An Iconic, Historically Significant Coastal Treasure Marks a Landmark Opportunity in Redondo Beach
A priceless piece of history woven deep into the South Bay identity, 809 Esplanade it is not just a coastal residence with an ocean view—it is a legacy. A property intimately tied to the coastline that has claimed it for 75 years.
“You can never duplicate this property,” Redondo Beach REALTOR® Lisa Moule of Vista Sotheby’s International Realty says of this once-in-a-generation holding commanding a 5,667-square-foot lot with an enduring, two-bedroom cottage at its heart. Built in an era before modern coastal restrictions. “It’s irreplaceable.”
A property of provenance and position alike, the iconic Tiffany-blue cottage is perched at the very edge of the Pacific, the last home on the western bluff of the Esplanade—a vestige of old California on one of the South Bay’s most coveted and closely guarded stretches of coastline. Pre-dating the undisputed prestige that currently defines the Esplanade as a premier coastal address, this bluff marked the periphery of a burgeoning coastal enclave where the cottage came of age.
But before the cottage is its foundation, Knob Hill Tract – Lot 1, where the mid-century gem was built in 1950 and today stands a beloved local touchstone with long roots and a soaring site that opens to a grand protected panorama: dramatic cliffs of Palos Verdes to the south, the Pacific horizon to the west, and in the distance to the north, the sublime coastline.
This sight never fades, it enhances the experience. Behind the cottage walls, a predictable rhythm unfolds, starting with the amber luster of dawn, followed by gentle ocean breezes, soaring seabirds, and full sails. When the setting sun fills the sky with its golden-hour aura, honeyed sunsets on an epic scale picturesquely appear. This is the backdrop for vision and ambition to do its magic.
Whether it’s thoughtfully restoring the cottage’s time-honored charm, commencing a tour-de-force renovation, or creating a generational domain on par with its superb setting, the property is primed for the next chapter of an ongoing story where the limitless vista is always central.
The cottage itself makes an immediate appeal, its indelible, highly recognizable façade winking from the street. Enter the wonderful open courtyard and discover a sky-framed atrium full of natural character featuring flexible open space to the north side, and to the left, a massive garage.
A front porch with open arms, meanwhile, is the threshold to a gracious interior that plays up its decades as a beachfront bolthole with timeless detail: white brick, wood-beam ceilings, shiplap walls, rich hardwood floors, and walls of light-capturing glass that reflects vast ocean views framed by large picture windows in all prominent living spaces. This liquid canvas of tides and light help stretch the limits of the home’s footprint, lending the cozy interior a sense of expanse that seems to dissolve the walls and lift the ceiling as if the space itself is exhaling.
This is monumentally true in the main living room. A set-piece of coastal warmth, it is the cottage’s social core, effortlessly fanning out on two sides: one, containing two private bedrooms and a full bath, and the other featuring the kitchen and dining area.
With the ombre-blue ocean gleaming big and bright in the distance, the living room is the center of it all, anchored by a back-to-back, white-bricked dual fireplace—one side facing the living room, the other facing the dining room—that radiates an easy, unforced grace. A darling Dutch door, meanwhile, supports the home’s indoor/outdoor connection, offering direct access to the exceptional outdoor deck.
“The outdoor living space is alive with natural wonder, where an every-changing landscape and abundant wildlife create a constant sense of discovery and delight,” Lisa Moule says of this splendid open-air stage for outdoor living with spectacularly grand views.
Dining, relaxing or entertaining, it is a sun-lit sanctum until the sun descends and the stars come out for tranquil evenings around the fire pit. Prioritizing both pleasure and pause, this all-occasion idyll is perfectly poised for sun salutations in the morning, peaceful interludes in the afternoon, and watching the blazing sunset in perpetual awe. Underneath the deck, a landing pad is plumbed for a possible future shower and bath, if desired.
Presenting visual excesses of its own, the window-wrapped kitchen is an airy and luminous lightbox with an explicitly vintage heart, complete with a fabulous restored Wedgewood stove. With the endless blue beyond sparkling like crushed sapphire, the adjacent dining area reinforces the authentic expression and stretches the unblocked ocean views to their absolute max. The other side of the fireplace warms every extraordinary scene.
When it’s time to retreat, the home’s beautifully done bedrooms dream to the cadence of the waves. Accented with classic-coastal white shutters and centering the wild tide, the primary bedroom is exquisite, finished in an immaculate glass wall that bounces light about the space like a prism for a buoyant reminder of beach life. An attic also features in the floor plan.
“The home is not only historic, it has become a landmark along the Redondo Coastline,” Lisa Moule says of 809 Esplanade, which feels secluded but not stranded, with Redondo Pier, Riviera Village, shops, restaurants, the beach, and more, all just moments away.
“It has a romantic charm that is very hard to find these days. Withstanding the true elements of time, it has held strong and unaffected by the ever-changing world around it for more than 75 years. There is something very special and nostalgic about that, and it’s worth preserving.”
Lisa Moule | 310.428.8958 | DRE 01870856
Vista | Sotheby’s International Realty
List Price: $4,895,000
Photography by Craig Glover & Paul Jonason
