Best of the Beach Health 2024
Hospital
Urgent Care
Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Torrance Memorial has a 99-year history of treating patients in the community. It has grown to become the largest hospital in the community while maintaining its original mission to offer the most current and effective medical technologies rendered in a compassionate, caring manner. With more than 1,100 physicians on a staff crossing more than 70 specialty areas of medicine, Torrance Memorial is the place to go for treatments, ranging from minor
illnesses to more comprehensive specialty care. Patients can access an even larger network of sub-specialists through Torrance Memorial’s affiliation with Cedars-Sinai. Cedar-Sinai’s experts, whose specialties include cardiovascular surgery, neurology, neurosurgery, and cancer treatment, are now extending their practices to Torrance Memorial’s South Bay campus. Bringing more expert care to the South Bay provides the community with better access to clinical trials and the latest developments in medical research.
Torrance Memorial Medical Center
3330 Lomita Blvd.
Torrance
(310) 325-9110
855 Manhattan Beach Blvd
Suite 101
Manhattan Beach
Beauty at the Bay has created a beach cafe atmosphere.
Medical Spa
Beauty at the Bay
Some beauty treatment centers feel like hospitals, sterile in terms of both hygiene and vibe. Others feel gimmicky like they’re a little too publicity-seeking to be serious, safe, and certified. Maura Kennedy Davis, formerly a makeup artist for Hollywood celebrities, has created something different altogether. Beauty at the Beach emanates the professionalism of a doctor’s office and the energy of a laid back beach cafe. “I want it to be a place where people feel at home,” she says. Beauty at the Bay’s skincare treatments range from facials to Botox, Dysport injections, Intense Pulsed Light Therapy (IPL), fillers, and peels. Cosmetic treatments include eyelash extensions, waxing, and Emsculpt body contouring. The center also offers services that improve health and wellness, from Emsella pelvic floor strengthening treatments designed to boost sexual health to Vitamin IV infusions and colon hydrotherapy.
Beauty at the Bay
831 N. Harbor Dr.
Redondo Beach
(424) 383-1898
Sunrise Senior Living in Hermosa Beach has created a home away from home for its residents. Photo Chelsea Sektnan
Best Senior Living Facility
Sunrise Senior Living
Located just off Pacific Coast Highway in Hermosa Beach, this top-of-the-line senior living facility includes a vibrant community of 80 residents, ranging in age from 74 to 101.
“I believe we were voted the best because of our team approach and our mission to champion a high quality of life for all our residents through a holistic approach,” Senior Executive Director Eric Mensah said. “It’s not only the quality of care, but also the programming and various aspects of life where we do our very best to exceed expectations for the residents.”
Sunrise Senior Living provides multiple levels of care for seniors of all ages and care levels. From minimal assisted living to hospice care, Mensah said their goal is to help residents “age in place.”
Their mission, according to Mensah, is to “Champion the quality of life for all seniors and deliver quality care to residents in a holistic approach.”
74-year-old Maureen Kelly was not keen on leaving her home last year, but after researching senior living places in the area, she decided to move into Sunrise Living last August.
“I’ve found it a very enjoyable place to live once you have to move out of your own home,” Kelly said. “There’s plenty of things to do and there are very interesting people here who have interesting stories to talk about.”
Residents are able to participate in many activities as well as have access to transportation to go out-and-about on weekly excursions.
“It’s not home,” Kelly said. “But you can make it a home and have a good time too.”
Senior Living Center
Sunrise Senior Living
1837 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Hermosa Beach
Corporate Office (703) 273-7500
Optometrist
Manhattan Beach Vision Group
Manhattan Beach Vision Group has been around for 55 years. One of the group’s main opticians, Paul Lang, has been with the company for 45 years, and several employees have been with MBVG for over a decade. The group’s three doctors, Dr. Annie Tam, Dr. Michael Tran and Dr. Jamison Briggs, all specialize in contacts, myopia control and dry eye treatment. The doctors also offer medical testing in addition to routine exam services, and coordinate with ophthalmologists and lasik centers. MBVG also offers a large selection of eyewear, over 1,000 frames to select from, with the latest lens technology.
“Our main goal is to ensure we help our patients see their best and that they leave knowing we truly care about their eye care needs,” said Eli Salazar, MBVG practice manager. “This has allowed us to stay in business for 55 years and counting. We have generations of families that are our patients, from seeing grandpa to grandchild. Our patients are like our family. We have seen patients as children, to teenagers, then see them off to college and marriage then see them become parents. Thanks for voting and trusting us with your sight! Happy eyes, happy lives!”
Manhattan Vision Group
946 Manhattan Beach Blvd.
Manhattan Beach
(310) 545-4585
Dermatologist
Coast Dermatology
Coast Dermatology in Torrance offers a range of state-of-the-art medical, surgical, and cosmetic solutions to skin problems. A team of board-certified physicians and Mohs surgeons, trained to treat skin conditions, ranging from acne to age spots to cancer. Cancer is one of Coast’s specialties. The facility uses brachytherapy, an alternative to radiation treatment that’s non-invasive and less time-consuming. Brachytherapy derives from the Greek word for “short.”
Coast Dermatology
23550 Hawthorne Blvd. #200
Torrance
(310) 373-2636
Audiologist
South Bay Hearing
Professional race car driver Parnelli Jones, who won the 1963 Indianapolis 500, began to lose his hearing after years of spending time at noisy racetracks. “Straining to hear a radio or television program became a chore, and not a very pleasant one, as I’d have the volume cranked up so I could hear, but this bothered everyone else,” he wrote in a testimonial posted on the South Bay Hearing’s website. Visiting South Bay Hearing, he reported, made his life “so much better.” South Bay Hearing offers patients help navigating hearing issues ranging from hearing loss to tinnitus, a condition that produces a ringing only audible to the person affected. The facility offers hearing tests, hearing aid repair and services, tinnitus treatment, earwax management, ear monitors for musicians, and aural rehabilitation, as well as help with adjusting to hearing loss.
South Bay Hearing
3734 Sepulveda Blvd.
Torrance
(310) 803-9496
Pediatrician
Dr. Rita Tenenbaum
Board-certified pediatric doctor Rita Tenenbaum is this year’s pick for the South Bay’s best pediatrician. The Hermosa Beach physician has a clientele that sings her praises in various corners of the Internet. Her secondary certification is in clinical homeopathy. She attended medical school in Russia before immigrating to the U.S. and completing a residency at White Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles. She has been practicing in the South Bay for over 15 years. On her LinkedIn profile, Dr. Tenenbaum reports she looks at the world “from a kid’s perspective” and tries always to understand the “other side.”
Rita Tennenbaum, MD
705 Pier Ave.
Hermosa Beach
(310) 406-0827
tmphysiciannetwork.org/tmpn/find-a-doctor/profile/rita-tenenbaum
Massage
Burke Williams
Burke Williams enjoys national popularity, and South Bay locals with sore muscles agree that the company’s Torrance location delivers the best massage in the area. The facility certainly has the professional feel of a national chain. Over 75 employees work in a 12,000-square-foot building reminiscent of a luxurious hotel, which emits the fragrance of essential oils and a soundtrack of running water. Massage professionals at Burke Williams specialize in Thai massage, reflexology, and cranial sacral massage, which promotes pain relief from headaches, neck pain, and the side effects of cancer treatment.
2733 Pacific Coast Highway
Torrance, CA 90505
(310) 803-5550
burkewilliams.com/torrance-massage
Dentist
Pacific Dental Aesthetics
When Doctor Kim Lemire took over Hawthorne-based Pacific Dental Aesthetics from Dr. Arthur Natvig two years ago, she took the reins of one of the longest-standing and most respected dental offices in the South Bay.
“The practice had been in business for over 30 years,” Lemire said. Before moving to Hawthorne, the practice was in Manhattan Village.
“I think we won Best of the Beach because we really care for our patients and make them feel like family,” she said. “Our success in continuing the legacy of this practice would not have been possible without the support and trust of our patients, our exceptional team, and our commitment to providing top-notch, cutting-edge dental care for our community.”
The practice services include dental implants, periodontal disease treatment, emergency dentistry, full-mouth rehabilitation, pediatric dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, Invisalign services, and restorative dentistry.
Pacific Dental Aesthetics
14650 Aviation Blvd. #185
Hawthorne
(310) 643-9711
Orthodontist
Dr. Peter Sinclair, DDS, MSD
Beach Cities Orthodontics
As a Diplomate for the American Board of Orthodontics and USC professor, orthodontist Dr. Peter Sinclair has the experience needed to beautify your smile and help you with all your orthodontic needs. His office has been a staple in the South Bay for over 40 years. His motto is, “A great smile radiates great vibes.”
In addition to straightening smiles, his office offers clear braces and aligners, iTero digital scanning, and treatments to diagnose, correct, and prevent alignment issues for people of all ages.
Orthodontist
Peter Sinclair, DDS, MSD
Beach Cities Orthodontics
Skypark Medical Center Building 7, Ste. 130
23451 Madison St.
Torrance
(310) 375-0001
Derek Levy. Photo by Chelsea Sektnan
Chiropractor
Dr. Derek Levy, DC
Chiropractor Derek Levy describes himself as a meat and potato kind of doctor who makes house calls and insists on explaining to patients the cause of their problems before treating them.
“There’s nothing magical about what we do,” he insisted during a visit to his Hermosa Beach office. “Chiropractors work with three basic parts of the body – bones, nerves and muscles.
“When a bone is out of place, it can pinch a nerve, causing pain. Then the muscles spasms as they work to hold the bones in place.”
“All a chiropractor does is put the bone back in place, so the body can heal.”
Levy compared a pinched nerve to a garden hose with a kink in it.
“If the hose gets pinched, the flowers wilt. If nerves get pinched, patients experience numbness and pain.”
Levy was a competitive surfer in his youth and treats many surfers for neck and shoulder problems triggered not just by accidents, but simply by holding the head up while paddling.
The most common neck and shoulder problems aren’t from physical activity, he said, but from stress.
“We carry our stress in our neck, shoulders and mid back,” he explained, hunching his shoulders forward.
After adjustments to relieve pressure on the nerves, he advises patients to relieve their stress with yoga, exercise and biofeedback.
“Chiropractors don’t prescribe muscle relaxants or other drugs,” he said. Which, in part, explains what Levy described as the “political” controversy over chiropractics.
“Because we don’t prescribe drugs, the drug companies prefer patients see medical doctors,” Levy said.
Levy isn’t opposed to more mainstream medical practices or the use of drugs. He routinely refers patients he can’t help to medical doctors. But the lifelong surfer and beach volleyball player prefers a more natural approach to healing.
A practical result of his natural approach is being available 24 hours and making old fashion house calls.
“If someone’s in pain, I can’t ask them to live with it until my office opens in the morning,” he said.
Dr. Derek V Levy, DC
950 Aviation Blvd. Ste. K
Hermosa Beach
(310) 379-0503
CBD Products
CBD Comfort Zone
As one of the newest businesses in the South Bay to receive a Best of the Beach award, CBD Comfort Zone has filled a niche that many people didn’t realize they needed.
“We help people solve problems by not using drugs,” owner Stu Meyer said. “A lot of people are very health-conscious. They push it — and they’re older and still want to play volleyball or walk their dog. CBD is really good for pain and anxiety, and sleep problems.”
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is an active ingredient in cannabis that comes from the hemp plant. It does not cause a high and is not addictive, according to Harvard Health. Decriminalized in the 2018 Farm Bill and reclassified as an ordinary agricultural commodity, that reclassification allowed Meyer to open his store in Hermosa Beach last June. It was vital for him to share CBD with the community because he found it to be a product that made him feel healthier when he needed it the most.
“I’m a brain cancer survivor,” Meyer said. “My CBD store came out of my desire to get off all the pain meds.”
His use of CBD helped wean him off of pain, anxiety, and sleep medications that he was prescribed because of his condition.
“This is a passion project for me,” Meyer said. “I’ve been through a lot, and I want people to know that there’s an alternative way to heal yourself and get yourself back to normal.”
He added that everything in his store is organically grown in the U.S., and CBD products can help with sleep and anxiety, among other health issues.
“Our customers tend to be an older crowd,” Meyer said. “We have a 100-year-old blind lady who comes in… A lot of people don’t want to take narcotics, but they’re also tired of SSRI drugs (antidepressants), and they’re looking for natural alternative options.”
Meyer built his store to be non-intimidating to people who are nervous about using CBD products.
“If you go to a marijuana shop, it’s kind of an intimidating thing,” Meyer said. “You come into my store, and it’s quite the opposite. It’s a much more relaxed environment, and we’re full of education. We offer samples, and it’s a very enjoyable experience.”
A first-time customer who walked into the shop after going to a store nearby said, “I’ve never used this kind of thing. I’m here for the first time in my life. I have a sleep problem, and I wanted to check out.”
For Meyer, educating people about the benefits of CBD is important.
“A lot of people come in here and say they don’t know anything about this, ” Meyer said. “They tried smoking pot in college once and got anxious and paranoid, but they’ve heard we have a topical that can help with their arthritic pain or sleep problems. This is a good place to start. You can find out as much information on the internet as you want, or you can come here and talk to me for 10 minutes and learn a whole lot more.”
CBD Products
CBD Comfort Zone
1200 Pacific Coast Hwy.
(818) 369-7070
cbdcomfortzone.com/collections/cbd