What is life at Manhattan Beach like? (Pasadena, Santa Monica: homes, neighborhoods)

[wheregirl]

Hello, everyone,

I am thinking of moving to Manhattan Beach soon, and would like some inputs from you on what life is like there. I have a home-based business so I don't need to commute. Is the area fairly self-sufficient for most of the daily living needs people have? Is it a walkable town?

Is it safe to take early morning or evening walks on the beach there?

How bad will the traffic be to go from there to Pasadena and UCLA?

How is the air quality/safety/people different between Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach?

Thanks a lot!

[greggd]

Originally Posted by wheregirl

Hello, everyone,

I am thinking of moving to Manhattan Beach soon, and would like some inputs from you on what life is like there. I have a home-based business so I don't need to commute. Is the area fairly self-sufficient for most of the daily living needs people have? Is it a walkable town?

Is it safe to take early morning or evening walks on the beach there?

How bad will the traffic be to go from there to Pasadena and UCLA?

How is the air quality/safety/people different between Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach?

Thanks a lot!

Manhattan is a great place to live if you can walk to the strand. The beach walk is safe all the time. The characteristics of MB promote outdoor activity, excercise and an overall healthy lifestyle in my opinion.

Driving from MB to UCLA can be done but would be best avoided during traffic times, such as evenings, morning etc. It would take about 45 minutes to get to MB from UCLA if its busy. 20 minutes if its clear. MB to pasadena is not really a good idea unless its on weekends or 1 time a week. long drive.

Air is good, MB is more family and professional than Hermosa.

[wheregirl]

Thanks for that really helpful information, Greg.

What sections of MB are walkable to the strand? Are parts of the hill section and the tree section walkable to the strand? Like which streets I should stay within?

Also, how life in the tree section and hill section in MB compared to that near the strand, in terms of air quality/noise?

Thanks.

[greggd]

Originally Posted by wheregirl

Thanks for that really helpful information, Greg.

What sections of MB are walkable to the strand? Are parts of the hill section and the tree section walkable to the strand? Like which streets I should stay within?

Also, how life in the tree section and hill section in MB compared to that near the strand, in terms of air quality/noise?

Thanks.

The sand section has its own community, but you can walk from certain parts of the tree and hill sections. Depends on where you choose to live. There western portions are walkable, but if you want the sea breeze, the sand is where its at and certain parts of the hill section.

You are going to see a lot of single family homes wherever you choose. The sand is going to be more dense. hill section will have yards etc.

[alaplex]

Manhattan Beach

Pros:
Very nice area
Beautiful people
Nice homes
Nice neighborhoods
Ocean
Quiet
volleyball (if that's your thing)
Cons:
Pretentious (plastic people)
Super expensive housing
next to no nightlifie...very dead at night
expensive restaurants
expensive everything
cloudy most of the day due to proximity to ocean
can get very cool due to close proximity to ocean
too many city restrictions...cater to the super elite

I got out and moved to West LA. Much better.

[wheregirl]

Alaplex, in what sense is West LA better, if you drop the weather (I like it cloudy) and expenses issues?

I don't ever go to bars anyway, so no nightlife wouldn't bother me. Though I do want to meet other nice people, can you do that while walking on the beach?

There has to some unpretentious people in MB, right? If it is super elite, some of them have to have some real talents, so quite real, right?

Thanks.

[happ]

Manhattan Beach has some nice businesses on Sepulveda Blvd including gyms\ coffee shops to meet people. Also hanging out at the beach will expose you to people. Playing beach volleyball is a real plus in MB. There are lots of sports minded people in Manhattan Beach.

[JTGJR]

Manhattan Beach is a very nice area and has no more pretentious people than West LA. Where there's big money, you're always going to find those folks. I have many good friends in Manhattan that Iwouldn't consider pretentious. They're good family people. Housing prices are also pretty much in line with parts of Santa Monica.

I think the biggest difference is that Manhattan is more family-oriented. Don't get me wrong . . . I'm not saying that West LA doesn't have a good family vibe. But I think 75% of Manhattan Beach caters to family whereas 75% of Santa Monica/Venice caters to visitors, business, etc.

There's plenty to do in Manhattan during the evening and night hours, but it's not a big bar scene area. Residents (renters) looking for that head south to Hermosa.

So, alaplex may be referring to a West LA that doesn't include SAMO, Venice, etc because the last time I checked they were still along the coast and had the same clouds and fog that hit 10-miles south.

[Woof Woof Woof!]

MH is a beautiful area. Great beach. Lots of walking.

But expensive, a little far from the city, and a bit Yuppy.

[LASam]

If you are looking to live somewhere where everything you need is within walking distance, you probably will be happiest living in walking distance of the MB pier/downtown area. The beach/city is 99% safe... very family-centric and clean. Traffic to UCLA or Pasadena will be OK unless you travel at rush hour... probably take 30-45 minutes to UCLA (405N) and 45-60 minutes to Pasadena (105E to 110N) on average. Air quality is fantastic for LA since you are near the ocean.

Biggest difference between Hermosa and Manhattan to me is that Hermosa is more of the post-college bachelor crowd and Manhattan is more of the family crowd. Manhattan is definately more yuppie.