The Rise of Hawthorne: From Industrial Hub to Cool Surfer Lingo Hoonie

Hawthorne, California, a city once known for its industrial warehouses and dusty airfields, has undergone a remarkable transformation. The redevelopment of this former manufacturing hub is credited in part to the halo effect of SpaceX, as well as Tesla Inc. Andrew Dilfer, vice president at JLL, a commercial real estate services and investment management company, describes the area's revitalization: 'Kearny took what was dirt and old manufacturing, and turned it into something where people could imagine, 'Hawthorne could be cool.''

The journey began in 2007 when Kearny Real Estate purchased the business park that would become synonymous with SpaceX. The site, previously home to a 21-building industrial park, had been idle for years. In its heyday, the entire 86-acre property was being used to manufacture fuselages for Boeing's massive 747 aircraft.

Fast forward to 2013, when SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk and co-founder of Tesla, moved into the area. Since then, Kang estimates that the company has gobbled up more than half the buildings in the industrial park. The influx of SpaceX brought new life to the area, with rent prices skyrocketing from 50 cents per square foot in 2000 to a much higher rate today.

The transformation was not limited to the industrial park. Hawthorne Municipal Airport, once a hub for quinceanera attendees on Saturdays and home to leaky roofs and hangars with no doors, has also undergone significant changes. According to Robert Kleinhenz, an economist at Beacon Economics and the UC Riverside Center for Economic Forecasting and Development, the region's economy has historically been tied to the aerospace industry, which has experienced its fair share of booms and busts.

Today, Hawthorne is a thriving community that embodies the spirit of innovation and progress. With its industrial past turned into a cool surfer lingo hoonie, the city is an attractive destination for businesses and individuals alike. As Andrew Dilfer so aptly put it, 'Hawthorne could be cool.' And judging by the area's rapid transformation, it's clear that it already has become just that.

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