsidy levels for otherwise similar apartments across the city, affecting voucher holders, landlords and rental-property owners participating in the local program.

Heat Advisory Starts Tuesday in Torrance

A Heat Advisory arrives Tuesday just as the workweek begins. The National Weather Service says Torrance is included in a broad Los Angeles County heat event lasting through Thursday evening, with temperatures running 10 to 15 degrees above normal. Humidity will add discomfort, and Wednesday is expected to bring the worst conditions.

Torrance Beach Has Two Warnings Right Now

Torrance Beach comes with two warnings this week. County health officials are advising people to avoid the water near Malaga Cove because of elevated bacteria, while the National Weather Service has a High Surf and Coastal Flood Advisory through Tuesday night. Large waves, rip currents and localized flooding are possible along the coast.

Southeast Library Reopens Tuesday—Really

Southeast Library users finally get their branch back Tuesday. After an extended renovation closure that shifted more than once, the Arlington Avenue library is now scheduled to reopen at 10 a.m. September 8. The updated date matters because last week’s City information still had residents watching for another reopening change before making the trip.

Overnight Freeway Closures Could Snarl South Bay Trips

Night drivers should expect a rough week on several South Bay routes. Caltrans is closing lanes and connectors along SR-91 near the I-110 from Tuesday night through Saturday morning, while the Vincent Thomas Bridge will lose all southbound SR-47 traffic overnight Tuesday through Friday. Detours and longer travel times are likely.

Friday Is the Deadline for Torrance Youth Flag Football

Friday is the deadline for Torrance families to register for the City’s 2026 Youth Flag Football League. Registration closes September 11 at 5 p.m., with teams formed by grade and school. The season is tentatively set to begin September 26, and the City is also accepting applications from volunteer head coaches.

Kids, the Classroom and Tech

Chromebooks, tablets and AI are now routine parts of the school day. But as California limits student phone use while encouraging AI literacy, an important question is emerging: Did schools embrace technology faster than we learned whether it truly improves education — and is it time to reconsider the balance?

💡 Answer to Trivia Question:

Olmsted & Sons, led by John C. Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. The firm helped shape Torrance’s original planned-city design—part of the same famous Olmsted legacy associated with some of America’s best-known parks and communities.