Hey, neighbor!

October really showed up for us this year.

Five Fridays. Five Saturdays. Halloween on a Saturday. And, as a parting gift, an extra hour when the clocks fall back that night.

Frankly, it would be rude not to make the most of it.

So: pumpkin patches. Neighborhood walks after dark. Cider (did you see the Sunday forecast?). Slightly spooky movies. Whatever else makes October feel like October.

Here’s your weekly wave.

In this issue:
​🌊 Sleepy Hollow gets new rules + Torrance plans for its future
🌊 Meet the artist who put the beach, cherry blossoms and yes, the refinery on a utility box
🌊 Old houses, four homecomings, Carrie in the Carrie gym + a night hike through the marsh

🎄 Sleepy Hollow is getting new traffic rules this Christmas
​Torrance is making a few changes ahead of this year’s Seaside Ranchos holiday lights display. The city will largely keep last year’s traffic plan, but police will now be able to temporarily stop cars from entering the neighborhood if congestion gets too bad. City Council also approved rules allowing permitted cottage-food sales and fundraising during December, with sales ending at 8 p.m. One idea that didn’t move forward: studying one-way streets through the neighborhood. The resident-run display draws enough visitors that the city estimated nearly $177,000 in labor costs for traffic control, policing, code enforcement and other services last year.

🍽️ A Torrance institution says goodbye
​After 35 years at The Depot, Chef Michael Shafer has retired and closed the longtime Downtown Torrance restaurant. That’s three and a half decades of dinners, celebrations and memories around those tables. Watch as the city stopped by for a farewell with Shafer and a look back at The Depot’s run.

🗺️ Torrance is updating its blueprint for the future
​Torrance is proposing updates to its General Plan, the document that guides where and how the city grows. Changes cover housing density, extreme heat, climate hazards, evacuation routes, pollution, parks and wildlife habitat. No specific development is being proposed, but these plans will help shape future city decisions. Public comments are open through Oct. 26.

🌊 El Niño could push our ocean higher this winter
​A massive pulse of warm water called a Kelvin wave is moving toward the West Coast, and scientists say it could raise sea levels along the West Coast by up to a foot this month. You won’t see the wave itself crashing onto shore; it essentially lifts the ocean beneath the usual waves. Add high tides and winter storms, and scientists say that extra water can increase coastal flooding and erosion. Something to keep an eye on along Torrance Beach this winter.

🦭 Nearby: A new marine mammal hospital is coming to Redondo
​Plans are moving ahead for a $65 million Marine Mammal Care Center at King Harbor, with $30 million already committed. The oceanfront facility would more than double the center’s capacity, with larger pools, surgery and research spaces, classrooms and public areas where visitors could watch rescued sea lions and other marine mammals recover. Construction could begin in 2029.

🗳️ Quick voting check: Election Day is Nov. 3, and the regular registration deadline is Oct. 19. Now’s a good time to check your registration and make sure your address is current. Check your registration →​

🏆 And the verdict is in: Remember when Mayor Kalani said Torrance was waiting to hear whether it made the cut for L.A. County’s Most Business-Friendly City Award? It did. Torrance is one of seven large-city finalists; the winner will be announced Nov. 4.

Meet Neli Hanna, who put Torrance on a utility box.

At the corner of Sartori and Torrance Boulevard, cherry blossoms, the beach, the Pacific Electric Railroad Bridge and even the refinery all share four sides of a utility box.

That’s Torrance, according to local artist Neli Hanna.

Neli was among the artists selected for Torrance’s utility box public art program, which is turning ordinary pieces of infrastructure into tiny public galleries.

For her design, she gave each side of the box a different piece of the city: cherry blossoms from Columbia Park, near her home; the beach; the railroad bridge in Old Torrance; and the refinery.

Yes, the refinery.

That choice earned her a few opinions after the box went up.

“I see it as a landmark,” Neli said. “It’s part of Torrance.”

Originally trained in architecture in Brazil, Neli spent years drawing as a hobby while raising her family. In 2023, she decided to pursue art more seriously, first painting murals and then creating smaller pieces she could sell at local fairs.

“I try to bring happiness through colors,” she said.

Neli has lived in Torrance for nearly a decade. She loves the food, the mix of cultures and the fact that so much is close by.

And her utility box now sits at Torrance and Sartori, where anyone stopped at the light can see Neli’s version of the city.

Cherry blossoms, beach, bridge, refinery and all.

THREE MORE THINGS
Go-to local treat: Kansha Creamery. “Their ice cream is amazing,” Neli said, and she especially likes that the shop gives back to charity.

Favorite Torrance outing: Madrona Marsh for a family walk, or Rocketship Park with the kids.

Where to find her: Along with the utility box at Torrance and Sartori, Neli sells her work at craft fairs around the South Bay and is a member of the Torrance Craftsmen’s Guild.

Will you be next? The City of Torrance is looking for artists for Phase 3 of its Utility Box Public Art Program. Up to 12 artworks will be selected, with a $500 honorarium for each. It’s free to apply, and the deadline is Nov. 2.

Next week, meet the retired Torrance teacher helping kids discover the wild world hiding in plain sight at Madrona Marsh.

The Tide turns six months old Oct. 22, and we’d love to celebrate with a few more Torrance neighbors aboard.

If there’s someone in your life who loves Torrance, likes knowing what’s happening around town or would simply enjoy this little Thursday email, send The Tide their way.

Every friend who joins through your personal link gets you another chance to win one very good Saturday, on us.

PASS THE TIDE →

And yes, we’re still dreaming of 600 new neighbors. Help us get there?

🍽️ Must Try Country Touch Cafe | Omelette + Home Fries + Blueberry Muffin | A North Torrance breakfast institution since the ’80s, and exactly the kind of place you hope never changes. ​The Find →

🎶 On Repeat “Moondance” by Van Morrison | For driving home after dark with the windows cracked and pretending Torrance has seasons. ​Hit Play →​

🏡 Eye Catching 24880 Via Valmonte | Come for the wood-beamed ceilings, stay for the view. This South Torrance home looks out from the Beach Cities all the way to Long Beach, with city lights from every bedroom and a covered patio made for sitting outside after dark. ​Let's Go →

🎃 Torrance made the pumpkin patch list. The Daily Breeze rounded up 12 pumpkin patches worth visiting across L.A. and Orange counties, and Mr. Jack O’ Lanterns on Prairie made the cut. It's now open with pumpkin bowling, decorating, a petting zoo, bounce houses and, naturally, “Boo”sketball.

💙 Shoutout to Max. A friend (hi, Kenny!) told us this week that his neighbor Max recommended “this cool new Torrance newsletter, The Torrance Tide” in their neighborhood group chat. He subscribed, not realizing I was behind it, until he was at our house and the dots connected. This is my favorite way for The Tide to find a new neighbor. Thanks, Max.

📺 The people have spoken on TV. After publishing its 100 best shows of the 21st century, The New York Times asked readers to make their own list, and more than 100,000 people voted. Breaking Bad took No. 1, while reader favorites like Ted Lasso, Gilmore Girls and The Great British Baking Show shot way up the rankings.

✨ On my October list: Walking through few thousand glowing jack-o’-lanterns. Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns turns an evening stroll into a trail of hand-carved pumpkins, with everything from dinosaurs and dragons to a pirate ship glowing along the way. Add s’mores and giant slides for the kids, and it sounds like a pretty solid October night out.

Found something delightfully Torrance this week? Hit reply and send it our way!

​Feature your event. | Suggest an event.​

Every two years, the Torrance Historical Society opens the doors to a handful of Old Torrance homes, and this is the weekend.

The Original Fall Tour of Historic Homes includes five houses built between 1922 and 1936, from Craftsman and Spanish Colonial Revival to Tudor Revival. You’ll actually get to go inside and see how their owners have updated them for modern life while keeping the details that make these old houses so good. Four are now more than 100 years old.

It’s a self-guided, walkable tour, with a Model A parked outside each house for a little extra time travel. Stop by the historic Woman’s Club along the way for Torrance Bakery cookies, lemonade and a Destination: Art exhibit.

The tour has been a Torrance tradition since 1980, but only happens every other year. So if you’ve ever slowed down on an Old Torrance walk to admire a front porch and wonder what’s behind the door, here’s your chance.

Oct. 10–11, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. | Start at the Torrance Historical Society & Museum | $50

Friday, October 9
​Nearby: Moonstone & Mist Bookshop — South Bay Mommy Club Boos & Berries at 10 a.m. Settle in for a Halloween storytime at the new Riviera Village bookshop, with açaí bowls and drinks from BlendzUp.

Katy Geissert Library – Family Fun Friday: Oobleck with WiSTEM at 4 p.m. Get a little messy experimenting with oobleck, the strange stuff that acts like both a solid and a liquid, with West High’s Women in STEM. Geared toward ages 5–13.

Nakano Theatre — Jess & Joe: Studio Cabaret at 7 p.m. Jessica Hayes and Joseph Ott bring original songs and musical-theatre storytelling to an intimate cabaret, with a second show Saturday at 7 p.m.

Nearby: Not Shockboxx — The Forgotten Circus at 6 p.m. An artist-built haunted gallery takes over Hermosa’s Cypress Arts District, turning the space into a walk-through maze of eerie installations, sinister performers and abandoned-circus oddities. Creepy and theatrical without heavy gore.

Nearby: Hermosa Beach Community Center — Carrie & The Prom at 7 p.m. Go to prom inside the actual gym where the 1976 Carrie was filmed, then watch the movie there at 9 p.m. There’s also a live band, filming-location tour and prom-night surprises. Costumes encouraged.

Torrance, North, South + West high schools — It’s homecoming night across Torrance at 7 p.m. All four high schools celebrate homecoming Friday, and all four are playing at home: Torrance hosts El Segundo, North takes on Santa Monica, South faces Beverly Hills and West plays Culver City. Pick your neighborhood and cheer on the home team.

Saturday, October 10
​Seaside Heroes Park — Beautification at 8 a.m. Give the neighborhood park a little love with light maintenance and California native planting. All ages welcome; students can get community service forms signed afterward.

Nearby: Redondo Union High School — Club-O-Ween at 10 a.m. Classic cars meet trunk-or-treat as RUHS clubs decorate trunks and hand out candy around the school’s annual car show.

Nearby: Glen Anderson Park — Kiwanis Community STEM Fair at 10 a.m. Free STEM activities, games, crafts and face painting, plus a Mad Science show at 10:30 a.m. Bring a nonperishable food donation if you can.

Nearby: Edith Rodaway Park — Pumpkins in the Park at 11 a.m.

Come in costume for a parade, then pick and decorate a pumpkin to take home. There’ll also be games, crafts and face painting, all supporting Hermosa Beach Friends of the Parks.

Southeast Library – Star Wars Reads Day at 2 p.m. Head to a galaxy not so far away for an afternoon of Star Wars stories, crafts and sci-fi activities for all ages. Costumes encouraged.

North Torrance Library – Painted Pumpkin Pavers at 2 p.m. Make your own pumpkin-inspired Halloween decoration by painting a concrete paver you can bring out again every fall.

The Salvation Army Torrance Corps — Skyward at 4 p.m. The Palos Verdes Symphonic Band performs an afternoon concert inspired by flight.

Nearby: Library Park — Ghostbusters at 6 p.m. Who you gonna call? Bring a picnic and blanket for an outdoor screening of the 1984 classic in El Segundo.

Madrona Marsh — Night Hike on the Preserve at 6 p.m. See the marsh after dark on a guided walk, listening and looking for the animals and insects that come alive at night.

Sunday, October 11
​Nearby: Green Hills — Harvest Festival at noon. A giant pumpkin patch, maze, hayrides and pumpkin-carving demos fill the afternoon, along with food trucks and live music. Stick around for line dancing with Tina Michelle and the Rhinestone Cowgirls.

All Weekend
​Torrance Theatre Company — A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. A penniless heir discovers he’s eighth in line for a fortune and starts creatively shortening the list. The Tony-winning musical comedy runs through Oct. 24, with one actor playing the entire eccentric D’Ysquith family.

Nearby: South Coast Botanic Garden — Dogtoberfest. Lederhosen, lager and a lot of dogs take over the Garden, with live oompah music, stein-holding and yodeling contests, Bavarian bites and races for pups under 30 pounds. Runs Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 1.

Torrance Art Museum — Baker’s Dozen + B-LA-M. Make a weekend museum stop for TAM’s fall exhibitions, spanning contemporary Southern California art and an international exchange between artists in Los Angeles and Berlin. And don’t skip the hallway: Darel Carey’s immersive liminal level installation plays with line and optical perception. Free; Friday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Weather Forecast? Finally, a reprieve.
🌥️ Fri 69°/81° AM Fog/PM Sun
🌥️ Sat 69°/79° Mostly Cloudy
🌧️ Sun 64°/73° Showers

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