Villas North, Redondo Beach, CA

Villas North covers the inland corner of North Redondo between Aviation Boulevard and Inglewood Avenue, and it is the part of Redondo Beach that runs on playing fields and shopping strips. Aviation Park anchors it, with gyms, a dance room, a lighted track and a football and soccer field that stay busy into the evening. Homes in Villas North mix townhomes and condos with single-family houses, and the houses tend to sit on larger lots than those closer to the coast. Dale Page Park and Glen Anderson Park add more green, and Anderson has a senior center and courts. A greenbelt bike trail cuts through the neighborhood for an easy ride or a walk with the dog. The beach is a drive west, through Golden Hills or Manhattan Beach. Artesia Boulevard is the food street. Blue Salt Fish Grill, at 2515 Artesia Blvd, is known for beer-battered fish and chips, and Rod's Char-broiler, at 2600 Artesia, is a neighborhood burger joint. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is the usual morning stop, and Hi Brazil Market and Natureba Brazilian Cafe give that stretch a Brazilian streak. Errands are simple here. Albertsons and Grocery Outlet share 2115 Artesia Blvd, and Vons anchors a center at Inglewood Avenue with In-N-Out a few doors down. The Metro K Line's Redondo Beach station sits a short drive north, and the 405 is close by. The tradeoff is distance from the water and the noise of Artesia. Villas North is the farthest part of the city from the sand, and the blocks off the boulevard hear it. What you get instead is room, a real yard on many lots, and a park where the track lights stay on after dark.