Manhattan Beach is a sandy beach on the Pacific Ocean, located in the Los Angeles area of the same name, California, USA, between Hermosa Beach and El Segundo. Its length is about 3.4 kilometers, and its width is about 137 meters. Manhattan Beach is one of the six best beaches in the United States, which is also called the "Pearl of the South Bay". It is visited annually by about 3.8 million people, but, nevertheless, on a huge territory there is always enough place for vacationers.
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| Manhattan Beach California |
The Manhattan Beach area itself is a prestigious development of low-rise buildings. Before the first houses appeared here, the coast was covered with sand dunes. But in the 1920s and 1930s, some of the sand was taken to the Hawaiian Islands to cover local rocky beaches. The only sandy area away from the coast has survived in the northern part of the area and is now called the sand dune park.
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| Manhattan Beach California |
Facilities on the beach
On the vast territory of the beach, most of it is occupied by yellow sand and there are practically no retail outlets, rental of sun loungers and other market fuss. There are towers along the entire coastline, on which lifeguards are on duty from 8:00 to 21:30. There are also basic amenities such as toilets, showers and dumpsters. There is a small playground for children. In the surrounding streets you can find restaurants and cafes with American, Mexican, Vietnamese, Japanese, Californian and other cuisines of the world.
There is a cyclist path along the beach, which is always full of riders. There are several paid parks for both cars and bicycles.
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| Manhattan Beach California |
Pier
In the center of the beach is a 283 meter long concrete pier, built in 1920. Before him, there was another iron pier 270 meters long, which was destroyed by a storm in 1913. The pier on Manhattan Beach is believed to be one of the oldest on America's west coast and is now recognized as a State Historic Landmark. During its existence, it has been repeatedly repaired, completed and destroyed, but in spite of everything, it is still open to the public. Walking along the pier is very popular among tourists and residents of the city, because from here wonderful views of the coast and the ocean open, it is convenient to watch the concentrated fishermen and surfers rushing along the waves from here.
At the round end of the pier is an octagonal building with a Mediterranean-style tiled roof, built in 1922. It currently houses a marine research laboratory and an aquarium.
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| Manhattan Beach California |
Roundhouse Aquarium
Long after it was built in 1922, the circular building at the end of the Manhattan Beach pier was used as a cafe or shop. Only in 1981, the first exhibition of aquatic animals appeared here. By 1992, the building was rebuilt after demolition, and in 2018 it underwent a massive $ 4 million renovation. Currently, a small exposition of the aquarium includes 75 species of aquatic life, including sharks, moray eels, eels, octopuses, starfish, rays, seahorses, lobsters and even puffer fish.
Working hours:
- April-September - from 14:00 to 19:00 (Mon-Fri), from 10:00 to 19:00 (Sat-Sun),
- October-March - from 14:00 to 17:00 (Mon-Fri), from 10:00 to 17:00 (Sat-Sun).
It is completely free to visit the aquarium, but voluntary donations from visitors in the amount of $ 2-5 are usually welcome. In addition to the animal exhibition, many educational programs for schoolchildren and students are being implemented here, a summer camp operates, and there is also an opportunity to celebrate a children's birthday.
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| Manhattan Beach California |
Sport
Every year in the summer, a beach volleyball championship is held on Manhattan Beach, for which several dozen nets are installed on the sand. The first amateur competitions began to be held here in 1960, and now up to 60,000 people participate in professional tournaments. The names of the winners of the competition are immortalized on bronze plaques of a kind of "walk of fame" on the pier. By the way, it is believed that the beach volleyball tournament held here is the most prestigious in the United States.
In addition to beach volleyball fans, the beach is popular with surfers, of whom there are a large number of surfers. For fans of this sport, the International Surfing Festival is held here annually.
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| Manhattan Beach California |
How to get to Manhattan Beach
There are several ways to get to the beach:
- by car.
- by bus - no. 126 (stops. Manhattan Beach / Valley, Highland & 14th), at Beach Cities Transit 109 Northbound and Southbound (stops. Manhattan Ave. & 4th St., Manhattan Ave & 10th St, Highland & 14th, Highland Ave. & 18th St., Highland Ave. & Marine Ave.), at Commuter Express 438 (stops Manhattan Ave. & 4th St., Manhattan Ave & 10th St, Manhattan Ave & 10th St, Highland & 14th, Highland Ave. & 18th St., Highland Ave. & Marine Ave.)
- by metro - the nearest stations are Douglas and Redondo Beach.
- by taxi - apps Uber, Lyft, etc.