Moving to Manhattan Beach: The Neighborhood Crash Course

By Dave Fratello | May 20th, 2016

drone-image-of-manhattan-beach-sand-section

Manhattan Beach is one of the best towns in the beach cities to call home. Thanks to its gorgeous beaches and convenient location, it is a favorite for many families, including film professionals, professional athletes and technology and financial industry commuters who must travel for work often.

Surrounded by beach, offering a charming downtown and near-perfect weather, Manhattan Beach homes are some of the most sought after in the South Bay. Each neighborhood within Manhattan Beach can be as unique and special as the South Bay region as a whole.

The Sand Section

The Sand Section of Manhattan Beach is the area along the coast where home buyers may enjoy the incredible beach landscape, but typically find smaller lots and relatively higher prices. Lots here are generally less than 3,000 square feet and parking can be quite scarce for residents and potential visitors. Many of the homes in the Sand Section have ocean views. With the density of beach development, this area also has a great deal of multi-family rental housing property.

ADDRESS BD/BA SQFT LOT PRICE $PSF DOM START $ START
Address 2617 Vista Drive BD/BA 4br/4ba SQFT 2810 sqft LOT 3494 PRICE $4,499,000 $PSF $1,601 DOM 1 DOM START $ $4,499,000 START 02/02/23
Address 120 36th Place BD/BA 3br/2ba SQFT 1260 sqft LOT 1352 PRICE $2,500,000 $PSF $1,984 DOM 8 DOM START $ $2,500,000 START 01/26/23
Address 3203 Vista Drive BD/BA 5br/5ba SQFT 3178 sqft LOT 1751 PRICE $6,199,000 $PSF $1,951 DOM 8 DOM START $ $6,199,000 START 01/26/23

Click to see more Sand Section Homes

Downtown Manhattan Beach runs along Manhattan Beach Boulevard and consists largely of commercial developments, so it offers easy access to your most frequented locations. Appropriately named, the Gaslamp section is characterized by the quaint “home-town” feel of gas lamps located between Blanche Road and Grandview, from 21st Street to 24th Street.

True beach junkies with deep pockets to match might try to find one of the few remaining homes for sale on The Strand. These homes are the closest available to the beach and offer up-close views of the breaking surf.

Highland Avenue is a dividing line for property values closest to the beach. West of Highland homes typically are much higher in land value than those east of Highland. The South End Walk Street homes all have front patios along car-free streets, making for a great neighborhood feel. This neighborhood is popular with families because of the lack of traffic. Sloped walkstreets offer ocean views.

The El Porto district is located just north of 38th street between El Segundo and the ocean shoreline. It is part commercial and part multi-family properties and has the highest density of residential development in Manhattan Beach.

The Sand Section is also home to three parks in Manhattan Beach: Bruce’s Beach Park right in the middle of town, and both Sand Dune Park and Live Oak Park along the border with the Tree Section.

Tree Section

As the name suggests, the streets in this part of town are all named after popular trees. Buyers might find Tree Section of Manhattan Beach most desirable because it is one of few locations in the city where homeowners can have something of a backyard, while still residing only a short walk to the downtown section and the beach. There is also free street parking for guests.

A Jewel Box By The Sea! This Bright, Vintage Ma...

OPEN HOUSE
Photo of Listing #SB23018975

533 13th Street

Manhattan Beach, CA

  • 2 BR
  • 2 BA
  • 1,194 SqFt.
  • 2,114 Lot

$2,350,000

Active

DOM: 0

Price:
$2,350,000
BR/BA:
2br / 2ba
Sq. ft.:
1,194
Area:
143 - Manhattan Bch Tree
City:
Manhattan Beach
DOM:
0
ADDRESS BD/BA SQFT LOT PRICE $PSF DOM START $ START
Address 533 13th Street BD/BA 2br/2ba SQFT 1194 sqft LOT 2114 PRICE $2,350,000 $PSF $1,968 DOM 0 DOM START $ $2,350,000 START 02/03/23
Address 3528 Walnut Avenue BD/BA 5br/4ba SQFT 2790 sqft LOT 4645 PRICE $3,195,000 $PSF $1,145 DOM 1 DOM START $ $3,195,000 START 02/02/23
Address 628 35th Street BD/BA 4br/4ba SQFT 2881 sqft LOT 5403 PRICE $3,895,000 $PSF $1,352 DOM 12 DOM START $ $3,895,000 START 01/22/23

Click to see more Tree Section Homes.

Hill Section

The Hill Section of Manhattan Beach real estate is the lap of luxury. Hill Section offers the greatest concentration of large, multi-million dollar estates on larger lots, often with views. As a result, there are far fewer vintage beach cottages here than you might find in other parts of town.

On the west side of the hill, the homes have panoramic ocean views from Palos Verdes to Malibu. On the east side, some homes have views of downtown Los Angeles and the mountains.

ADDRESS BD/BA SQFT LOT PRICE $PSF DOM START $ START
Address 800 N Poinsettia Avenue BD/BA 4br/4ba SQFT 2900 sqft LOT 7201 PRICE $4,999,999 $PSF $1,724 DOM 9 DOM START $ $4,999,999 START 01/25/23
Address 931 1st Street BD/BA 2br/1ba SQFT 948 sqft LOT 9595 PRICE $6,200,000 $PSF $6,540 DOM 15 DOM START $ $6,200,000 START 01/19/23
Address 640 Manhattan Beach Boulevard 3 BD/BA 2br/2ba SQFT 834 sqft LOT 10017 PRICE $1,200,000 $PSF $1,439 DOM 23 DOM START $ $1,200,000 START 01/11/23

Click to see more Hill Section Homes.

East Manhattan Beach | Manhattan Heights/Liberty Village and Mira Costa Sections

Located in East Manhattan Beach, the Manhattan Heights and Liberty Village areas are known for their relatively flat terrain and homes built from the 1950s-1960s. This area includes the local Polliwog Park, where lots of families can be found enjoying picnics, playing and working out.

Also in East Manhattan Beach, The Mira Costa Section is named for nearby Mira Costa High School, the only high school in the Manhattan Beach Unified District. This hilly section of the city offers homes with city light views and a quiet, family-oriented neighborhood. The Mira Costa section is just minutes from the beach and downtown MB.

ADDRESS BD/BA SQFT LOT PRICE $PSF DOM START $ START
Address 1130 2nd Street BD/BA 3br/2ba SQFT 1540 sqft LOT 7875 PRICE $1,879,000 $PSF $1,220 DOM 8 DOM START $ $1,879,000 START 01/26/23
Address 1806 Marine Avenue BD/BA 3br/3ba SQFT 1604 sqft LOT 5076 PRICE $1,950,000 $PSF $1,216 DOM 22 DOM START $ $1,950,000 START 01/08/23
Address 1427 5th Street BD/BA 2br/1ba SQFT 756 sqft LOT 7497 PRICE $2,225,000 $PSF $2,943 DOM 27 DOM START $ $2,499,000 START 01/07/23

Click to see more East Manhattan Beach Homes.

East Manhattan Beach | Manhattan Village

The Village is Manhattan Beach's only gated community, offering a quiet, community atmosphere and a mix of property types. Many of the properties have been upgraded and include townhomes and some single-family "estate homes," whose lot sizes range up to 11,000 sqft.

ADDRESS BD/BA SQFT LOT PRICE $PSF DOM START $ START
Address 23 Village Circle BD/BA 4br/4ba SQFT 3184 sqft LOT 5834 PRICE $3,400,000 $PSF $1,068 DOM 67 DOM START $ $3,400,000 START 11/28/22
Address 24 Westport BD/BA 4br/4ba SQFT 3256 sqft LOT 5742 PRICE $3,499,000 $PSF $1,075 DOM 98 DOM START $ $3,499,000 START 10/28/22

Click to see more Manhattan Village Homes.

You can also see all Manhattan Beach Homes For Sale in one search, see even more detail about Manhattan Beach neighborhoods, or browse our many articles about living in Manhattan Beach.

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