I was out in Gardena today doing a press check for some screen printing items for our Japan office. I had to head over to Hawthorne to watch my daughters Volleyball game later, but I had some time to kill so I cruised around the old neighborhood. I lived in Gardena from when I was born to 1977 and then the family moved over to Torrance. I had a great childhood growning up as I was able to wander around the area and later in life when I got my license we hung out in various areas of G-Town.
Some hoodies I had to approve at the screen printers.
The bell at the Gardena Buddist church. I spend a couple of years there going to Japanese school after regular school. They also had carnivals there for Obon during the summers where a lot of guys would cruise their cars around the church. I've gone to a few carnivals lately and I don't see the fixed up Jap cars or the cruising anymore. This church was also burned down twice years ago and now has a iron gate surrounding the whole area.
The corner market I used to stop in and get candy on my way home from school.
Train tracks I used to cut across at. My brother and I would stop and put little rocks or pennies on the tracks and watch the trains come by and crush the rocks and smash the pennies. Good times with my bro.
The playground of my kindergarten school.
My elementary school I went to up until the 3rd grade before we moved to Torrance.
Pacific Square. As teenagers we hung out here and this was a big gathering spot for street racing. Every Saturday and Friday night the parking lot here would be pack with guys hanging out setting up races and placing their bets.
Lastly on my way out of Gardena on Redondo Beach and Gramercy is the place I went to Preschool. My first memory of being creative was posting up on the cement walk way just outside my class room and being handed a bowl of water and a paint brush. For some reason I always remember that.