LA's Ghost Town

There is a ghost town in LA, really there is. LA being LA it is a ghost beach town. Surfridge is the town and it is real. Founded in 1921 by developers Dickinson & Gillespie Co. Surfridge was the southern part of an area known as Playa del Rey it was originally called Palisades del Rey. The area became popular with beach lovers and celebrities like Cecil B. DeMille and his older brother William de Mille. Mel Blanc also called Surfridge home.

Surfridge is no more and it is all the fault of its proximity to LAX. During the 60's and 70's the rise in popularity of jumbo jets and their jumbo noise was the nail in the coffin for Surfridge. The airport through eminent domain bought up all the houses and land displacing the residents. The houses that weren't moved were torn down. All that is left of Surfridge now are the streets and street lighting. Yes street lighting is still there and for one reason or another still comes on at night!