South Gate, CA Road Trips

Long Beach and Whittier are the oldest of the Gateway Cities, with settlement beginning in the late 19th century. The suburbs were settled in the 20th century; many of them greatly expanded in the 1950s and 60s. Lakewood is almost synonymous with "suburb". The area once had several factories; now it does not. While the communities were largely white working-class in the mid-20th century, many, such as Bell Gardens, Montebello and Whittier, are now predominantly Latino. There are African-American communities in Compton and Long Beach, and Asian communities in Artesia and Cerritos.

Several freeways cut through the area, the most prominent being I-5, which cuts in a northwest-southeast direction through the northern portion of the region between Orange County and Downtown L.A. To the south, I-105, CA-91, and I-405 all pass east-west through the Gateway Cities, with the 405 cutting across Long Beach. Major north-south freeways are I-710, which travels north from Downtown Long Beach up through several of the Gateway Cities to East L.A., and I-605, which links the region to the San Gabriel Valley. The Gateway Cities are directly served by a single major airport, the Long Beach Airport, which is primarily served by JetBlue with limited service via American and Delta Air Lines. LAX to the west is served by more airlines and is a major international hub. Rail service in the area is limited in scope, but does exist. The Metro Rail A line serves Compton and Long Beach from Downtown L.A., with stops in Downtown Long Beach close to the city's major attractions. The Metro Rail C Line runs east-west along I-105, stopping in Lynwood, Downey, and Norwalk, with a transfer to the A line in South Los Angeles. The region-wide Metrolink service has stops in Commerce and Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs, although that service is primarily geared towards local commuters.

Driving is the primary means of getting around the region, giving the sprawling nature of the Gateway Cities and the long distances between destinations. Several freeways cut through the region and there is a strong grid pattern of major surface streets. Bus service in the area is provided by several overlapping transit agencies, the primary ones being the county-wide Metro agency, Long Beach Transit in and around Long Beach, and Montebello Bus Lines in Montebello, Whittier, and surrounding communities.

Many of these cities are near South or East Los Angeles, and can be very dangerous, especially Compton. This area is prone to gang violence, and some of these cities are dangerous to walk alone in even during the daytime.