Manhattan Beach vs. Hermosa Beach vs. Redondo Beach (San Diego, Beverly Hills: sale, home)

[Mr. Zero]

Originally Posted by Panamajack78

Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach are about the same in terms of wealth. Not all of MB is wealthy, same as SaMo (or any other place for that matter, Brentwood, PacPalisades, BH, etc.) Both areas are generally affluent and upscale. Of course there are areas in both cities that are extremely upscale like North of Montana and Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, and the beach section of Manhattan Beach. But I would definitely not say Manhattan Beach is "far" more affluent than SaMo.

If you look at the data on this site, Manhattan Beach median household income in 2011 was about $123,000 and Santa Monica median household income in 2011 was about $67,000. I think both numbers seem a lot lower than what I'd expect, but MB does appear to have higher incomes than SM.

//www.city-data.com/city/Manhat...alifornia.html
//www.city-data.com/city/Santa-...alifornia.html

[proteus]

Originally Posted by Panamajack78

Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach are about the same in terms of wealth. Not all of MB is wealthy, same as SaMo (or any other place for that matter, Brentwood, PacPalisades, BH, etc.) Both areas are generally affluent and upscale. Of course there are areas in both cities that are extremely upscale like North of Montana and Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, and the beach section of Manhattan Beach. But I would definitely not say Manhattan Beach is "far" more affluent than SaMo.

According to Zillow, (Google: Zillow compare), home value index in SM is $1 million. In MB it's $1.6. Median household income in SM is $50,000. In MB it's $100,000. That's a big difference.

According to Wikipedia, the year 2000 per capita income in SM was $42,000. In MB, it was $61,000. Again, that's a sizable difference.

This is why I say MB is 'far' more affluent than SM. This is also why I say Westsiders are a bit shocked to find out. I'm not going by assumptions or wishful thinking. I'm pulling from facts.

[Jay2432]

Hermosa has an Orange County type vibe. Manhattan is a jock athlete type scene. Redondo has a San Pedro type feel for some reason.

[FutureCaliforniaEscapee]

I grew up in MB and it has its pros and cons. Is it worth the exorbitant prices people are paying now? I guess that is in the eye of the beholder. Not for me -- if I were seeking a luxury neighborhood to reside in, Palos Verdes and its relative seclusion and peace would be more my thing. One huge downside for me of Manhattan Beach is that it is very cramped. I recently was back there and my street could give you claustrophobia. The lots are just too small for the McMansions being built, the houses are right on top of each other. The claustrophobia extends to the rest of the city, which is, despite the city's newfound fame, very small. It feels like a sardine box at this point.

That being said, for a wealthy city, I don't find that it ever became that snooty. In fact I'd even say that it still has a bit of a relaxed vibe clinging to it. Some pretentious yuppie moving there for the "luxury" factor may be disappointed that there isn't ENOUGH snoot to make him feel he's getting his money's worth; there is little feeling of being part of some exclusive colony. It seems like fancy restaurants have a hard time gaining a foothold there, with some exceptions, and overall any attempt to make it into Brentwood has failed.

Someone says Hermosa Beach is similar. It isn't even close. It has a trashy feel for me, the downtown area with its nightclubs is worse than just frat, it feels almost like Hollywood Blvd. on a miniature scale. For me it is flat-out depressing. Redondo Beach is just an extension of Torrance in all but name, probably overpriced, retaining more of that ramshackle "seaside town" feeling than Manhattan. That is what the last poster is referring to by comparing it to San Pedro; and believe it or not, that feeling is detectable in all the beach cities, even Manhattan, in a subtle way. These cities do not feel polished or "New York" in any way, as other wealthy places tend to. You don't feel you are among "sophisticates" or people trying to be such.

[toomanymiles]

I live in North Redondo and I can tell you that Manhattan Beach is by far the fanciest and most expensive. For me it feels a little uppity, but I came up in a pretty rough and poor area so my standards are a little different than your typical white Southern Californian. They do have a nice main street area along Manhattan Beach Blvd with some cool restaurants and some of the houses along The Strand are pretty cool to look at.

I actually really like Hermosa (despite the frattiness) and we live just inland from there. It's very walkable near the beach with a mix of business types near multi-family units and single family homes with a blend of old and new buildings which, to me, gives a cool feel of old-school coastal California blended with the more polished custom homes.

North and South Redondo are very different although there is some crossover near Anita/Herondo/190th... South Redondo is a mix of single family homes and some pretty big apartment buildings and has the Riviera Village shopping area, which is pretty quiet and mostly local boutiques but a great place to get a cup of coffee or a beer just a block or two from the water. North Redondo has Artesia as our main shopping street which is a lot more crowded with traffic and not as walkable. Also the homes are very close together for the most part, hardly anyone has a yard up here. We also have the South Bay Galleria nearby with right next-door a nice Target, Sprouts, Nordstrom Rack etc.

I love it down here, but it does tend to feel a little cut off from L.A. and I feel like I have to have a pretty good reason to travel up to Silverlake, Downtown, Eagle Rock or any of those cool places.

[lumiera]

Could any of you provide comparison between Manhattan and Hermosa Beaches to the beach towns and villages north of San Diego? (e.g., Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Carlsbad) Thanks!

[camgirlcali]

north of San Diego? (e.g., Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Carlsbad) Thanks!

There is already a lot of opinions on the South Bay Beaches, so I'll give my $.02 on the beautiful (clean) SD beaches.

Oceanside- Separate city, most north. Has reputation for gang violence, but is where families can buy more affordable housing with big lot sizes.

Carlsbad- north of La Jolla, nice upscale area, slightly more suburban feeling. Carlsbad and Encinitas might feel somewhat similar to Manhattan beach.

Solana and Encinitas. Solana is pretty small area, so it feels more beach bum, private and secluded. Encinitas is larger but both have that very laid back beach bum quality. Encinitas has a nice well developed Main St. area.

La Jolla- the most upscale and touisty beach area. Where most tourists would come for spa getaways, shopping, dining etc. Can be very crowded, hard to park in the downtown areas. Might be the closest feeling to Santa Monica. Also home to UCSD but most students will flock to Pacific Beach.

Del Mar- home of the famous Racetrack and Torrey Pines. Can be very crowded in summer.

Pacific or aka PB- very very fratty, UCSD students. May feel most similar to Hermosa Beach or Xuma in Malibu. Where the 20 somethings go for night life, very crowded, difficult to park, but very lively energy.

Ocean or aka OB- throwback to 60s hippie-ness. Has somewhat grungy, dirty feel but it's still fun. Closest feeling to Venice beach funkiness.

Mission Beach is closest to Santa Monica Pier, so it's the most family friendly but I never was into it. But it has the biggest parking lots available with lots of touristy boardwalk entertainment available.

[Cinema Cat]

Originally Posted by proteus

According to Wikipedia, the year 2000 per capita income in SM was $42,000. In MB, it was $61,000. Again, that's a sizable difference.

This is why I say MB is 'far' more affluent than SM. This is also why I say Westsiders are a bit shocked to find out. I'm not going by assumptions or wishful thinking. I'm pulling from facts.

Santa Monica is 70% renters. Most of them (I assume) on rent control. And SM is constantly increasing the supply of "low income" rental units. So yeah, there are plenty of lower-income people in SM.

And of those 30% homeowners, I think most of them own condos (myself included), not houses.

I guess SM gets its reputation for affluence from the North of Montana area, which is full of expensive houses. La Mesa Drive is especially expensive. There was a house there listed for $35 million a few years ago, eventually lowered to $30 million. It's not uncommon for houses on La Mesa Drive and Georgina Avenue to sell for over $10 million.

I don't think any of the South Bay beach cities (MB, HB, RB) have people as rich, or as poor, as does SM.

[Dunbar42]

Originally Posted by Cinema Cat

I don't think any of the South Bay beach cities (MB, HB, RB) have people as rich, or as poor, as does SM.

I mostly agree with your post but Manhattan Beach most certainly has some very rich people living there. Santa Monica is huge with lots of rental units so comparing it to MB isn't really fair. The "poor" people in the south bay live in Torrance or Redondo Beach. Just look at what some of those houses on the beach go for in MB. There's actually a teardown right on the beach path under construction right now.The visible signs of wealth look a lot like the richest parts of Santa Monica.

[lumiera]

Thanks camgirlcali for the great information on the northern San Diego burbs! I drove Highway 1 from Oceanside all the way to La Jolla once but didn't stop and explore much. La Jolla itself is very nice but touristy as you said; it kinda feels like a smaller version of Santa Monica in some ways. I dined in PB and your comment there is pretty spot on. I didn't really get to explore OB but it sounds pretty cool! Next time I'm in SD I'll have to get over there to check it out