Manhattan Beach, California | ||
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City | ||
City of Manhattan Beach | ||
Manhattan Beach Pier November 2013 | ||
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Motto: "Sun, Sand, Sea" | ||
Location of Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles County, California | ||
Coordinates: 33°53?20?N 118°24?19?W / 33.88889°N 118.40528°W / 33.88889; -118.40528 | ||
Country | United States of America | |
State | California | |
County | Los Angeles | |
Incorporated (city) | December 12, 1912 | |
Government | ||
o Type | Council-Manager | |
o City Council | Mayor Wayne Powell Mark Burton Tony D'Errico David Lesser Amy Howorth | |
o City Treasurer | Tim Lilligren, Certified California Municipal Treasurer | |
o Police Chief | Eve Irvine | |
o Fire Chief | Bob Espinosa | |
Area | ||
o Total | 3.941 sq mi (10.208 km2) | |
o Land | 3.937 sq mi (10.197 km2) | |
o Water | 0.004 sq mi (0.010 km2) 0.1% | |
Elevation | 67 ft (20 m) | |
Population (2010) | ||
o Total | 35,135 | |
o Density | 8,900/sq mi (3,400/km2) | |
Time zone | PST (UTC-8) | |
o Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | |
ZIP Code | 90266, 90267 | |
Area code(s) | 310/424 | |
FIPS code | 06-45400 | |
GNIS feature ID | 1660985 | |
Website | www.citymb.info |
In 1863, a Scottish immigrant, Sir Robert Burnett, purchased Rancho Sausal Redondo and Rancho Aguaje de la Centinela from Avila's heirs for $33,000. Ten years later in 1873, Burnett leased the ranch to a Canadian, Daniel Freeman (not the American Daniel Freeman, who was the first to file a claim under the Homestead Act of 1862). Burnett returned to Scotland. Freeman moved his wife and three children onto the ranch and started growing various crops. On May 4, 1885 Freeman bought the ranch from Burnett for $140,000.
George H. Peck owned a lot of the land that became part of the north section of Manhattan Beach. A coin flip decided the town's name. Around 1902, the beach suburb was named "Manhattan" after developer Stewart Merrill's home town, Manhattan, New York. "Beach" was appended to the city's name in 1927 at the behest of the postmaster.
The land in Manhattan Beach was formerly sand dunes. During the 1920s and 1930s, builders leveled uneven sandy sites and some excess sand was sold and shipped to Waikiki, Hawaii to convert their reef and rock beach into a sandy beach. The sand was also used to build the Los Angeles Coliseum and portions of the Pacific Coast Highway.
Manhattan Beach is an affluent coastal city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is one of the three Beach Cities in the South Bay and has one public high school, Mira Costa High School. Manhattan Beach is a hotspot for beach volleyball and surfing. Every August, the city hosts the Manhattan Beach Open Volleyball Tournament and the International Surf Festival.
Residential prices in Manhattan Beach are among the highest in the state of California. In 2013, the Dataquick study reported that more homes exceeding $1 million were sold in Manhattan Beach than any other city in California. The Higley 100 Census survey found that The Hill Section of Manhattan Beach is the second highest mean household income neighborhood in Los Angeles County, with Beverly Park ranking first and Beverly Hills (the 90210 section) ranking third, respectively. The current median residential home price is $1.8 million and land values in Manhattan Beach rank among the highest per square foot in the nation. Recent sales include $12.6 million for an oceanfront home situated on a 4,000 square foot lot. In May 2014, a 3,330 sq foot corner lot on the Manhattan Beach Strand sold for a record $16 million dollars.
Manhattan Beach is currently ranked as one of the best suburbs in Los Angeles Country for its high earning and well educated residents. According to US Census data, Manhattan Beach holds the ranking as the second most educated city in Los Angeles County and the fifth most educated city in the state of California. Manhattan Beach's top performing school district is currently ranked as the third best in the state of California, and Forbes Magazine ranked the city's school district, MBUSD, as the sixth best school district in the United States.
Many high profile individuals in the sports and entertainment industry call Manhattan Beach home due to its oceanfront desirability, top performing school district, and commuting distance to Los Angeles. GQ Magazine named Manhattan Beach one of the nation's six best beaches in their July 2014 issue. Manhattan Beach was also named the best beach in the nation for "food" citing the city's excellent dining scene.
Manhattan Beach benefits from ocean breezes that provide clean air and summer temperatures that are 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the inland regions of Southern California.
The city has a total area of 4.9 square miles (13 km2). Manhattan Beach features 2.1 miles (3.4 km) of ocean frontage. A majority of the land in Manhattan Beach was once exposed sand dunes which now lie beneath the city's buildings and streets. The underlying dunes afford residents ocean views throughout western portions of the city. The tallest hill is 244 feet high and located in the city's southwest region. The only remaining exposed sand dune is at Sand Dune Park.
The beach is approximately 400 feet wide and 2.1 miles long. In the early part of the last century, the beach was narrow (approximately 150 feet) and sloping. From 1938 to 1989, it more than doubled in width when large quantities of sand were placed on beaches to the north during construction of the Hyperion Treatment Plant, Marina Del Rey, and Scattergood Power Plant. The sand was carried southward by the ocean's natural littoral flow and widened Manhattan Beach.
Residents have divided the city into several distinct neighborhoods, including the "Sand Section", "Hill Section", "Tree Section", "Gas Lamp Section", "The Village", "Manhattan Heights", "East Manhattan Beach", "Liberty Village", "Poet's Section" (Shelley, Tennyson, Longfellow, Keats), and "El Porto" (North Manhattan Beach).
The "Hill Section" is known for its high priced homes where many of the residences are remodeled or newly constructed. The steep hills allow panoramic ocean and city views. The average "Hill Section" home costs approximately $4 million and sales can exceed $6 million when larger lot sizes and expansive ocean views are reflected. The Hill Section neighborhood of Manhattan Beach ($399,820) currently ranks second in Los Angeles County according to mean household income, with Beverly Park ($502,440) ranking first and Beverly Hills (the 90120 section) ($395,734) ranking third, respectively.
The nearby "Sand Section" is notable for its quiet walk-street neighborhoods adjacent to the ocean. Multi-million dollar oceanfront homes stretch along the bike path and walking lane of "The Strand". "The Strand" section of Manhattan Beach includes some of the most expensive real estate per square foot in the United States. Respective to land-area, home prices average $20million per half acre of land.