Manhattan Beach

South Bay beach town with a broad Pacific beach, surf pier, and affluent low-key centre.

Manhattan Beach is one of the South Bay beach towns south of LAX, sandwiched between Hermosa Beach and El Segundo along the California coast. It has a quieter, more affluent feel than nearby Venice or Santa Monica — the Strand, a paved path running along the beach, is the social centre, busy with joggers, cyclists, and people walking dogs.

The pier stretches out over good surf breaks, and the Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab at its end is a free aquarium. Downtown Manhattan Beach, a few blocks inland, has restaurants and shops along Manhattan Beach Boulevard. It is a pleasant, low-key beach town — not a destination in itself, but a good place to spend a day if you are in the LA area and want sand without the crowds.

One place worth knowing about is Bruce's Beach at the north end of town, where historical markers tell the story of a Black-owned beach resort seized by the city in the 1920s — a reminder that access to this now-exclusive coastline has not always been equal.

Guide

Eating Out

Downtown Manhattan Beach along Manhattan Beach Boulevard and its side streets has a good concentration of restaurants — better than you might expect for a beach suburb. The focus is on casual California cooking: fresh seafood, farm-to-table style menus, and a reliable coffee culture. The area skews expensive relative to the rest of LA.

Guide

Getting There

Manhattan Beach is about 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. By car, take the I-405 south to the Rosecrans Avenue exit and head west; parking near the beach is metered and difficult on weekends, so arriving early or using a rideshare is wise.

The Metro K Line (Crenshaw/LAX Line) stops at Douglas Station in El Segundo, about a mile from the northern end of Manhattan Beach, with connecting bus service. The Big Blue Bus and LA Metro buses also serve the area. From LAX, a rideshare or taxi takes around 15 minutes in light traffic.

Guide

Things to Do

Manhattan Beach is primarily a beach town, and the beach itself is the main event. The pier, the Strand, and the surf are what most visitors come for, though the historic Bruce's Beach site adds an important and sobering layer of history.