As the Running Realtor, I try to stay true to the name by getting my workouts in throughout the neighborhoods I serve. No, I can no longer hold a 4:50 mile or even sniff the 4:27 I ran in my younger days, but I am just happy to still be out there.

Running gives me that headspace. The clarity. The challenge. And let’s be honest, the cardio I still crave from my competitive days. Maybe I should start a running club. But since this is a real estate blog, let’s get into one of my favorite routes, a solid three mile run through North Hawthorne

The Warm Up Good Neighbors Park to the Beach Boys

The run starts at Good Neighbors Park, a small but perfectly placed park tucked along the freeway. It is a great spot for dynamic stretching along the perimeter before getting into stride.

From there, I head east on Doty toward the Beach Boys Monument on 119th Street. This pocket of North Hawthorne is bordered by Prairie to the west, the 105 Freeway to the north, Crenshaw to the east, and 120th Street to the south.

The neighborhood is made up mostly of single family homes built in the 1940s and 1950s, with some larger homes added in the 1980s, especially closer to the freeway. You will also find a mix of small multi unit properties and a few townhome developments sprinkled throughout.

This is also where the Beach Boys grew up. And in a twist of history, part of this neighborhood, including their childhood home, was removed during the construction of the 105 Freeway in the mid 1980s.

The Grind 120th Street and the Dominguez Channel

As you make your way up to 120th Street, you will be running alongside Hawthorne Airport. Not exactly the cleanest air between traffic from the 105, 120th Street, and jet fuel. Writing this now, I am starting to question my route choices. Maybe that explains the 7:40 pace these days.

That said, my watch did tell me my resting heart rate improved recently, so maybe the body adapts. I will keep telling myself that.

Along 120th, there is a dirt stretch by the Dominguez Channel that I like to use for sprint intervals. It breaks up the run and keeps things interesting.

The Dominguez Channel itself was originally built for flood control. Back in the early 1900s, this area was marshland, and the channel helped redirect water safely to the ocean. Fun fact as a realtor, parts of the channel actually run beneath some backyards along the 105, creating easements that can impact things like building a pool. That is the kind of detail you want your agent to know.

North Hawthorne Market SnapshotSince we are here, let’s talk real estate.

The North Hawthorne market continues to show a mix of opportunity and variability, with pricing driven heavily by condition, size, and location.

Average Sales Price $717,250
Median Price $675,000
Price Range $620,000 to $899,000
Average Price per Square Foot $627.70
Average Size 1,177 sq ft
Average Days on Market 100

What we are seeing is a market where buyers are still active, but more selective. Homes are taking longer to sell, and pricing strategy matters more than ever. Well priced homes move. Overpriced ones sit and adjust.

The Mid Run Stop 120th and Crenshaw

As you head east, you will hit 120th and Crenshaw, what I call the mid run pit stop.

This intersection has everything you need. Target, Lowe’s, Wescom Credit Union, and quick food options like Starbucks, Wendy’s, a Hawaiian BBQ spot, and Quiznos. It is one of those areas where you can knock out multiple errands in one stop.

There is also a Tesla Supercharging station here, making it a key hub for EV owners in the area.

The Turn SpaceX and Jack Northrop Ave

From there, I head south past the airport. You will start to smell something different, Eureka across from the airport. If you know, you know. The mac and cheese balls are solid, and the Hangar 24 wheat beer is my go to, but not today, we are running.

You pass the fire station and then SpaceX headquarters, where you will see employees walking around in SpaceX and Mars shirts, like they are casually planning the future.

As you turn onto Jack Northrop Ave heading west, you get a clear view of the Falcon 9 rocket on display. It is one of those moments that still catches people off guard. A real rocket, just sitting there in Hawthorne.

Jack Northrop Ave itself is named after Jack Northrop, founder of Northrop Corporation and a pioneer in aviation. His work helped shape modern aircraft design, and his legacy is a big reason Hawthorne became an aerospace hub.

That legacy continues today. While SpaceX has shifted its official headquarters to Texas, Hawthorne remains a major operational hub, supporting jobs and ongoing innovation.

The Stretch Prairie Ave and Local Flavor

Once you hit Prairie, you turn north. On your left, you will pass Mariscos Guillen, a popular lunch spot that serves more than just seafood.

A little further up is Presidential K9, a well known local dog training facility offering training, boarding, daycare, and grooming. I have never taken my dogs there, which probably explains why they are not the most obedient. But they do get excited when I get home, so I will take that win.

Hollywood Meets Hawthorne 120th and Prairie

Before wrapping up the run, you pass one of the most underrated landmarks in the neighborhood.

The intersection of 120th and Prairie was used in the original The Fast and the Furious during the street race scene where Brian and Dom line up. Real street, real setting, right next to Hawthorne Airport.

Today, it feels like any normal intersection. But if you know, you know, you are standing on the same pavement where one of the most iconic scenes in car culture was filmed.

Running Over What You Can’t See The Hidden Tunnel

And just beneath that same stretch of road lies another piece of Hawthorne history.

The Boring Company built a test tunnel under 120th Street as part of an early effort to rethink transportation. It was about a mile long and designed as a proof of concept.

The project eventually shifted to other cities, and while the tunnel still exists, it is no longer an active focus.

This is one of those “almost futuristic” stories that never fully played out locally.

For a moment, Hawthorne was ground zero for what could have been a transportation revolution… and now it is more of a hidden piece of infrastructure beneath your feet.

Not abandoned but more like
“mission accomplished… then moved on.”

The Finish Back to Good Neighbors Park

From there, it is the final stretch west on 118th back to Good Neighbors Park. A quick sprint, some light stretching, and a cool down.

I call this the Hawthorne SpaceX run.

Try to keep up.