Sur la Brea park is a pretty decent park! They have a little bit of everything and I often see families that come here or picnics/ birthday parties take place here. It has a restroom in the middle of the park - not the cleanest or most private but it's there for emergencies. There is also a reservable meeting room next to the bathroom. There is a single basketball court and people often play there after work hours. There are two tennis courts. One is usually converted into 4 pickleball courts and there is open play on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday mornings. My wife and I like to walk around this area and it feels pretty safe, even at night. We don't run into any homeless people and there are a good number of people walking their dogs. The only thing is there an area where they do oil pumping/drilling and it can emit a not-so-great smell read more

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This review is for the park and doesn't include the bathrooms! I understand that the ladies room doesn't have any doors! But I did hear that it is fairly clean... Anyways, this park is in a neighborhood, so there is plenty of parking around it. To my knowledge there is one gazebo (which we used, the one on Cabrillo), and several benches on the grass. Trees line the park making it a nice picnic spot for sunny days. The wind felt really good this past Sunday when I visited, but if it's cold, I could see it being a problem. There is plenty of space to run around on the grass, and I think there's a basketball court that's fenced off. I didn't venture too far from the gazebo so I don't know what the rest of the park looks like. While there I saw a lot of people walking their kids and their dogs. I'm not sure what it's like at night, but I generally stay away from parks after dark. COVID - I would say that most people who were sitting on the benches did not have masks on. This included the group I was with - not everyone was wearing a mask. So if you're worried about Covid, I would wipe down the benches before eating on them. read more

I'd have to say that it's a little gem of a park in the area. Has a full court for basketball, playground for kids, tennis court/pickleball added to it n a nice size flat grassy area for different sporting activities. read more

Easily a five-star park......except for the bathroom. It was so bad that I posted a photo for the world to see. Granted, it was Sunday, but at nearby Lomita Park the bathroom was clean and well-supplied with tp, hand towels, and seat covers. That's where I went to use the potty because Sur La Brea was so gross. And there were no privacy doors at the Torrance park bathroom, kinda creepy. I'm sure they have their reasons for removing the doors, but Lomita Park does have doors on the stalls. Lomita Park is locked up at night, so maybe that's the reason. There was a kiddie b-day party in progress yesterday at Sur La Brea Park. I thought about those kids having to wade through the pool of yuck to use the potty, and it was sad. Anyway, that was the bad news, and there is more good news than bad for this park. The space covers a full big square block, minus the section of the park that is taken by a few oil drills, about a fifth of the entire space. Thank goodness for the many fragrant Eucalyptus trees, they do drown out the smell of the oil. The entire park space pretty much is up on a hill, with downslopes on all sides. This makes for a nice setting, kinda set away from the surrounding streets. It's really a perfect spot for a kid's outdoor party, because there are large grassy areas in addition to 2 large kids' playgrounds. I think there are weddings in this park, too, because there's a gazebo. With all these activities going on, I hope they improve the girls' bathroom. And who knows what the men's room looks like...... There's a large picnic area with grills, set under shade trees, off to one side of the park. There's a building that I'm thinking is used for special events, called La Casita. A fitness trail with equipment winds around & through the park. I see these fitness paths in almost all Torrance parks. Sur La Brea Park has lighted tennis courts, and last Sunday afternoon they were all in use. There's a ball field too, no hardball allowed. There's a lighted basketball court, next to the horseshoe pit. Plenty of free parking on the surrounding quiet residential streets. I got photos of everything, a couple dozen pics. Clean up the potties and you got a darn near perfect park. read more

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I live close to this park so I like to take my dogs there on their walks. This park has everything you need, great outdoor space for kids parties, has BBQ, tables, trash cans, bathrooms. It also has one basketball and a few tennis courts. During high traffic hours, this park is quite busy with people. A few negative feedback would be the 3 ugly, loud and stinky oil rigs that dominates one corner of the park. Also I tend to see quite a few people with their dogs off leashes and not picking up the poop. Even though there is a huge sign saying dogs can't be off leash and you should pick up after your dogs. Sigh... what you going to do? Animal control needs to cruise by this park more. Overall, it's a nice space to be outside during off peak hours and it provides quit a few amenities people can enjoy. read more

Sur La Brea Park - sunset - Parks Near Me - Torrance, California

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This park is 1 minute from my house. So we've been once or twice. During the day its a great park. BB court. Play grounds. Big fields to play soccer etc at. All good. Some BBQ areas and one gazibo area that family's fight over on Sundays for bday parties. Small walking path w some exersize stuff. But at night I've seem some interesting people hang out here. The police roll through the area often at this park. The bathrooms are less than clean so bring your own butt gaskets and handy wipes. It also has an oil rig, so that smell is just lovely if you're down wind. read more

This is our neighborhood park. I like the walking path and the large baseball/soccer field. My kids like both the little kid and big kid playgrounds. They have BBQs and a gazebo for parties, as well as a community room you can rent out. The park also has tennis and basketball courts. Those are the positives. The negatives: the bathrooms. Usually a mess and there are no doors for privacy. There are several swings missing from the big kid playground despite the fact that I have called the city parks department twice. Also, the oil derricks really do stink. I walk past this park three or four times a week on my morning walk. People are pigs and leave litter all over the grass and seating areas. Clean up your trash people!!! There are trash cans available but people are too lazy to use them. I have never been here late at night, but a friend has seen people mid-coitus... So take a glance around before you let your kids run and explore. read more

Sur La Brea is a three star park located in east Torrance. It has everything: Basketball,baseball, tennis, a workout area, and a walking circle. The park is old, but most areas are well maintained. You can go any day for exercise and stress relief. In all, a good deal and its free. Negative: The tennis courts are dirty, and the bathrooms are very old with no doors for privacy. If you have to go to the bathroom, look around for safety, and do your business in a hurry. read more

Good lord, can someone please put a door on the men's bathroom toilet stall?? I was here 15 years ago during Cross Country practice... and whaddaya know, literally nothing has changed!! It's not even like someone ripped the door off, this stall was literally built without a door! What sick person does that?! Was there a door famine in the 60s that no one likes to talk about? Unless there's some dark, foreboding secret about bathroom stall doors that I'm utterly oblivious to, doors are not that expensive. Half of the time they're dangling off the hinges like a young deer clinging to a cliff ledge for dear life! It's like every single public rest room stall architect only uses the "super secret passed down tradition" of using only 3 boxes (no more no less) of aluminum foil to forge their mighty doors. Imagine if the great warriors and gods of old had these guys as their sword smiths back in the day. I'm no door expert, but I have a hunch that the cost is not bank breaking. Heck I'm sure if you even went into a bank asking for a bank loan to solve this issue, they'd pity the heck out of you and just give you whatever cash they have on them. Is there just never enough money in the yearly budget to be allocated to this??? Does the Grand Council of Torrance Parks and Facilities vote no every year when it comes to providing aid to this missing door, so they can instead put the money toward a moon bounce rental for the council Christmas Party??? Friendly reminder, it's 2020, Gofundme and similar fundraising sites exist, I'm sure you can raise enough cash-money to purchase at least one sturdy door, if not a second one as back up, or maybe even a curtain at the very least. I'm assuming a door should cost what, $80? Maybe $200? Again, if the legends are true that bathroom smiths of old only use 3 rolls of aluminum foil for their master pieces, then it shouldn't be THAT expensive. If anything, there has to be some good Samaritans out there who can avert this crisis!!! Heck, you guys can put a sign near the entrance coercing bathroom patrons to come in and attach a new one themselves on their spare time. Apparently this "doorless stall phenomena" is a thing at other parks too, there's a bathroom in Orange County that has three stalls without doors.THREE. I wouldn't even call them stalls. The same goes for the stall wall at this location, a toddler attempting to sculpt a house out of Playdough for the very first time could have built a less revealing wall. I'm very curious, was there a secret society of public park builders centuries ago who gathered around a King Arthur-esque table, drew all their swords and swore an oath to fill the land with doorless potty stalls? I mean, come on, kids play at this park! Even locker rooms have more decency. The wall in this bath room doesn't even stick out that far, my white-ass knees stick out past the wall! It's awkward enough to be sitting on a frigid, soulless metal toilet, but to have my bare knees peaking around the sole door-less stall & greeting fellow bathroom users upon entry, that's a whole other level of awkward. I'm sure this is not anyone's idea of a fun time at the park, it's more so like putting on the One Ring and having the eye of Sauron tear right into your soul. Sitting on that thing is like living a nightmare from my childhood, all that needs to happen is for my childhood bullies to pop through the bathroom entrance pointing their fingers at me, laughing hysterically as they alert the rest of the school of my unfortunate circumstance. I can only imagine how awkward it would be for someone taller than myself to use this toilet. Their legs would be sticking out like half built extension bridges. ALSO, (going on a slight tangent, bear with me) who loads a toilet paper dispenser with tiny INDIVIDUAL square sheets of toilet paper??? There is a 99 cent store a mile away with full rolls of toilet paper. Heck, raise the amount on the gofundme page for some TP money if the budget is that friggin tight. Was this a set built for a hidden camera show that was abandoned and therefore involuntarily donated to Sur La Brea, except the joke is still going??? "HA HA, very funny, now where's the REAL toilet paper??" I bet in another 15 years this stall will still be here, mocking me with its cold, doorless, and awkwardly too small presence, stocked with only 7 sheets of air thin substitute toilet paper**** Side note, I read another review for this park that said the women's restroom stall is like this too. Wow, what a surprise. Don't forget to add another door for a grand total of two doors for this dang Gofundme page that will never happen!!! - - - A word of caution to all who enter; "To yee who uses this forsaken tomb where dignity drags itself to die: thou should ask thy god to watch over thee and be thy stall door, for the gates to hell await those who sit on this throne of darkness" read more

Great park. Nice tennis courts and big open field! Located between Carrillo and walnut, sur la brea park is bigger than you think! It's a huge park with bathrooms, tennis courts, basketball courts, open field, conference room, bench area, and dirt pathways. The park is clean and nicely maintained. There is ample parking all around the park and houses that surround the park. There is a large open field is located on the walnut and 237th street side. The tennis courts are located on the 237th street side. This park has elevated parts and can be used for good uphill training!! There isn't a lot of lighting for the pathways near the open field once it's nightfall. Pretty quiet park and there are a lot of dog walkers any of day. It's a pretty nice park. Pretty safe and well maintained. There is also a nice cabana that is used for parties on the walnut. read more

Just your typical neighborhood park, nothing special. Compared to Wilson Park just a few minutes away by car, Sur La Brea is minuscule. It's great place for kids to play, but the playground equipment is outdated and has been the same for 15+ years. The weekend afternoons are typically crowded, with most of the tables being used for birthday parties. I wouldn't recommend coming at night - the park is shady. There's always parked cars lingering in idle on the borders, and sketchy people meandering through the park at night. read more

Be careful! I went on Thursday to walk my dog and a guy (African American) parked in the corner and got out of the car and told me "hey girl wassup " so I ran to the other side where my husband was as soon. As the guy saw my husband he drove away, that was scarry!be careful ladies!!!! read more

quiet friendly people park! park is surrounded by nice torrance homes so that's when you know it's a real nice park! :) read more

Always come here to play tennis. Usually not many people play here at the times I come here or theres atleast one set of people on one court playing. Good lighting to play at night and a very quiet noise ambience. read more

Sur La Brea Park is right near my house, and it's a nice place to just walk around and think about things. The sand can be a bit dirty, mosquitos like to go there at night, and it's kind of right next to an oil rig thingy, but it is private, small, and have basketball games that people play on the basketball courts nearly every night. :) So it's pretty good. But it's not the best park that you could go to. read more

It's not uncommon for my kids to run into their friends when we go to this park. It's totally a community hang out spot. It needs some maintenance and had some upkeep problems but he kids love it and we also have fun. read more