Gardena, Los Angeles County
Gardena incorporated in 1930, uniting the settlements of Gardena, Moneta and Strawberry Park. For decades it was the only city in Los Angeles County where poker clubs were legal, and the card rooms along Vermont Avenue paid a large share of the municipal budget. Two card clubs still operate. The city lies about 13 miles south of downtown, near the junction of the 110 and 405 freeways.