Manhattan Beach -- 16 reasons to live here.

June 05,2025 | Posted By Flavia Brown in Real Estate

It doesn't get any better than Manhattan Beach!

Whether you want a primary home, second home, luxury home, corporate retreat, a weekend getaway, or an income property investment, Manhattan Beach is the best choice. Because of the desirability of the area and scarcity of buildable land, demand is continually greater than supply. That is why property values increase faster than in almost any other area in California. Many homes' values increased 40% in three years, but the average during the past five years has been 12% per year. Following are 16 reasons why Manhattan Beach is the best place to live and buy a home:

+ Healthy environment -- A good chance residents will live longer than average; maybe much longer. I have never seen so much biking, running, inline skating, and walking. Many run on The Strand*, others run on the sand, and some run on both. Breathing ocean-swept clean fresh air while exercising can add years to your life. A huge sand dune is located at 32nd Street in Manhattan Beach where residents, professional athletes, and other athletes train. Google search Sand Dune Park Manhattan Beach. Other activities include swimming, surfing, beach volleyball, fishing, golf, and tennis (courts are in several parts of the city. Professional tennis tournaments are held at Live Oak Park. Nearby private and public golf courses are plentiful.
*The Strand is part of the 22-mile-long South Bay Bike Trail, one of the best bike rides in the U.S. It winds along the ocean and beaches from the south end of Torrance Beach (almost to Palos Verdes) to the north end of Santa Monica. The Strand in Manhattan Beach is unique because there are two side-by-side strands -- one for biking and skating, and the other for walking, jogging, and walking the dog.

+ Beautiful magnificent homes -- The most expensive (dollars per sq. ft.) are closest to the beach and The Strand. Homes on The Strand (200 in Manhattan and 200 in Hermosa) and the walkstreets have the highest value. This area is part of the Sand Section (MLS area 142). Homebuyers who want larger lots buy in the Hill Section. Most of these homes have large flat yards and spectacular ocean views. Some of these homes have 12,000+ sq. ft. of living space and 4-8 car garages. Choices are single-family residences (SFRs), townhouses, condos, multi-family income properties, and small office buildings. I will be glad to email descriptions and photos of homes for sale and off-market properties.

+ Warm weather, low humidity, and no smog here; just clean ocean-swept fresh air and low humidity. Many residents keep their windows open and with no screens. Most residents have no need for air conditioning, but some like to be extra cool during the hottest months, so they have central a/c. No mosquitoes or other pests, and rarely a fly. No airplane or train noise, no freeway noise, no sound walls, no factories.

+ The beach is the most pristine and beautiful -- wide, flat, and clean. It is maintained by L.A. County and the city. Many well-maintained parks.

+ The Pacific Ocean -- Continual pleasure watching the crashing waves, ships and boats, paddleboards, and surfers.

+ An upscale community and the heart of downtown features fine restaurants, cocktail lounges, fantastic breakfast spots, and boutique shops. Also, a new library and Live Oak Park with eight lighted professional tennis courts oriented north-south. Many courts throughout the city and private tennis clubs.

+ Public and private schools are ranked among the highest in California. All five Manhattan Beach elementary schools have API scores in the high 900s. Several top-quality private and preschools.

+ Volleyball -- The home of beach volleyball; professional and amateur. At least 90 courts north and south of the pier -- from 1^st to 45^th street.

+ Property value appreciation. Continually increasing except for an occasional temporary dip. Better performance than almost any other area in California. Greater demand than supply because of the desirability of the area and scarcity of buildable land. Houses with assessed bare land value much greater than the house value have the greatest chance for high appreciation rates, and I know where those properties are. Mostly, they are in prime locations, like on The Strand, walkstreets, other locations closest to the ocean (Sand section), and the Hill section.

+ A protected area by Mother Nature (safety of property) -- No earthquakes, no liquefaction, no tsunamis, no forest fires. no floods, no mudslides, no landslides, unlike Malibu and the Orange County coastal area (Newport Beach, etc.), there are no natural disasters.

+ Celebrities and professionals love Manhattan Beach. Actors, actresses, musicians, professional athletes, and executives live here. Residents and former residents like Shaq O'Neal, Tiger Woods, Michelle Kwan, and Kerry Walsh could live anywhere they wanted, but they chose Manhattan Beach. Several LA Kings team players and other professional athletes live here, as do commercial pilots and flight attendants. Many multi-millionaires live on The Strand and walkstreets. Several are from Silicon Valley.

+ Highly-rated police and fire departments.

+ City government that supports the community.

+ Many quality public parks (Live Oak and Polliwog are the most popular).

+ El Porto Beach has the best surfing waves. Newxt best is by the pier.

+ Proximity to LAX and many nearby attractions -- 12-minute drive to LAX, 20 minutes to the new SoFi Stadium, Intuit Dome, 10 minutes or less to King Harbor in Redondo Beach, 30-40 minutes to Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, downtown L.A. Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center), L.A. Live/Nokia Theater, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Dodger Stadium, USC, UCLA, Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, Malibu, Marina Del Rey, Griffith Park, Hollywood, Hollywood Bowl, Rose Bowl, Universal Studios, Rodeo Drive Shopping District in Beverly Hills, Aquarium of the Pacific, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and much more. Within 15 minutes of Manhattan Beach: The training centers in El Segundo for the L.A. Chargers, L.A. Lakers, L.A. Clippers, and L.A. Kings, Zamperini Field in Torrance, Dignity Health Sports Park (formerly StubHub Center) in Carson (home of the L.A. Galaxy soccer team), Goodyear Blimp in Carson, several private and public golf courses, several concert halls and playhouses. 1-3 hours away: Catalina Island, Six Flags/Magic Mountain, San Diego Zoo, Legoland, San Diego Safari Park, several Indian casinos, Palm Springs, Lake Arrowhead, Mt. Baldy, Mammoth Mountain, and much more.

Flavia Brown, Realtor® (18 years)
CA DRE #01729313
Real estate author
Realty One Group United
310-961-1300 (cell/text)
310-702-0293 (asst. -- cell/text)
homesbyflavia@gmail.com
homesbyflavia.com

P.S. My fiduciary duties include assuring client confidentiality,

Testimonials

Flavia did an exceptional job of getting my duplex sold, and found a 6-plex to complete a 1031 exchange transaction, all on time t...

- John Baker

View All Testimonials

Popular Pages

Location

22939 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 203
Torrance CA 90505

310-702-0293

DRE# 01729313

Real Estate Websites by Strategic Agent Inc.