life in MB 
There are currently 39 blog entries related to this category.
A Quick MB RE Glossary
Friday, December 14th, 2012 at 4:56pm. 216 Views, 0 Comments.
Looking back over the years, here at MBC we've adopted some terms, and created some others, as shorthand for various aspects of Manhattan Beach real estate.Now and then we get questions: What does this mean, what does that mean?
So here's a guide to some of those terms, and any interesting history behind them.
We encourage readers to add their own to the list via comments, or just email Dave.
The Highway – There can be no doubt: "The Highway" is Sepulveda, Route 1, PCH... all the same thing. It's the border between East and West MB.
For some, the highway is like an impenetrable barrier, as in: "It seems like weeks since I crossed Sepulveda." For others, no big whoop, we're all here together, man.
The border has spawned some divisive phrases: "There's No Life…
MB's Quiet 100th
Friday, December 7th, 2012 at 3:00pm. 191 Views, 0 Comments.
Manhattan Beach turned 100 this week.That was this past Sunday, Dec. 2, actually.
Did you see a parade? Fireworks? A boozy bash on the beach?
Not this time.
Like many MB'ers, we had this sense that everything would build to a crescendo. Then it didn't.
We loved the MB Centennial Parade. (See our post from May, with our pics plus links to lots of others' photos.)
After that, honestly, we didn't see much.
Turns out, there was a "symposium" to celebrate last Saturday. (Learn more about the speakers and the program here.)
And it turns out there is some kind of backstory about why grander events didn't work out, fingers are being pointed, and the net result was a very quiet flip into MB's second century. The new SouthBay magazine pulls together a chunk of the story,…
Weekend Opens (10/6-10/7)
Saturday, October 6th, 2012 at 4:08am. 192 Views, 0 Comments.
It's Hometown Fair again this weekend, a nice place to celebrate MB's 100 years, and to try not to come home with a 100th goldfish. (We're saying this while 4 long-living goldfish gaze on, wondering when it's feeding time again.)
Well, that's carnivals for you, and the small-town ambience of MB.
It's the 40th fair, and the 35th running of the MB 10k Saturday morning. If you're running, how many will this 10k make for you? (For Dave, it's 6 or 7; feels like more.)
Also helping us celebrate this weekend... a little new crop of homes for sale.
Ocean views, darling remodels, and... something else.
To plan your weekend open-house tours, try this Redfin map list of open houses – sort by price or sub-region of MB by clicking the title on a column.
Or click here for…
Well, that's carnivals for you, and the small-town ambience of MB.
It's the 40th fair, and the 35th running of the MB 10k Saturday morning. If you're running, how many will this 10k make for you? (For Dave, it's 6 or 7; feels like more.)Also helping us celebrate this weekend... a little new crop of homes for sale.
Ocean views, darling remodels, and... something else.
To plan your weekend open-house tours, try this Redfin map list of open houses – sort by price or sub-region of MB by clicking the title on a column.
Or click here for…
Weekend Opens (9/22-9/23)
Saturday, September 22nd, 2012 at 4:15am. 157 Views, 0 Comments.
As luck would have it, this weekend almost all the new listings are in the Sand Section.
Appropriate enough, since Summer refuses to die this September. (Yay!)
Remember 2010? If we'd had only the number of true Summer days in all of 2010 that we've had in half of September 2012, no one would remember 2010 as the "Bummer Summer."
Fog rolled in Friday for a bit, but luckily after Space Shuttle Endeavour had passed overhead. (See "Shuttle Over Manhattan.") Here's our video taken from 2nd St., MB:
The Stanley Cup and Space Shuttle in MB in the same year. Hey hey!
Although, that's the last shuttle, and the NHL is locked out... Yo, go rain on some other parade.
To plan your weekend open-house tours, try this Redfin map list of open houses – sort by price or…
Appropriate enough, since Summer refuses to die this September. (Yay!)
Remember 2010? If we'd had only the number of true Summer days in all of 2010 that we've had in half of September 2012, no one would remember 2010 as the "Bummer Summer."
Fog rolled in Friday for a bit, but luckily after Space Shuttle Endeavour had passed overhead. (See "Shuttle Over Manhattan.") Here's our video taken from 2nd St., MB:
The Stanley Cup and Space Shuttle in MB in the same year. Hey hey!
Although, that's the last shuttle, and the NHL is locked out... Yo, go rain on some other parade.
To plan your weekend open-house tours, try this Redfin map list of open houses – sort by price or…
Shuttle Over Manhattan
Friday, September 21st, 2012 at 11:35pm. 187 Views, 0 Comments.
Sometimes local real estate is exciting, other times it's what's flying over our local real estate that's exciting.
Friday the Space Shuttle Endeavour toured all over California. Just minutes before touching down at LAX, it buzzed Manhattan Beach and Hermosa. We caught it from the South End and made this little video (45 seconds), including the excited cheers of neighbors as the spacecraft flew overhead.
On a personal note, your blog author here (Dave) goes a ways back with the Shuttle program. With dad having worked on the engines, we had early, advance exposure to the program in our family, even before the final designs were hammered out, or flying models built.
So it was quite something to witness the final flying moments of the last shuttle built.
…
Friday the Space Shuttle Endeavour toured all over California. Just minutes before touching down at LAX, it buzzed Manhattan Beach and Hermosa. We caught it from the South End and made this little video (45 seconds), including the excited cheers of neighbors as the spacecraft flew overhead.
On a personal note, your blog author here (Dave) goes a ways back with the Shuttle program. With dad having worked on the engines, we had early, advance exposure to the program in our family, even before the final designs were hammered out, or flying models built.
So it was quite something to witness the final flying moments of the last shuttle built.
…
What About El Segundo?
Friday, August 10th, 2012 at 11:17pm. 246 Views, 0 Comments.
There's a coastal town with million-dollar houses somewhere in California, with a big, old oil refinery right next door.
Residents learned not to think much about the refinery, or worry about it, until one day – this week – when they had no choice.
That's when Chevron's Richmond refinery suffered several explosions and a ghastly, 2-day fire.
Thousands of nearby residents were ordered to hide inside with doors and windows closed, so as to avoid breathing potentially toxic gases.
Reportedly, more than 1,700 people showed up in area hospitals with respiratory problems and burning eyes from the smoke. One told a reporter after seeing a doctor, "They told me I'm not going to die, but it sure feels pretty…
Residents learned not to think much about the refinery, or worry about it, until one day – this week – when they had no choice.
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| Richmond refinery fire. Photo by Jef Poskanzer |
Thousands of nearby residents were ordered to hide inside with doors and windows closed, so as to avoid breathing potentially toxic gases.
Reportedly, more than 1,700 people showed up in area hospitals with respiratory problems and burning eyes from the smoke. One told a reporter after seeing a doctor, "They told me I'm not going to die, but it sure feels pretty…
The Cup's HB/MB Tour
Monday, June 25th, 2012 at 9:39pm. 197 Views, 0 Comments.
Monday, Hermosa hosted the first big public South Bay rally with the Stanley Cup. Someone guesstimated the crowd at 10,000 before the Cup made its way to MB for an unannounced, closed celebration ceremony with dignitaries.
How did this get started? Hermosa as the place for the great, unwashed masses, and MB as the place for the suits?
We can drum up a pretty good unwashed mass here if you let us!
Our pics from Monday are below, but first...
Before Monday's events, the Cup made a nice little tour of MB on Sunday.
We're hearing that the Cup dropped in at the 900 Club midday Sunday, and we actually stumbled across the Cup later at the Strand House. (This is Dave's pic, snapped right before the heavy-breathing…
How did this get started? Hermosa as the place for the great, unwashed masses, and MB as the place for the suits?
We can drum up a pretty good unwashed mass here if you let us!
Our pics from Monday are below, but first...
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| Stanley Cup at The Strand House • 6/24/12 |
We're hearing that the Cup dropped in at the 900 Club midday Sunday, and we actually stumbled across the Cup later at the Strand House. (This is Dave's pic, snapped right before the heavy-breathing…
Sign the Petition: Bring Stanley Cup to MB
Friday, June 15th, 2012 at 5:02pm. 288 Views, 0 Comments.
The LA Kings aren't just the new Stanley Cup champs. Many are our friends and neighbors here in Manhattan Beach.Current and former players, team execs, on-air voices, and others connected to the team live here. So MB is a natural landing spot for the Cup.
We agree with city councilman Richard Montgomery's push to get the Kings to set up an MB-specific event for residents.
Please sign this online petition to help create an MB event for the Cup. It's an easy, quick signature with Facebook or just by typing in your name.
And pass along this post or the link below direct to the petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cup-to-mb/
If you'd like to be added as a "sponsor" to the petition, just email Dave / address: MBWatcher [ at ] gmail.com.
We'll keep the…
MB Centennial Parade at a Glance
Thursday, May 24th, 2012 at 11:24pm. 193 Views, 0 Comments.
It took 100 years for MB to put on an event like last Saturday's Manhattan Beach Centennial Parade, so here's hoping you'll forgive us for taking a few days to get some photos up online.
Below is a little selection of our photos from MBC's prime position at the start of the parade route.
We saw 100 entries, a few dozen dignitaries and notables, heard a few marching bands and old-time crooners, saw hundreds of girl scouts and a goodly number of boy scouts (girls win!), watched a few dozen horses hoof it, enjoyed endless numbers of elementary school marchers (plus MBMS kids too), and even caught both a stagecoach and Santa on virtual film.
A friend said lovingly of the parade: "So small town." But he quickly clarified: "That's why we love our little town!"
In…
Below is a little selection of our photos from MBC's prime position at the start of the parade route.
We saw 100 entries, a few dozen dignitaries and notables, heard a few marching bands and old-time crooners, saw hundreds of girl scouts and a goodly number of boy scouts (girls win!), watched a few dozen horses hoof it, enjoyed endless numbers of elementary school marchers (plus MBMS kids too), and even caught both a stagecoach and Santa on virtual film.
A friend said lovingly of the parade: "So small town." But he quickly clarified: "That's why we love our little town!"
In…
Weekend Opens (5/19-5/20)
Saturday, May 19th, 2012 at 3:41pm. 160 Views, 0 Comments.
On a landmark weekend for MB, new listings are not the big draw. Sorry to say.
The true real estate must-sees are all on the Sophisticated Snoop tour, including some nice MB properties.
The tour includes this little "Monterey Colonial" beauty at 2523 Valley, which we've raved about here in the past. (Including the nice deal the current owners got in 2010.)
The other MB homes:
1148 Fisher, a standout architectural modern with ocean and PV views near downtown; and
652 31st, a "Coastal Carolinas" (don't say Cape Cod) inspired home on one of the prestige blocks of MB's Tree Section.
And there are 3 pretty nifty Hermosa homes on the tour as well. Hours are 10am-4pm Sat/Sun, $30 at the door if you did not pre-buy your tour tix. Here's the flyer.
Of course, this…
The true real estate must-sees are all on the Sophisticated Snoop tour, including some nice MB properties.
The tour includes this little "Monterey Colonial" beauty at 2523 Valley, which we've raved about here in the past. (Including the nice deal the current owners got in 2010.) The other MB homes:
1148 Fisher, a standout architectural modern with ocean and PV views near downtown; and
652 31st, a "Coastal Carolinas" (don't say Cape Cod) inspired home on one of the prestige blocks of MB's Tree Section.
And there are 3 pretty nifty Hermosa homes on the tour as well. Hours are 10am-4pm Sat/Sun, $30 at the door if you did not pre-buy your tour tix. Here's the flyer.
Of course, this…