Manhattan Beach

Manhattan Beach stretches for more than two miles of sand, about 115 acres, split in the middle by a 900-foot pier at the end of Manhattan Beach Boulevard, where fishing is allowed year-round. The north end, called El Porto, is a busy surf spot with lessons available, and volleyball nets line the sand all the way south to Hermosa Beach; the AVP Manhattan Beach Open draws big crowds every summer. Lifeguards are on duty in daylight, and the beach has restrooms, showers, a playground, beach wheelchairs, ramps and stairs to the sand, and access to the beach bike path. There are more than 450 public parking spaces in lots and on the street.

The area's history is tied to its sand. The first known residents, the Engnovangas Rancheria people, fished for corbina in the shallows. The land later belonged to Rancho Sausal Redondo, and in 1902 developers reportedly settled on the name "Manhattan" with a coin toss. Early beach cottages had no gas or electricity, and dunes 50 to 70 feet high had to be leveled; for nearly a decade in the late 1920s, Manhattan Beach sand was shipped by rail and barge to Waikiki. Some dunes survive at Sand Dune Park on the north end.

Commuter Express 438 and Beach Cities Transit 109 stop along Manhattan Avenue near the beach.