Hi, neighbors!

Are you as sunburned as we are? It was a BUSY weekend here in the South Bay and the sun was out to play. Always grateful for our ocean breeze keeping us cool!

This Friday is the Fourth of July! If nothing else, we hope you kick back, enjoy the day off with some yummy food, and get a peep at some fireworks. Stay safe out there, friends!

Now, let's dive into this week’s newsletter.

News

These might just be the best news stories we have ever included...

Two Sea Lion Pups Released to Ocean After Rehabilitation Sea lion pups Wren and Huey, each ~1 year old, were released to sea after a month of rehabilitation in Hermosa Beach. Do yourself a favor and watch the video of bystanders cheering them on. SO CUTE! (Read more)

Leadership Hermosa Beach Creates 12 New ‘Little Libraries’ Leadership Hermosa is a nonprofit program, and this year’s graduating class chose ‘Little Libraries’ as their community project. This means there are now ~28 of these joyful free book boxes in Hermosa Beach. (Read more)

Upcoming Events

Things for you to participate in this Fourth of July weekend.

• Friday, July 4: Independence Day 5K, Firecracker Dash For a small fee, register for these annual races in Redondo Beach! (Read more)

• Friday, July 4: Redondo Beach Fireworks Show Find a spot along King Harbor and enjoy this STUNNING annual display of fireworks. (Read more)

• Sunday, July 5: Manhattan Beach Concerts in the Park From now through August, Polliwog Park will have free concerts from 5:00pm-7:00pm. This is an annual summer event series! (Read more)

Restaurants

The Standing Room 144 N Catalina Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Hidden like a culinary speakeasy inside Catalina Liquor Store, The Standing Room has been slinging gourmet burgers since 2011 and absolutely crushing it in the most wonderfully weird way possible.

The whole experience is beautifully chaotic: you order at the counter inside, take your order slip, and then grab beverages from the various drink cases in the liquor store and pay at the front counter.

Fair warning: if you want one, you have to be patient…this tiny kitchen with its 4-person crew gets SLAMMED. But trust us, it's worth every second of the ~45 minute wait for what many consider the South Bay's burger crown jewel!

The crowd favorite is the legendary Cash Burger (bacon, shishito peppers, American and cheddar cheeses, a crispy and peppery onion ring, gochujang aioli, & hoisin barbecue sauce) and their Truffle Parmesan Fries (truly magical).

Also worth noting: despite the name, there are indeed seats for you to eat. :)

Check out this Redondo Beach delicacy…and give their Torrance location some love, too!

(Read more)

Local Spotlight

Yeastie Boys Bagel Food Truck [in front of] 1300 Highland Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

The 8th iteration of this LA-famous food truck found a permanent parking spot in Manhattan Beach!

Founded by New York-trained bagel maker Evan Fox in 2014, Yeastie Boys serves hand-rolled bagels that blend classic New York style with creative Los Angeles flair. Customers rave about bagels that are pillowy soft, but crispy on the outside. The truck has collaborated with major chains like Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, showcasing their approach to traditional bagel-making with house-made shmears and unique flavor combinations.

Two most popular items are The Diss Track (everything bagel with pit-smoked pastrami, folded scrambled egg, American cheese, and house-made garlic aioli) and The Lox Deluxe (sesame bagel with smoked salmon, house-made scallion shmear, tomato, red onion, and capers). These two sandwiches are referred to as “signature offerings” that best represent their innovative bagel craftsmanship.

(Read more)

Weather & Surf

This week, the weather is giving us its classic theatre performance: Fog rolls in like it owns the place every morning, then awkwardly exits stage left by lunchtime. Highs stumble around the high 60s to mid-70s, finally getting their act together just in time for the weekend.

On the surf side, things are looking chill but playful. Waist-to-chest-high waves will roll in midweek, just enough to make you feel like a local legend (until you nose-dive in front of a kid on a foam board). Mornings are your golden hour—clean, calm, and crowd-light—while afternoons get wind-slapped like your bangs in middle school. Water’s in the mid-60s, so grab your wetsuit, set your alarm, and surf like no one’s watching (but let’s be real, someone’s probably watching).

Trivia

Today (June 29th) is National Camera Day! What year was the first photograph ever taken?

A) 1826

B) 1836

C) 1846

D) 1856

Need to phone a friend? Send this newsletter to them! (Here’s the link)

Last week’s Question: What year was Father’s Day officially established as a U.S. National Holiday? Answer: D) 1972

Now Playing…

What are we vibing to, you might ask?

American Pie by Don McLean (Listen here)

That’s all for now, folks. It’s a new week in the greatest place on earth; don’t take it for granted!

See you around town. And again, be safe celebrating the Fourth!

Your neighbors,

Sam & Lauren