Visit our secret beach, stroll down our famous streets or take an art walk, but enjoy our town's hospitality. Full of friendly charm and vintage brick buildings (many movies are filmed here) downtown, El Segundo is a little hometown village located right smack in the middle of Los Angeles County.

Quaint shops, fine dining and beautiful parks welcome the visitor, and we invite you to visit and rest in our safe and friendly little corner of LA.

Grab a picnic and hang out in one of our many perfectly manicured parks including one with a gazebo. Catch the right weekend and our town band will serenade you with a free concert in the park.

Enjoy watching jets take off from LAX from a viewing deck or from the beach.

El Segundo is well hidden between the airport, beach, and an industrial area so it’s no big surprise that when people think of El Segundo they think of industrial buildings, Chevron and busy Sepulveda Boulevard, but it's much more.

Our well concealed neighborhood of only 16,000 residents is a blast of the past. Everyone seems to know everyone, and the mood is friendly and fun. We're a HUGE baseball town and have turned out many famous athletes.

As you drive down Main Street (yes, it’s actually named Main Street, and it is the main street through town) you'll expect to see Opie walking past, whistling, while carrying his fishing rod (ok surfboard here).

Time hasn’t stood still in our little Mayberry, but it has ticked by slower than most places. My mother-in-law just visited from Ohio and she said that El Segundo looks like the town she grew up in Ohio... 50 years ago. It's sparkling clean, full of Old Oak trees lining the many hills and so safe that the police get bored (don’t speed here, it’ll give them something to do). If you stay nearby and don’t take the time to stop by and visit, you are definitely missing something special.

This beautiful town is a movie makers dream set. The high school is so architecturally unique in California, that a constant stream of movie production companies film in its halls. Richmond Street is home to many movies as well, including Boston Public. We do have our own residential celebrities and Rosanne Barr’s production company is located on Main Street.

Quick Tips:

The center point of town is at the intersection of Main Street and Grand Avenue, these are the main streets of town.

Log onto www.elsegundo.org for a map and event listings.

Richmond Street is one block west of Main Street, it is where Boston Public was filmed, and the street with four of our favorite places to visit: Richmond Bar and grill is the neighborhood "Cheers", it's where the friendly locals grab a beer and good eats all for a great price. Owners Jeff and Patty will make sure you feel welcome, so make sure to let them know you're just in town for a visit.

Second City Bistro is our favorite restaurant for a fabulous fine dining experience, and an even more fabulous wine selection. They have a free wine tasting event every Monday night, come by and meet more locals including the owners Scott and Liz, it's the hip spot to be on Monday. Make sure to get a reservation if you want to dine on Monday nights, it gets pretty crowded.

After the wine tasting ends, most of the "cool" locals trek right next door to the Purple Orchid, our local Tiki bar. The owners Dave and Rebecca were probably at the wine tasting next door, so let them know that you're following the local itinerary. You can order all kinds of unique drinks, including a flaming volcano. The interior is well worth visiting for a drink at any time, and the friendly bar staff will make you want to stay. During the day, don't miss out on the treasures to be found at Studio Antiques, also on Richmond Street, owned by a jovial English friend of ours and his wife. And, if you love this one, they have a second shop on Mariposa Avenue.

Our secret beach is awesome, but I'll cover that in a separate section.

We have a beautiful 9 hole executive golf course, that only costs .00 to play a round. With a bar/restaurant in the clubhouse right next to a small waterfall and pond, it is a refreshing place to hang out instead of your hotel room. This is not located downtown however, and is on Sepulveda Boulevard.

There is a farmers market on Main Street on Thursday afternoons from 3:00-7:00pm. Here, musicians play and plenty of vendors sell freshly prepared food selections, in addition to selling traditional fresh produce.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you’re driving then you can hit everything in a day or two. Most of Southern California is best seen by car, parking in town is easy.
If you're here for a quick overnight (it seems like everyone is), then check for a hotel shuttle or cab. If you’re staying at the Hacienda Hotel, then you can walk straight down Mariposa and make a left on Main to get to the city center, I would only recommend this for people comfortable walking a couple of miles or more, as there is plenty to see. I actually decided to write this article because I saw so many tourists at the Starbucks on Sepulveda and Mariposa which is right between the Hacienda Hotel and the Marriott Residence Inn. I've even seen them walk east to the industrial district... make sure to "head west young man". Don't sit out on the busy, industrial-looking, intersection and think you've been to El Segundo, the real El Segundo is less than a mile away, but you've got to head west on Mariposa... toward the beach. Enjoy your morning exercise with a cup of coffee and a brisk walk downtown.
Most hotels offer a shuttle and they’ll take you downtown.

We have a free lunchtime shuttle that will shuttle you between the Sepulveda Business District and Downtown El Segundo (call 310-524-2704 for details). It runs from 11:30am - 2:15pm, Monday through Friday.

If you’re stuck by LAX on Century Boulevard, ask your hotel if they have a shuttle or if they can hail you a cab. It's a short cab ride and should cost less than .00 each way.

Second City Bistro is extraordinary when it comes to fabulous wine and scrumptious food. Their motto "American flair with flair" says it all. This Zagat reviewed restaurant offers those with a discriminating palate the best place, in and around town, to sample fabulous four star dining.

New Zeland chef Nikki Hoelsey mixes up the menu with presentations that rival the décor. With attention to detail she orders her fresh halibut whole so that she can carve it herself. The pasta is so full of fresh red peppers, artichokes and veggies that it’s hard to know where to begin on the savory plate. Stuffed filet mignon, oysters bursting over the appetizer spoons and a wine list longer than the menu are enough to make any food critic dance.

As if the food isn’t enough to look at, the décor of the bistro will enliven your experience even more. Exposed vintage brick, an open stainless kitchen and wood beamed ceilings greet diners as warmly as the proprietors themselves. In fact, Scott and Liz Reed are available most nights to greet diners and to make the rounds to make sure every thing is perfect for every diner. Adding to the personal experience Liz’s artwork hangs on the walls. Look closely to see her immense talent as her work is done freehand. The warmth created in the restaurant is also reflected in the careful attention to detail in the lighting scheme of skylights, mini white lights and striking fixtures.

The beautiful people, local politicians and social scene flock to the wine tasting events on 6:00 pm on most Monday evenings.

Check out www.secondcitybistro.com, to view the menu and wine offerings. People drive from out of town to visit this packed event (a big compliment if you know our city). If you want to socialize with the local elite, this is the place to do it.

Scott hosts the wine tasting event on the patio out back, so wander through to the back door where it will no doubt be packed with the lively crowd.

We love the food, but if you want to dine on Monday nights (usually a slow night in the industry), you need a reservation due to the big wine crowd that lingers to sample some of the new culinary creations. If you plan on attending one of the few champagne nights it is especially crowded, so don't be late.