Manhattan Beach(Manhattan Beach, Manhattan State Beach)

Located along the Los Angeles County shoreline, Manhattan Beach - also known as Manhattan County Beach - is a two mile-long and wide beach with light brown sand, nearby shrubs and palm trees, and a nearby reef.  This beach is located within a city that is also called Manhattan Beach.  This beach is also a part of a region within the Los Angeles metropolitan area that is called South Bay.  As an interesting fact, the area around Manhattan Beach used to have a lot of sand dunes in the past - in the 1920s, real estate developers from Hawaii made a deal with the local authorities to procure some of the sand around Manhattan Beach and use it to replenish the sand of a Hawaiian beach named Waikiki Beach.  Manhattan Beach has also been featured in many movies and television shows including the 1984 movie Against All Odds and the 1988 Mel Gibson and Michelle Pfeiffer movie Tequila Sunrise.  This beach is managed by the Department of Beaches and Harbors of the County of Los Angeles.  Manhattan Beach offers many amenities including a 900-foot long pier named Manhattan Beach Pier, lifeguards, restrooms, showers, concession stands, bike paths, volleyball courts, and a children’s play area.  Dogs are not allowed on Manhattan Beach.  Manhattan Beach offers accessibility to people with disabilities - the beach has a mobility mat for visitors with wheelchairs and it also has a disabled-friendly ramp that offers access to the beach.  Beach wheelchairs are also available at Manhattan Beach for visitors with disabilities on a first-come-first-serve basis - the beach wheelchair storage locker for Manhattan Beach is located near 4250 The Strand and you can call the local authorities at 310-372-2162 for more information regarding the beach wheelchair booking rules.

Manhattan Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, skating, biking, wildlife watching, picnicking, volleyball, swimming, surfing, bodysurfing, bodyboarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing, skimboarding, kayaking, canoeing, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, water-skiing, boating, wakeboarding, and parasailing.

The northern end of Manhattan Beach is particularly popular with surfers because the water here offers fun and large surfing waves.  In addition to the northern end of this beach, surfers also often surf around the Manhattan Beach Pier.

If you are planning to surf, swim, kayak, windsurf, or bodyboard near Manhattan Beach, we recommend being careful because the water here has dangerous and unpredictable rip currents.

Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near Manhattan Beach including migrating whales, seals, sea lions, and dolphins  Please note that seals, sea lions, dolphins, and whales are protected under a law named the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and harming them can result in a civil penalty of up to $11,000 and possible imprisonment. 

If you like volleyball, there are many volleyball nets in Manhattan Beach that offer a fun volleyball experience - this beach also hosts an annual volleyballtournament during summers named the Manhattan Beach Open.  This tournament - that was first organized in the 1960s - is currently one of the largest and most prestigious beach volleyball tournaments of the United States and it is also one of the largest tournaments that is organized by the Association of Volleyball Professionals. 

There is a popular pier on this beach named the Manhattan Beach Pier - this pier is around 928 feet long and it was constructed in 1920.  This pier has been designated as a California Historical Landmark.  This pier is also popular with fishermen - you can catch many kinds of fish here including surfperch, croakers, jacksmelt, mackerel, and herring.  The water around this pier is particularly renowned for having a large amount of barred surfperch - if you are planning to fish near Manhattan Beach, we recommend following the local fishing regulations that can be found on the website of California Department of Fish and Wildlife.  In addition, please note that some of the native fish in the water near Manhattan Beach are considered poisonous and are unsafe to eat.  Manhattan Beach Pier has also been featured in many movies including the 2004 Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson film Starsky & Hutch and the 1991 Keanu Reeves movie Point Break - as an interesting fact, Dale Velzy - who is known as one of the world’s first commercial surfboard shaper - started his business of building and repairing surfboards under this pier before opening his first store at a nearby location in 1949.  There is an aquarium on the Manhattan Beach Pier named the Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab and Aquarium - you can see many kinds of marine animals while visiting this aquarium including pipefish, seahorse, lobsters, leopard sharks, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers.  In addition, this aquarium also has many interesting features including a tide pool touch tank, a discovery center, and a gallery that has interesting images.

If you like biking or skating, the Marvin Braude Bike Trail (also known as The Strand) is a popular 22 mile oceanfront biking and rollerskating trail that passes near this beach - this trail mostly runs parallel to the coastline of the Santa Monica Bay and it offers a fun oceanfront biking and roller skating session. 

Manhattan Beach has many amenities, including public restrooms, showers, and lifeguards on duty

Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities at Manhattan Beach, including swimming, surfing, fishing, and cycling along the famous beachside bike path.

Manhattan Beach has a disability access ramp as well as a paved boardwalk.

Getting to Manhattan Beach is easy - the beach is located near the western end of Manhattan Beach Boulevard near its intersection with Ocean Drive.  Manhattan Beach Boulevard is easily accessible from North Sepulveda Boulevard, which is a part of Pacific Coast Highway/California State Highway 1.  There are multiple small paid parking lots near the beach’s pier.  In addition, there are a few metered parking spaces near Manhattan Beach - these parking areas are located along a nearby road called Manhattan Avenue.  We recommend visiting this beach early during summer weekends because it can get extremely crowded during this time.

Fun facts about Manhattan Beach include that it is home to the Manhattan Beach Open, the oldest beach volleyball tournament in the world, and the AVP Manhattan Beach Open, which attracts top professional volleyball players from around the world. The beach was also a filming location for the television show "Baywatch."

There are many attractions near Manhattan Beach.  Polliwog Park is an 18-acre park that has many amenities including multiple gazebos, a rose garden, a playground, picnic areas, a nearby baseball field, a nearby swimming pool (namedBegg Pool), barbecue areas, restrooms, drinking fountains, benches, an amphitheater, an exercise course, grassy recreational areas, and artificially shaded areas - this park has a large pond and you can see many kinds of animals and birds around this pond and within Polliwog Park including ducks, geese, raccoon, and possum.  This park also hosts many fun events throughout the year including concerts and artistic performances - there is also a small historical museum at Polliwog Park that is set in a vintage building and offers interesting exhibits on the local history.  The Manhattan Beach Botanical Garden is located near the southwestern corner of Polliwog Park - this garden exhibits interesting plant species that are native to California.

Sand Dune Park is a recreational park that received its name because it has a 100-foot tall sand dune.  In addition, this park offers many other amenities including a children’s playground, picnic areas, restrooms, and drinking water facilities - this park also has trails that offer a unique insight into the local plant life and you can also see many kinds of birds while visiting this beach.  Please note that access to this park is currently open through a reservation system and you can visit the official website of the city of Manhattan Beach for more information regarding the booking rules - many popular sportsmen have visited this park including basketball player Kobe Bryant, football player Troy Polamalu, and basketball player Paul Pierce. 

Manhattan Beach Art Centerexhibits interesting artworks by emerging and renowned artists - this center also offers arts classes, camps, and outreach programs to enhance arts-related awareness and education in the public.

If you are looking for another attraction near Manhattan Beach, AdventurePlex is a kids-oriented recreational center that has a variety of fun and interesting features including a rock wall, a play structure, a ropes course, and a garden - the center also offers many fun events including summer camps and weekend programs

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Manhattan Beach.  Esperanza is a popular upscale Mexican restaurant that has a unique coastal-inspired decor and is known for serving outstanding Sonoran-style Mexican dishes including delicious tacos and burritos –  and it is also well-known for serving a variety of expertly-crafted cocktails.  The Strand House is an upscale waterfront restaurant that has a cozy ambiance - the restaurant offers excellent dishes for brunch, lunch, and dinner including poultry dishes, steaks, seafood, pizzas, pastas, soups, sandwiches, salads, and egg dishes.  This restaurant also offers fun live music performances.  Petros Restaurant is a Greek restaurant that serves excellent Greek dishes including gyros, saganaki, moussaka, and souvlaki.  This restaurant also serves steaks, seafood, pork chops, salads, sandwiches, and soups - this restaurant has been praised by many publications including the ZAGAT guide and Los Angeles magazine.  The Kettle Restaurant (also called The Kettle) is a popular restaurant that serves amazing dishes for supper including pastas, pot roast, steaks, seafood, and chicken dishes  - this restaurant also serves delicious salads, fries, soups, quesadillas, burgers, sandwiches, breakfast dishes, and chicken tenders.  This restaurant has also been praised by many online publications including LAist and Eater LA.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Manhattan Beach, Uncle Bill’s Pancake House offers amazing dishes for lunch and breakfast including sandwiches, burgers, fish-and-chips, salads, pancakes, waffles, French toasts, and wraps.

If you are looking for a hotel near Manhattan Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 5-Star Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey is a 25-minute drive away and it offers many amenities including a saltwater pool, a tennis court, a basketball court, two restaurants, a fitness center, a spa, bicycle rental facilities, poolside cabanas, a gift shop, a jewelry shop, access to nearby walking trails, and car rental facilities.  Another upscale hotel is the 4-Star Shade Hotel Manhattan Beach that offers many amenities including a pool, poolside bar, a lounge with a terrace, bike loaner facilities, complimentary access to a nearby fitness club, complimentary breakfast, sparkling wine and sweets upon arrival, access to a guest computer, and a nearby spa.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Residence Inn by Marriott Los Angeles LAX/Manhattan Beach that offers many amenities including a restaurant, complimentary breakfast, complimentary coffee/tea, a pool, a fitness center, a convenience store, bike rental services, dry cleaning service, and laundry service - this hotel also offers fun activities for kids.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Manhattan Beach, the 2-Star Hotel Pacific Manhattan Beach offers many amenities including guest laundry facilities