Manhattan Beach
The cosmopolitan seaside community of Manhattan Beach still has a small town feel and is just 3 miles south of the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Manhattan Beach, incorporated in 1912, has over 2 miles of beachfront property with spectacular views and almost 4 square miles in size. The climate is temperate encouraging visitors and fun year round.
The county beachfront path stretches south from Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance to north of Manhattan Beach over 20 miles all the way to Santa Monica, which can be traveled by bicycle, skates, skateboard or walking or jogging.
Take a stroll on the Strand, which has a view from Palos Verdes to Malibu or enjoy dinner and cocktails at one of the beachfront restaurants where the majesty of the Pacific Ocean sunset is breathtaking or dine anywhere in the city where you´ll experience innovative and delectable food to just down-to-earth great cooking. One can also enjoy live music ranging from rock to disco to jazz.
Scattered from the south end to the north end of the beach are a variety of boutiques and specialty shops all within walking distance of the scenic 928-foot pier near the end of Manhattan Beach Boulevard. On the eastside of town, the Manhattan Village Shopping Center houses an impressive variety of stores, shops, boutiques, dining and movie theatres boasting over 90 retailers.
Located on the border of Manhattan and Redondo, is the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center is the Crown Jewel of the South Bay art scene. The 1,457-seat theatre is the home to the Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities, which is the largest producing musical company in Southern California and also hosts the noteworthy Distinguished Speaker Series.
The prestigious designations of California Distinguished Schools and National Blue Ribbon Schools have been consistently awarded to the Manhattan Beach school system. Tests scores of Manhattan Beach students are among the highest in the state.
Along with the beautiful white sandy beaches are a variety of parks. Polliwog Park is the site of Earth Day celebration and hosts a free concert series on Sunday afternoons in the summer. Manhattan Heights Park, the Sports Park and Live Oaks Park offers children´s play areas, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, basketball courts, volleyball courts, tennis and racket-ball courts. Golfers can play golf at the Marriott 9-hole golf course in Manhattan Beach or at The Lakes in El Segundo next door.
More information on Manhattan Beach can be found online at: http://www.ci.manhattan-beach.ca.us/
or http://www.city-data.com/city/Manhattan-Beach-California.html