Total Pageviews

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Summer in Winter: Manhattan Beach in January

Manhattan Beach is a beautiful beach town located five miles south of Los Angeles International Airport. I was back in Los Angeles last January and took time to together with a friend from UCLA who lives in the area.



Yes, these photos were taken in the middle of Winter It was an exceptionally beautiful day - and a reminder why people put up with insane housing prices, soul numbing traffic, and all the other inconveniences of living in metro Los Angeles.




















Surfing and boogie boarding in January. Manhattan Beach is mentioned in the 1962 song, "Surfin' U.S.A.", by the Beach Boys. Group members were from the adjacent city of Hawthorne and surfed in Manhattan Beach


This is looking south with the Palos Verdes Peninsula visible in distance. 


And looking north. 

At one time Manhattan Beach was considered an affordable beach community. According to the wikipedia article, home prices in Manhattan Beach "are among the highest in the state of California. More homes exceeding $1 million were sold in Manhattan Beach than any other city in California."

In terms of cost, "Beverly Hills, La Jolla, Malibu, Bel-Air, Montecito, and other high end cities in California all anked behind Manhattan Beach."

So maybe it's not a place that you or I will be moving to anytime soon. 

That's OK. It doesn't mean you can't visit. Saturday morning, the streets were hoping with locals and visitors enjoying the vibe and feel of downtown. 

Looking west on Manhattan Beach Blvd towards the Manhattan Beach Pier. 

Dining al fresco, Saturday morning in January in one of Southern California's truly great beach cities. And I didn't even spend any time at the beach. 

If you visit, especially during the summer, make sure you get there early in the day if you want to find parking. And bring a sweatshirts, and even long pants. Ironically, coastal fog in May and June can actually make it cooler than in January. 

More next time. 


© 2016 www.experiencingla.com






No comments: