best beaches for hanging out in LA/OC (Orange, Hermosa Beach: live, restaurants)

[pbergen]

so i'll be visiting LA this week and wanted to spend some time hanging out on the beach. i'm familiar with the geography of LA and OC but wanted to hear from locals re: the best beaches in so. cal.

my friends and i (4 guys, mid-20s to 30 years of age) are definitely going to visit santa monica and venice because there's a lot to see and do. but what about beaches like malibu, manhattan/hermosa/redondo beaches, and huntington/newport/laguna beaches? which of the aforementioned are good for hanging out, checking out the crowds/hot girls, and have clean sand/water?

basically, looking for a place that has a good number of people (i.e. not deserted/empty), is known for a lot of attractive girls, and isn't as dirty or touristy as santa monica or venice. someplace that's classically southern californian and is really popular with locals, while being neither too remote nor too commercial (for instance, santa monica has lots of chain stores and tourists, which is not what i'm looking for with this request).

my guess would be newport or laguna beach, but just wanted to confirm with you. malibu always seems empty when i've driven by, but are there any specific beaches in that town that fit the description above?

also, what days of the week/time of day are ideal for finding the kind of beach scene i'm looking for? i'm sure weekends would be packed, but what about weekdays? are all the aforementioned beaches empty during the week?

[pbergen]

any ideas?

[fashionablecowboy]

"not dirty or touristy"

first, not touristy doesn't exist in socal.. not trashy is def "beaches like malibu, manhattan/hermosa/redondo beaches, and huntington/newport/laguna beaches"

manhattan+newport+laguna being the most upscale. malibu is remote and classic but unflashy. The aforementioned are really classic and if there's money, you'd better bet there's hot chicks.

IMHO, Huntington and Hermosa have the best scene's for young singles. Both very nice and deep into surf culture.

[fashionablecowboy]

It seems Orange County is more based around the beach... and LA County is more based around the city(so. bay beach cities exempt).. in my opinion.

[PureHapa]

Hermosa Beach! Very local, since there's little parking for outsiders (get there early and bring lots of quarters for the parking meter). Beautiful people galore. Volleyball, biking, skating, jogging along the beach. Lots of bars and restaurants.

[pbergen]

thanks for the recs so far. so what i'm hearing is the beaches in oc as well as some of the south bay ones would fit my parameters.

quick question tho: are these beaches (hermosa, newport, huntington, laguna, etc.) empty on weekdays, or is there still a good number of people hanging around?

and is it fair to say that all of the various beaches in malibu are fairly empty, even on weekends? is there a specific one that fits what i'm looking for?

thanks.

[Rats]

huntington, manhattan, and hermosa

[aguamarina4u]

My old stomping grounds...Hermosa Beach! There's always something going on in the beach cities in South Bay. Pier Ave in Hermosa has some fun bars to hang out or just walk the strand.

Here's a live link to see the locals and visitors on the beach in action:

Eat Good Stuff !

[petrikke]

Originally Posted by pbergen

thanks for the recs so far. so what i'm hearing is the beaches in oc as well as some of the south bay ones would fit my parameters.

quick question tho: are these beaches (hermosa, newport, huntington, laguna, etc.) empty on weekdays, or is there still a good number of people hanging around?

and is it fair to say that all of the various beaches in malibu are fairly empty, even on weekends? is there a specific one that fits what i'm looking for?

thanks.

Go to healthebay.net and you can check how clean the beaches are. Funny as hell - Venice Beach at Windward ave. gets an A+ -

[SouthBayTodd]

i'd check out all of these:

newport, laguna, huntington, hermosa, manhattan

they all have a good day/night scene