best redondo beach / torrance neighborhood for kids (San Diego, Riverside: real estate, how much)

[littletaina]

I am moving to the Torrance area with my wife and 3 year old daughter. I will be working at Harbor hospital. We'd like to live within biking distance of parks, a good preschool, maybe even a library. It is not so important to be close to the beach. Does anyone have any suggestions about kid-friendly neighborhoods in general, and perhaps good preschools?
Thanks.

[SouthBayTodd]

there is lots of excellent areas. the "sleepy hollow" section of torrance is famous for christmast lights and being a superb family area: Sleepy Hollow - Torrance - Torrance, CA

i would look towards the cross-streets of palos verdes blvd and supelveda blvd in torrance: Sepulveda Blvd & Palos Verdes Blvd, Torrance - Google Maps

also the west high school area of torrance is pretty nice: 20401 Victor St, Torrance, CA - Google Maps

[DesertDog2]

You need to know how much you can afford for real estate, Torrance is a bit high and has not suffered the real estate fallout to the same degree as many other areas. I'd suggest however, east of Hawthorne Blvd., south of Sepulveda Blvd. There, the prices tend to drop of a bit compared to farther west, you are only about 2 miles from the beach so you get the moderate temperatures without the salt air, crowds, and fog of the beach towns. It is close to Fire and Police and two hospitals, which adds a bit of safety net, You would be close to the Torrance main library - which is an excellent library, and there are parks around. Madrona Marsh is an interesting nature preserve there, and Wilson Park is within biking distance, a large and lovely park, which has everything you could want, including occasional fairs, Farmers Market, huge 4th of July fireworks show, etc. The schools are good, and you are near one of the largest malls in the country (Del Amo Fashion Center) and near a local restaurant row, and build-it places like Lowe's and Home Depot, plus there is a Sam's Club and a Costco, if you shop at those. Every other sort of business is also nearby. About a 10 minute trip to either the Harbor Fwy (110), the San Diego Fwy (405) or the Riverside Fwy (91), so getting out of town is also easy. In spite of the many conveniences, the residential streets in the area south east of Hawthorne and Seplulveda, tend to be low traffic - not through streets, with quite a few families with kids. Not sure of the pre-school situation, but otherwise, I think ideal for you.
These reasons and others, are why we chose the neighborhood for our family. If you have any further questions, use the message feature, as I will not likely revisit this thread.
One more thought - if I were you, i would not place a large emphasis on a good preschool, your kid(s) will not spend many years there, but you might live with your house a long time - if you have to, a short commute to a pre-school is not such a bad thing for a temporary situation.