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Visiting Manhattan Beach CaliforniaA delightful beach community with a small town atmosphere makes Manhattan Beach in Southern California a fun place to enjoy the surf and sand.
Manhattan State Beach is one of a string of beaches in L.A. County that lie between LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. It's a fair distance from the nearest freeway, and close enough to the airport to make traffic congestion a major deterrant to those coming from the north. Yet once you get there, it's all worthwhile. 
The wide sandy beach is lined with expensive beachfront homes. Gorgeous bodies abound, seemingly even more here than in other Southern California beach towns. The further you stray from the pier, the less populated the beach is. The northern section is called El Porto Beach. To the south lies Hermosa Beach.
The South Bay Bicycle Trail stretches along the back of the sand, extending 22 miles from Will Rogers State Beach in the north to Torrance Beach in the south. There is also a pedestrian walkway called "the Strand" where you can enjoy the "sights" as you burn calories walking.
Near the Municipal Pier, vigorous young people play volleyball in the sand. Swimming and surfing are popular activities here as at most Southern California beaches. Amenities include restrooms, outdoor showers, lifeguards, beach equipment rentals, a playground and a snack stand.
Click here to watch a short Manhattan Beach video.
The pier itself has a marine life aquarium, fishing, bike racks, restrooms and dressing rooms. The pier is located at the foot of Manhattan Beach Boulevard.
The street that runs through town is Highland Ave., just a few blocks from the beach. Here you'll find a pleasing array of small shops, bars and restaurants.
To get to this splendid little beach community, take the I-405 north or south and exit on Manhattan Beach Blvd., heading west to the coast. Alternatively, you can take Rosecrans from the I-405, which takes you to the north end of town. From Rosecrans, turn left on Highland to go through town. The beach will be down the hill to the left, a couple of blocks away.Metered parking is available along here, or you can park further away in the residential neighborhoods or in neighboring Hermosa and walk. The pier has a parking lot with short term meters. There is a lot at 12th & Highland and also a parking structure here as well as at Highland & Rosecrans. At 14th Street, there are some meters that allow you to stay 5 hours. Bring lots of change!
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