Great Streets 
There are currently 5 blog entries related to this category.
Great Streets: 7th Street (Sand)
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 12:14am. 133 Views, 0 Comments.
Seventh Street in the South End is one of those fabled Manhattan Beach walkstreets. As much or more than others, this one is a kid's paradise.7th is a flat stretch that goes all the way from Crest to Valley – no break at Ingleside. On a recent stroll we counted no fewer than 3 playhouses, 4 basketball hoops (of varying sizes) and a tetherball post in the walkstreet. It's a playground.
7th boasts a number of beach cottages that are well-kept and have preserved their original charm. Many of the entrances are warm and welcoming, embracing the walkstreet. (We cringe when we see walkstreet homes that are tucked behind fences or don't have a patio or deck fronting the public areas – why bother being on a walkstreet?)
On 7th, you'll also see a handful of new homes…
Great Streets: The Strand, Part I
Thursday, March 13th, 2008 at 4:09am. 108 Views, 0 Comments.
The Strand is a 2-mile-long playground. It's hardly a street, since there are no cars – just walkers, joggers, baby strollers and dogs. And the occasional party spillover, toddler meanderings and games of dominoes.Still, The Strand is a Great Street, and a distinguishing feature of MB. It's both very public and very exclusive. Anyone can visit, but only the elite few can buy in.
It's a bit funny now to imagine that when Manhattan Beach was first founded, living on The Strand could be a hassle. The big problem: Blowing sand. It would bury yards, patios and the wooden boardwalk, piling up on windowsills and rooftops. And there were the beachfront train tracks (where the bike path is now) plus electrical poles ruining the sight lines.
Our ancestors gradually…
Great Streets: 31st St. (Trees)
Thursday, March 6th, 2008 at 2:36am. 169 Views, 0 Comments.
If you're going to live in the Tree Section, you'll probably want to see some trees. How about a canopy? Then you should be looking at 31st St., one of MB's great streets.In the stretch of 31st between Laurel and Blanche, and particularly between Agnes and Blanche, the feel of the street is that of somewhere else. Tall trees give 31st an East Coast or even college-town feel. Afternoon sun filters through the leaves to create a bright but calm and shady, sleepy atmosphere. On the few days a year that we have in MB that are truly warm, 31st is a respite.
There's something else that raises 31st above the rest: Street-to-alley lots. Much of MB would be far better, comfier and more human-friendly if it had been laid out like 31st. We're so accustomed to narrow…Great Streets: Pacific (Hills)
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008 at 7:04am. 106 Views, 0 Comments.
Depending on where you live or drive around town, you might have very different ideas about Pacific Ave.In the Trees, Pacific can be just plain busy – i.e., not very "pacific." If you're headed north in the morning (or any time), you've got refinery stacks in your sights as you shuffle toward Rosecrans.
But whoa, what a completely different story Pacific Ave. is over in the Hill Section. It's perhaps the city's premier ocean-view street, particularly in the stretch between 6th-10th St. Here, "Pacific" actually means you will see a lot of the Pacific Ocean. Big-blue-marble-type views. (Those power lines are on the way down.)
In short, when you say "Hill Section" and think "ocean view," Pacific ought to be your next thought.
(Please forgive MBC for the…
Great Streets: 18th St. (Sand)
Friday, February 15th, 2008 at 5:03am. 116 Views, 0 Comments.
MB has tons of charms, but one of its true jewels is a seaside walkstreet that's cozy, warm and winding: 18th St., west of Highland. (Click any pic to enlarge.)No doubt, the midtown walkstreets nearby are all prized for their their ocean views, proximity to downtown and relative isolation.
They're quiet because Manhattan Ave. doesn't run at all between 15th St. and Marine (which would be 22nd), which means few people driving around town might even know what's west of Highland in this area.
18th St. stands out, for MBC, for one principal reason – the walkstreet itself winds and banks in a gentle, serpentine fashion all the way down the hill, with all the odd curvy points landscaped to the individual tastes of residents. It's not quite Lombard St., San…