A Neighborhood With a True Holiday Sparkle

The Seaside Ranchos area of Torrance seems to reflect the very essence of the holidays: Brilliantly lighted Santas hold court on the rooftops, and holy men stand amid camels and lambs grazing in the lawns. Then there are thousands upon thousands of blinking lights--the closest thing this Southland neighborhood gets to actual snowflakes.

And from 5 to 10 each night, this beautiful setting is wrapped in a blanket of exhaust fumes, bumper-to-bumper traffic and hordes of camcorder-carrying pedestrians.

That is the price neighbors pay when they give a little extra at Christmastime. And not everybody is overjoyed by the seasonal increase in vandalism, noise and pollution.

The Christmas lights of Seaside Ranchos not only attract cars and pedestrians, but also serve as a roadside attraction for tour buses, car clubs and limousines. Flocks of children and carolers stop by the houses on Doris Way, Robert Road, Carol Drive, Reese Road and Sharynne Lane each night, staring at the elaborate displays that have put this small section of Torrance on the map.

“When we started out, almost everybody was very enthusiastic about the project, but the traffic and noise have kept more and more people from participating,” said resident Anita Rylander, one of the principal movers behind the elaborate holiday decorations.

To diminish the heavy congestion and the possibility that emergency vehicles might get stuck in traffic, anonymous flyers were distributed throughout the neighborhood a few years ago, suggesting that no Christmas lights be put up until Dec. 10. A lot of people agreed, fearing that eight-foot Santas would start popping up en masse the day after Thanksgiving.

“I am against having the lights up early because of the traffic,” said Helene Babbitt, one of the residents who wants to ensure that the crowds that come to visit the area each year are limited to just a few weeks.

Others felt that any form of compliance interfered with their homeowners’ rights. Seaside Ranchos residents Pam and Larry Grodin countered with a flyer of their own, telling neighbors: “If you have difficulties with this (traffic), then don’t put up your lights until you feel it is the right time. But don’t tell me when to, where to, and how to celebrate this or any other holiday!”

The result: Some lights go up earlier than others.

Still, despite the occasional spats, most residents in the sleepy neighborhood nestled between Pacific Coast Highway and Prospect Avenue remain enthusiastic about the yearly ritual.

For them, the effort is worth putting up with the thousands of pedestrians who visit each year--even for homeowners who complain it can take up to 30 minutes to get from Pacific Coast Highway to their homes less than one mile away.

“We love to share our decorated neighborhood with everybody,” Rylander said. “People come here and they thank us for what we do for them.”

But not everybody catches the holiday spirit, particularly when the neighborhood is hit by random acts of vandalism. Lights get stolen and some decorations have been destroyed. Two years ago, the Rylanders’ van was stolen during a Christmas block party, and in 1986, a display featuring Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer and a band of Santa’s elves disappeared from a neighbor’s lawn.

But even such Scrooge-like pranks have not put a dent in the neighborhood’s holiday tradition.

“The children and the elderly have such a wonderful time here, and for us it’s important to give them fond memories,” Rylander said.

The intricate Christmas displays first started seven years ago when two families on Reese Road strung strands of lights around their Chinese elm trees because it reminded them of Disneyland.

They encouraged the neighbors to join in the project. A year later, Rylander and her friend Jane Cairns decided to decorate all of Sharynne Lane. The two women bought 3,000 sets of Christmas lights, which they sold to the neighbors at cost.

“We walked up and down the street and asked everybody to participate,” Rylander recalled as she sat in her home filled with Christmas knickknacks and wooden cutout figures she sells to neighbors.

Residents say the ritual has brought them closer together.

“At a time when everybody is trapped in materialism, we try to give something to those who have nothing,” Rylander said. “Isn’t that what the holiday season is all about?”