Gardena is a 5.8-square-mile city of about 60,000 people, bordered by Torrance, Lawndale, Hawthorne, Carson, and South Los Angeles. It was incorporated in 1930 and covers ZIP codes 90247, 90248, and 90249.
The city has one of the largest Japanese-American populations of any city in the continental United States — a legacy of pre- and post-war agricultural and small-business communities. The Nakaoka Community Center, the Gardena Buddhist Church, and a stretch of long-running Japanese restaurants and markets along Western and Redondo Beach Boulevard reflect that heritage.
Gardena is also home to the Hustler Casino, the Normandie Casino's historic location, and Rowley Park, and is anchored by the Crenshaw and Western Avenue commercial corridors. Residential neighborhoods are mostly single-family homes and small apartment buildings on a tight grid south of the 91 freeway.