It's still a working man's town, not artsy-fartsy like a lot of beach cities. It doesn't feel small town, what with LA surrounding it, but you can feel safe walking the streets at night. A lot of restaurants that sling hash and bars that are established neighborhood dives. Most of the people I know who live there rent or have inherited their homes since real estate prices have gone through the roof. My friend from Idaho was amazed at how many white people live there, although classifying them as "Surf Nazis" is unfair. It has a "locals only" feel, for sure, but the locals are friendly if you get to know them.

I live in the southbay area and the gundo is an ok place for families. The rest of this area is a dump by any normal persons standards. Homes here are old, in need of repair, sport 5 decades of decorating inside one unit! The sad part is the cost of these homes is outrageous. A lot of the places here selling for $850k and above are considered low income housing elsewhere in the states. If you're moving to SOCAL, live in Beverly Hills or higher, of course you need a 7 digit paycheck.

Sounds like a lovely area! You know, we have the real Mayberry here in North Carolina, Mt Airy. You can still visit Floyd's barber shop (two chairs, no waiting!). Thanks for the information!

El Segundo is a unique little town in Los Angeles County's South Bay. It is the only beach town where the downtown area is not beach oriented .
El Segundo reminds people of a small midwest town. The major street is called Main Street and has shops and restaurants along with City Hall on the street. There is a large park on Main street that hosts many functions during the year from city picnics to arts and crafts fairs.
People love the quiet small town feeling you get when you walk through town .. hence the name "Mayberry" because it reminds people of their favorite little town.