We lived at the intersection of Pope and Napoleon in Surfridge/Palisades Del Rey in the late 60's when I was a child. I don't remember much but I do remember how loud the jets were when they would come over and how our dog would hide under the table in the living room. I also remember my dad telling the story about how we were the last people to see United Airlines flight 266 which crashed in Santa Monica Bay shortly after take off and being interviewed about what he remembered. Also recall as a child picking up debris at the beach from SAS flight 933, a DC-8 that crashed into Santa Monica Bay on approach to LAX.

I would drive up Sandpiper and watch the aircraft take off in the years before 9/11. There were always people there doing the same thing. Too bad we can't do that anymore.

I've lived across the street from this area for 9 years and really never knew the whole history until I saw this video. Once I was able to get around one of the chain link fences and I rode my bike up Sandpiper to the top of the hill. Bad idea. Within about 2 minutes there were cops all over my ass. The area is monitored constantly.

Back in 83 all us high school kids would park on Sandpioer and enjoy the view. Sad to pass by that place and see it fenced off.

It's habitat rehabilitation for the rare burrowing owl now. They're actually starting to breed too. There's also the El Segundo blue butterfly habitat in the same area.

I pass by this area everyday on my way to work. I never noticed the area until a month ago when I looked over and saw streets and driveways. I began to Google the area and landed here. Good video.

Having been fired from a job back in 75, I steamed onto the 405 south. A long drive ahead from the valley to my place in Manhattan, I decided to pull up Sandpiper and cool off. I just got fired, I was broke. I turned right onto the one small street that parallels the coastline, whisked past a few decrepit stop signs and OOPS, a motorcycle cop sitting on his bike eating a sandwich or something. I kept going....these stops signs were defunct, or so I thought. A short time later he's barreling down after me and I stop, not waiting for lights or siren. He tells me I was being unsafe and blew two stop signs. I laughed and asked if those stop signs were even valid. He said, 'Well, if you see a motorcycle cop sitting at one, what do you think? Didn't you see me? " I said sure I did, how was the sandwich? He laughed, we laughed, the moment was tense .. would he or wouldn't he. I was ready to debate the stop signs being valid .... he smiled, walked off and said I'm gonna finish my sandwich, it's a nice day. Yes it was, I started my own business after the firing and it became my career for years. EDIT - That street was EARL.

Sandpiper had a great view of the runways and was almost like a Lover's Lane after dark in the early 90's and before.

Went to Northrop Institute of Technology from 1976 to 1978. We used to drive in that area, and stop at the top of the hill to watch airliners take off. I always wondered about what happened to all the magnificent houses, and all the people who owned them.

Back in 1983 I went into that area to photos of planes taking off. Found a street that was closest to the airport (your above the runways) got some great photos of planes just as they lifted off. It was a eerie place to be. Empty streets no houses Left after about 30 minutes, felt I was being watched by LAX police. Closed to the public now.

Back in early 70,s when there were only ghost streets, we used to midnight party at the corner of Freeman and Earl. That's the rounded intersection just south of Sandpiper,..it's slightly sloped as well. Now, mix in a tow truck with auto throttle, a rope, a skateboard and a bunch of crazy tow truck drivers, abandoned fields all around and heavies hurling down the runways up to your height and climbing fast. Now, imagine setting the auto throttle on the tow truck going around that circle (slightly sloped), tying off the steering wheel to the window post, climbing out and to the rear of the tow truck and setting the auto throttle again from there. When it was the perfect 12 mph, jump off the back with your skateboard and rope out from there. THe now unattended truck was good for about 7 or 8 rounds before needing correction. Amazing things at midnight working for A & A towing in Redondo Beach back then. We had Sheriffs, CHP, LAX, most all the So. Bay cities ... whew - good times. Anyway, I never did it, but most did. If you whipped the skateboard just right going up or down the slope you could get some serious speed going. Saw many road rashes those nights. (next funny to follow) .... and the Red Eyes were constantly climbing out for their morning destinations.

I spent many weeks each summer with my cousins, Pat and Mike Rawson who lived on Trask Avenue. Right at the top of the dunes they had a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean as well as LAX to almost Riverside. I miss that are so much! Remember the Nike base? And if you can find the old movie, "The Hideous Sun Devil" it was filed around the area, including a street shot of Trask with my Uncle's Pontiac parked on the street!

In the late 90s my friend took me up there and it was really creepy and cool. It really is like a ghost town - like you could hear the echo of kids playing in the streets.

In high school, Hawthorne High, in the late 60s we would go to the abandoned houses and have beer parties after the football games, and of course during the summer months.

I'm sure everyone remembers all the racing that went on at Pershing.

Well done video. I grew up in Westchester and remember well the taking of houses in del Rey and Westchester. While visiting So.Ca. over the past few years, I have driven by there once or twice and it truly does give one an eerie feeling and makes one think of the lost times and life styles of that community that were there back in the day

I have become very fascinated with this area as I own one of the houses that was moved. The previous owners bought it in 1966 for $3000 and paid $3000 to move it. Its not in Redondo Beach. I can't imagine there are too many out here. I am looking for any maps or images of the neighborhood. I would love to find my house. It lived at 126 Ivalee...I would love to find others out there that have a "surfridge" home. I will contact some historical groups but if anyone knows any place I can find a map like the one shown in the video that would be great. Unfortunately I do think David Dukeshere is no longer with us.

I used to visit the last house before the jetty,this was the late 60s,it was called the villa,and a type of commune,very grandiose,winding staircases with hidden rooms,sunken marble tubs,balconies,there had been a fountain in the front room.The rumor was that Valentino helped build it for his friend,Mae Murray, silent film star...it was right across the street from the beach.But not down on the sand the way some had been,any more info you might add is most welcome,and thanks for the video, hadn't seen the area since 1968.

Actually, there are plans for the area. It's a nature preserve now, particularly for butterflies. Odd thing to have next to a major airport, but the owls and butterflies seem to like it in spite of the noise lol.

@ Rodney Dault I get same eerie feeling as well when i pass area too. :-(

Great video! I love seeing these abandoned places. Small issue: hoi polloi = the common people!

Growing up around the area in the 2000s, I vaguely remember Sandpiper St. still being open with occasional closures. I was under the impression it was closed permanently due to people getting carjacked along that empty and secluded road especially at night. Would be nice to have a little discovery center or something so locals and visitors could maybe learn something about local history and ecology.

Duke- Awesome video - me want more. Great historic look into the past. I have two very funny stories of those ghost streets back when Sandpiper was open. To follow....

Congratulations I don't think you could have made a worst choice of music and the volume level it is playing at

Very interesting. I love these type of videos

in all honesty its probably reserved as a spot that the military could use to organize if a large number of troops ever flew into LAX

A friend of mine used to live on Chateau St. About 1 block south on Trask Ave. there was a steep one block section we used to call "thrill hill". You could really get some air in your car by building up speed. But the people who lived there complained about all the cars flying over the hill so the county tore up the old concrete and put a slight curve right there to stop it. You can see the newer paved section on Google Earth. Too bad they closed it off. It's now part of the protected habitat of the "El Segundo Blue" butterfly.

He's incorrect about all the homes being gone by "about 1972" -- my aunt & uncle, who lived on Rindge Avenue, held out as long as they could and were among the last to go in 1975.

Great video! (though it's odd to say it was home to the Hoi Polloi, I believe it was actually home to the wealthy, not the poor.)

More of the history. Is in my book. T.O. Mccoyes Playa del Rey

I had posted on Nextdoor, inquiring what this space was as I am a new CA resident. I was wondering about making housing for the drug free, mentally stable unhoused, but I heard that LAWA took it due to health and safety hazards. Can anyone confirm if that is the case. Thank you

1:50 This is not entirely true or was altered to include non “WASPs” because Mel Blanc, who was Jewish, lived here at some point between 1935 and when it was condemned in the ‘60s.

David Dukeshere made this vidieo no mention of him. He got most of the content from my collection

Weird that they took the homes by eminent domain. But they have never done anything with the land. WTF? Like - ok people you HAVE to get out so we can let the land just sit there.

Dukesherer - why don't you pay back the money you 'borrow' from friends (now former friends)?

Why Ask LAX about the Hidden bace under it Realy we as Ca Resedents Need to know what going on

This needs to be turned into a homeless community.

Police used this area for driving training, and as recent as the mid 80s-early 90s there were still shrubbery pots and plants of hearty types that lived on rainwater. Several home locations still had swing sets and there were childrens names in the concrete from 1930s etc... Several episodes of Starsky and Hutch and Emergency were filmed while the homes were still there, at least one full block of homes. So the movie company could blow up the home or have a massive garage fire for Gage and Desoto. I know where there are several holes in the fences and I jog thru there all the time. It is easy to locate pull tab beer cans and grenade bottles from the 1960s as Hippies would camp at the abandoned homes.

There’s always a lot of police activity behind those fences.