Manhattan Beach, California
Coordinates: 33°53′20″N 118°24′19″W / 33.88889°N 118.40528°W / 33.88889; -118.40528Manhattan Beach is a city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. Its population was 33,852 at the 2000 census. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of both beach and indoor volleyball, and surfing. During the winter, the waves can get as big as 12 feet (3.7 m). To the east are the cities of Hawthorne and Redondo Beach. It is one of the three Beach Cities in the South Bay. The city is a very affluent beach town within commuting distance of Los Angeles, making it one of the most expensive coastal towns in which to live in America, according to the most recent Fortune Magazine rankings. The median price of a single family dwelling greatly exceeds the already high Los Angeles County median price by over 100%. Homes with an ocean view often exceed $3.25 million in cost.
History
In 1863, a Scottish immigrant, Sir Robert Burnett, purchased Rancho Sausal Redondo and Rancho Aguaje de la Centinela from Avila's heirs for $33,000. Ten years later in 1873, Burnett leased the ranch to a Canadian, Daniel Freeman, and returned to Scotland. Freeman moved his wife and three children onto the ranch and started growing various crops. On May 4, 1885 Freeman bought the ranch from Burnett for $140,000.George H. Peck owned a lot of the land that became part of the north section of Manhattan Beach. Around 1902, the beach suburb was named 'Manhattan' after a developer's home town.
Geography
The city has a total area of 26.8 km² (10.4 mi²), which includes 10.2 km² (3.9 mi²) as land and 16.7 km² (6.4 mi²) (62.07%) as water.Manhattan Beach features 2.1 miles (3.4 km) of ocean frontage, 40 acres (162,000 m²) of recreational beach, and a total of 59 acres (239,000 m²) of parkland in 10 parks, 1 municipal golf course, and 1 parkway, the Valley/Ardmore 'Greenbelt'.
Neighborhoods
Residents divide the city into several distinct neighborhoods, including the Village, Sand Section, Hill Section, Tree Section, Gas Lamp Section, Manhattan Heights, East Manhattan Beach, Liberty Village, and El Porto.The Hill Section includes higher priced homes where many of the residences are remodeled and situated on steep hills allowing panoramic ocean and city views. The nearby Sand Section is notable for its pockets of quiet neighborhoods adjacent to the ocean, dense development and higher rate of condominiums and multi-family properties compared to more suburban areas of the city. Most commercial activity whose clientele are beach-oriented position their establishments here, sometimes within meters of private homes. One of its most highly trafficked pedestrian streets, The Strand, features high-end Oceanfront homes. Desired by families for its close knit structure and with a substantially healthy financial background, the Tree Section is essentially a smaller Hill Section, minus the hills, of course, and with slightly smaller lots and narrower streets. Liberty Village is located at the north-easternmost section of Manhattan Beach; it is undergoing rapid change as the original World War II era housing for the employees of the then dominant local defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Hughes is replaced by new, larger homes.
Locale
Considered to be among the most desirable and affluent cities in Los Angeles, city zoning provides for lenient dwelling-to-land coverage and much of Manhattan Beach's housing stock has been remodeled from small single-family houses into larger houses ranging to 4,000 square feet (400 m2) on lots approximating 5,000 square feet (500 m2). This 'mansionization' of the city has been protested by some longtime neighborhood residents. Tiny beach cottages are being replaced by 6,000-square-foot (560 m2) modern homes. This is especially evident in the quaint alleyways and walk streets of the Sand Section, where dense living is already a contentious issue in the public eye.
Downtown
Downtown Manhattan Beach runs along Manhattan Beach Boulevard and the streets perpendicular to it in the area near the Manhattan Beach Pier up to Valley Drive. There are many restaurants and stores and a mixed-use center, called Metlox, named after a pottery factory formerly on the site, that includes a boutique hotel and several restaurants and shops. The Manhattan Beach Library is near downtown on Highland Avenue two blocks north of Manhattan Beach Boulevard. The library is part of the County of Los Angeles Public Library system, and includes internet accessible computers, WiFi, and access to the six million items in the county library collection.
East Manhattan Beach
East Manhattan Beach is located to the East of the Pacific Coast Highway.
Rosecrans Strip
The Rosecrans strip is located on the south side of Rosecrans Avenue, east of Sepulveda, and west of Aviation. The area includes the Manhattan Village Mall, which is located on the southeast corner of Sepulveda Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue. The Manhattan Beach Country Club, the Marriott Hotel and Golf Course, restaurants, retail stores, supermarkets, and shopping centers are along the strip between the Manhattan Mall and Aviation Boulevard.
Marine Strip
The Marine strip is located on both sides of Marine Avenue, near Sepulveda and Aviation Boulevards.
Manhattan Beach Boulevard Strip
The Manhattan Beach Boulevard strip is located on both sides of Manhattan Beach Boulevard through the city. The west end of the boulevard is the center of downtown Manhattan Beach. Directly west of the end of the boulevard is the pier.
Artesia Strip
The Artesia Boulevard strip is the southern boundary of the city.
Highland Strip
The Highland Avenue strip is located south of Rosecrans Avenue, north of 10th Street, along both sides of Highland Avenue.
Sepulveda Strip
The Sepulveda Strip occupies the commercial zone, which runs north-south through the city. This commercial zone is located south of Rosecrans Avenue, north of the border with Hermosa Beach, and along both sides of Sepulveda Boulevard. The Manhattan Village Mall is located on the southeast corner of Sepulveda Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue. In addition, there are several other, smaller malls and shopping areas along Sepulveda Boulevard, which include a variety of restaurants, shops, service providers, office buildings and other commercial establishments.
Aviation Strip
The Aviation Strip is located along Aviation Boulevard (the city's eastern boundary), south of Rosecrans Avenue, and north of Marine Avenue. The zone includes several major complexes, including the Manhattan Beach Film Studios and the Northrop Grumman Space Technology Plant.
Parks and recreation
The Strand path and bikeway along the beach is popular for biking, jogging, roller blading, and skateboarding. Numerous volleyball nets are set up along the beach, and swimming, body boarding and surfing are popular among residents and visitor. Beach Volleyball has been gaining popularity in Manhattan beach. The AVP comes to Manhattan beach annually along with other smaller volleyball associations such as SCVA and other youth beach volleyball associations like CBVA and Club Beach Volleyball. Manhattan Beach has proved to be a beach volleyball hot spot.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,854 people, 14,474 households, and 8,394 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,325.8/km² (8,606.7/mi²). There were 15,034 housing units at an average density of 1,477.0/km² (3,822.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.99% White, 6.04% Asian, 0.61% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.23% from other races, including 2.81% from two or more races. 5.19% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.[citation needed]There were 14,474 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18, 49.8% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 42.0% were non-families, 29.3% were individuals living alone, and 6.5% were individuals living alone who were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34, and the average family size was 2.98.Other census data showed that the age distribution in the city was 22.3% who were under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 37.5% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.6 males.The median income for a household in the city was $100,750, and the median income for a family was $122,686 (these figures had risen to $124,048 and $149,396 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $84,256 versus $54,142 for females. The per capita income for the city was $61,136. About 2.0% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.In February 2006, the median price of Manhattan Beach home sales was $1,925,000. In its Best Places to Live 2005 feature, Money Magazine ranked Manhattan Beach the 4th most expensive town in America. Additionally, in 2005 it ranked 2nd in California for the number of million-dollar homes sold. Forbes has also ranked the local ZIP code 90266 as the 29th most expensive ZIP code in North America.
Economy
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
Local government
The city of Manhattan Beach is governed by a five-member City Council. City Council members are elected every four years. The office of the Mayor of Manhattan Beach rotates every nine months among the members of the City Council, so that each City Council member serves one term as Mayor.The City Council's agenda consists mainly of maintaining consistency in the city's revenue flow. Laws are geared towards preserving the comfort and accessibility of revenue generating sectors, such as making skateboarding or 'standing on moving pieces of wood' illegal downtown, where much of the city's revenue is generated through shops/tourism. According to the city's most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's various funds had $73.5 million in Revenues, $72.2 million in expenditures, $232.3 million in total assets, $61.1 million in total liabilities, and $50.6 million in cash and investments.The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:The Beach Cities Health District, provides health and wellness services to the residents of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach. The voters of the three beach cities elect the 5-member Board of Directors to 4-year terms. One of 78 California Health Districts, it was created in 1955 as South Bay Hospital and took on its current name in 1993. Beach Cities Health District opened AdventurePlex, a Manhattan Beach fitness center for kids and their families, in 2002. Filled with mazes, tunnels, outdoor rock climbing walls, complex ropes courses, and an indoor gymnasium, AdventurePlex challenges children physically and intellectually in health-focused recreational activities.
State government
The residents of the city of Manhattan Beach are represented in state legislature by both a California State Senator and a California State Assemblyman.In the California State Senate, Manhattan Beach is located in the 28th District. The current State Senator from the District is Democrat Jenny Oropeza.In the California State Assembly, Manhattan Beach is located in 53rd District. The current State Assemblyman from the District is Democrat Ted Lieu.
Federal government
The residents of the city of Manhattan Beach are represented in United States Congress by the two United States Senators and one United States Representative.In the United States Senate, Manhattan Beach is represented by the Senators who are elected at large in the State of California. The current United States Senators from California are Democrat Dianne Feinstein and Democrat Barbara Boxer.In the United States House of Representatives, Manhattan Beach is located in California's 36th congressional district. The current United States Representative is Democrat Jane Harman.The United States Postal Service operates the Manhattan Beach Post Office at 1007 North Sepulveda Boulevard and the Downtown Manhattan Beach Post Office in Suite C at 425 15th Street.
Politics
Unlike much of the Greater Los Angeles area, the South Bay and Manhattan Beach in particular have a reputation for conservative politics. Early in its history, the town was built to house defense contractors and military servicemen returning from World War II. Both demographics carried with them their right-leaning ideology back to a more left-leaning Los Angeles Westside. However, as many Brentwood and Beverly Hills dwellers became enamored with the beach lifestyle, the district's politics changed rapidly.Even as registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats in the city, residents of Manhattan Beach are certainly more conservative on fiscal issues than on social issues. For example, over 65 percent of Manhattan Beach residents voted against Proposition 8, which outlawed same-sex marriage in the state. Even many overwhelmingly Democratic cities in Los Angeles County, such as Inglewood, and the county overall voted for Proposition 8, demonstrating that party preference does not clearly represent ideological sentiment in any given area.
Political registration
As of 2002, 46.3% of Manhattan Beach residents were registered Republicans and 35% were registered Democrats.According to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, the 36th Congressional District, which includes Manhattan Beach, has a Partisan Voting Index of D+11.
Presidential elections
In the 2000 presidential election, the Republican candidate, George W. Bush, narrowly defeated the Democratic candidate, Al Gore, with 48% to 47% of the city’s vote. In the 2004 presidential election, the Democratic candidate, John Kerry, defeated the Republican candidate, President George W. Bush, with 52% to 47% of the city's vote. In the 2008 presidential election, the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, defeated the Republican candidate, John McCain, with 56% to 41% of the city's vote.
Primary and secondary schools
Public education in Manhattan Beach is provided by the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, which oversees five elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The district is also assisted by non-profit organizations the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation and a Parent-Teacher Association for each school.The district as a whole received a score of 906 on the 2006 California Academic Performance Index, making it California's 5th best performing district. Each individual school also ranks at the top of its respective category.Under policy of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, residents who live in northern Redondo Beach may not attend schools within the MBUSD. As of Fall 2006, North Redondo Beach residents living in the 90278 zip code will be allowed to attend Mira Costa.See also: Aviation High School (1957–1982).
Private schools
Private schools located in Manhattan Beach include American Martyrs Catholic School, Manhattan Academy, Montessori School of Manhattan Beach and Journey of Faith Christian School.
Newspapers
Manhattan Beach is served by Easy Reader Manhattan Beach News, Beach Magazine, the Daily Breeze and the Beach Reporter.
Filming location
Filming location of1408(2007).John Cusack's character surfs in El Porto waves.
Filming location of2012(2009). Cracks appear down the middle of 45th Street.
Scenes from the 1983 Taylor Hackford film,Against All Odds, were filmed along The Strand and the beach.
Film and real life location ofGeorge JungofBlowfame.
Home to the filming of theCBSseriesCSI: MiamiManhattan Beach Studios.
Establishing shots of the TV show,Hannah Montanaare filmed at Mira Costa High School.
Film location ofJerry Maguire(1996). In the movie, Dorothy's (Rene Zellwegger) house is in the Sand Section on 23rd Street.
Home to the filming of theFox Networkseries,The O.C.
Filming location ofPoint Break(1991). In the movie,Keanu Reevesbuys hissurfboardfrom a shop located on the Manhattan Beach pier.
Filming location ofStarsky and Hutch(2004). In the movie, Starsky (Ben Stiller), can be seen stretching under the pier.
Filming location ofTequila Sunrise(1988).Mel Gibson's character lives on the beach near the pier.
Home to the filming of some of theThe CW Television Network/Ex-UPNseries,Veronica Mars.
Filming location for the TV show,Weeds.
Location of notable persons and companies
The name of present day Manhattan Beach was decided by a coin-flip in 1902 betweenGeorge Peck(who branded his property 'Manhattan' after his hometown in New York) andJohn Merrell(who wanted to name his property 'Shore Acres').
Was home to theMetlox Potterycompany, on whose former factory site was built a shopping and restaurant plaza.
TheHarvey Wallbangercocktail was invented in the 1960s at the current location of Sharkeez bar and grill.
Quentin Tarantinoworked at a video rental store in Manhattan Beach before becoming a director.
Errol Flynn resided in North Manhattan Beach at 3421 Manhattan Avenue (built in 1934 by MGM Studio).
Music
Mentioned in the song, 'Surfin' USA', by theBeach Boys.
The California band,Sand Section, is named after a neighborhood in Manhattan Beach.
Sports
TheAssociation of Volleyball Professionalstournament in Manhattan Beach is known as 'TheWimbledonof Beach Volleyball.' The names of the tournament champions are inscribed in plaques along Manhattan Beach Pier. This event usually takes place in August and is aired on national TV.
Other
Manhattan Beach has been nicknamed the 'Pearl of the South Bay' for its beauty and desirability.
Much of the sand onWaikīkī Beachwas purchased from Manhattan Beach by Hawaiʻian developers in the late 1920s. The developers negotiated a deal with the Kuhn Brothers Construction Company to ship the city's sand across thePacific Oceanfrom Manhattan Beach to Waikiki Beach for over 10 years.[1] The remaining sand that resembles Manhattan Beach's original landscape can be found atSand Dune Park.
