The Strand Manhattan Beach

5 houses up from the strand and I love it. It’s a great place to go on walks with my little daughter. There’s always friendly smiles, plenty of puppies she can pet and my favorite is the marine street swings! I like walking towards el Porto more than the pier it tends to be less busy.

Walked in at 11:30am for lunch on a Friday to be greeted by 3 hostesses. The upstairs dining room was 90% empty and only 1 table on the the patio. I requested the patio. The attractive blue eyed brunette said there would be a wait and gave me a pager. She didn’t say how long, she didn’t offer the bar or any place to wait,…so I walked upstairs. When I saw the restaurant was empty and the patio was super windy, I went back downstairs and requested a window table inside instead. With no eye contact, her curt response was «we don’t have window tables for 2». Her attitude made us think twice about staying and since she didn’t follow up with anything pleasant, we left and went to Fishing With Dynomite instead. Right around the corner, they greeted us with smiles and we had a perfectly delightful lunch! Hostesses who greet customers with arrogance should be fired. It sets a bad impression for the entire restaurant.

I love running on The Strand, probably my most favorite place to go running, and I don’t even like running so that says a lot lol. Honestly, it doesn’t even really feel like I’m working out when I run on The Strand because it’s so beautiful and so much going on to distract you. The views of the beach are amazing, and it’s nice to see other people running/​walking/​jogging and you’ll always see a lot of people taking their dogs out for a walk. The houses along The Strand are gorgeous, and it’s fun to admire their gorgeous plants and furniture. There’s also a little area with workout machines if you want to do various workouts.
The Manhattan Beach pier is accessible through The Strand, and it’s definitely one of my favorite piers, because there’s no businesses on it so it’s quiet and you can just enjoy the ocean breeze and it’s beauty. Also, if you come for a run after work, it’s an amazing sight to see the sun set around 7:30-the best things in life are FREE! :)
And as you can see from my photos, there are many MANY great photo opps on The Strand, especially if you’re like me and appreciate sky and beach shots!

Too crowded.

I’ll start off with this — Many years ago (close to 40, hence my age), I had an uncle that worked at the old Rockwell Plant and lived out here in Manhattan Beach. I fell in love back then!!! I use to go visit him a lot in my preteen years, which was the 80’s and you can not imagine how awesome Manhattan Beach must have been back then — I sound like a geek, but it was truly «magical». Till this very day, I feel the exact same way when I come out here.
A great place to walk! You can choose how long and far or how short. You got a lot of alternatives, the main one being from Hermosa to Manhattan pier (s) and back; or Hermosa to El Segundo, etc. From what I read on a sign in El Segundo, you can go as far as Santa Monica — I’m almost positive that would be best on bike. I’ve only walked the full 10 miles from tip of Redondo/​Hermosa to just at end of Dockweiler beach.
**UPDATE: They extended the Hermosa/​Redondo border (Herondo St.) all the way to Redondo Pier!
Uncle’s long passed by the way, but Manhattan Beach strand hasn’t.
«Oh Yay!!!»
It’s just amazing! And I’m not one to just blurt that out in public, but unless you’ve lived under rock all your life, this place is just simply «amazing!!» I love it!!! I feel safe when I’m out here, that is the one big plus. I love the beauty, how clean it is, how respectful the people are, the beautiful homes to stare at while I’m walking, nature and being one with God, while staring at the ocean and stretching my arms out. (Yes, that was a serious remark). I also love watching the planes take off from LAX, while working my way towards El Segundo/​Dockweiler.
This place has the best of everything; you can go work out and play and when your done you can reward yourself with food and drink. There’s tons of parking throughout, just drive around and you’ll find it. Be prepared to pay. It’s worth it though.
The strand itself is pleasant, it divides itself into one separate area for pedestrians and separate area for bicycles. You can tell who the local residents are, as they are so respectful and share the strand with everyone that visits; All they ask for, is that you come, respect it, show some courtesy by getting along and exercise some proper etiquette/​manners. Believe it or not, that actually works here. I even feel safe here at night. But as the times are scary, just always be aware of your surroundings — even as safe as it is here, one just never knows.
Summer time is the best time and also the most congested time, so plan on getting here earlier or have patience
To me, this is a place I like to call «my little slice of heaven». I hope and pray it stays that way.
Come check out if you haven’t and bring relatives/​friends visiting from out of the area, they are in for a big treat. Again, if you haven’t been here, you’ve been hiding under a rock.
Enjoy!

We were at the beach on a sunny Sunday noon and we picked this place, right near the pier. It has an enviable location and even better food.
We ordered for a couple of beers and a lot of food. The salmon I asked for was one of the best I have ever had, it just melts in your mouth. Their pizzas are really good too. The service is excellent. But the best is there espresso, do not miss out on that one if you are a coffee lover.
A must go to place if you are around manhattan and want to stop by for lunch.

I could spend an entire day out here pretending I don’t have a care in the world. We went around 10a on a Sunday, found a parking spot and rented a couple bikes without much effort. I can see how people might have trouble finding parking but we didn’t have any issues. We rounded out our visit with lunch in a nearby restaurant. Perfect afternoon.

This is my Sunday morning running spot! Parking is a breeze on Manhattan Beach Blvd– $.25 for 15 minutes. Just watch out for the 24 minute only zones. There is also a parking lot closer to the water if you choose to access the trail at one of the tail ends. When the weather is super nice, parking can be a challenge because people are either getting their brunch on or hanging by the water.
If you’re facing the pier and turn right, a round trip will run you a little over 2 miles. The route takes you through a scenic tour of pretty homes and lush landscaping. Very dog friendly!!! There is also a separate path on the lower level by the sand for bike riders only. I don’t think you’re allowed to run or walk on that road.
Runners beware though– The Strand often has a lot of walkers so you’ll have to dodge people every so often.

This is a beautiful place for a morning walk. Easy for anyone with a disability since it’s all paved. You will walk a long long way before you realize how far you are going. Beautiful so enjoy!

The strand in Manhattan Beach is my all time favorite! I love that there are no bicycles allowed on the walking part of the strand. The homes are amazing… Especially on the south side of Manhattan Beach, nearer to the Pier and Hermosa beach. The giant, white home at 2^nd and the Strand is unbelievable! We come here often, usually every weekend. I can’t wait till we can afford our dream home here.

Nice clean water and sand. Lifeguard on duty. Parking by the hour using debit/​credit. But safe and family friendly.

The strand is by far the most amazing public offering in the South Bay generally, and in MB particularly. I’ve lived here for some time and I try to make it down to the strand several times per week, if possible.
I have some sound advice for any newcomers. The strand is primarily an exercise path for persons of all ages. Treat the path as a road. Whether you are walking or biking, STAY TO THE RIGHT on the path!!! Do not make sudden movements across the path, as you may cause an accident with a bicyclist. Keep you dog on a leash and do not let them walk across the path into oncoming traffic. Remember, it’s a road!!! Treat it as such…
The most dangerous thing/​hazard you can encounter on the strand is a person who is preoccupied with the beauty of the multi-​million dollar homes on the path, but is paying no attention whatsoever to his or her surroundings.
So please, if you plan to visit, keep in mind that you are the visitor! Be aware of your surroundings… Watch for bikers, skateboarders and most importantly rollerbladers – by far the most dangerous people to utilize this great public space.
Enjoy your visit… :-)

The top Beach Houses in the country and the most laid back atmosphere that you will find anywhere.

Don’t get me wrong… I love the beach and I like the walking path they built right above where the beach is. However, I felt that this area was a bit run-​down. Many of the buildings along the oceanfront are dilapidated and undergoing construction. There are many volleyball nets, but maybe too many? I think it destroys some of the natural beauty of the coastline.
Up from the beach area, there are a few cute stores and shops, but very limited in terms of any nightlife. There is definitely more energy in Hermosa and Santa Monica.

ALbeit I just took a short stroll on the Strand it was still great to see the expanse of the ocean. Runners and skaters seemed to dominate the day and I almost got run over by one of the latter. I guess it would be brilliant if you lived here and were able to take this every morning but ill settle for it as a visitor to get myself outside for the sun even for a little bit

I will go along with the full 5 stars saying that I also love Manhatten Beach!
So close to LA, yet such a different vibe!
Love the downtown, the pier, the food, all around great vibes going on here.
It is super clean, plenty of parking (all meters).
Easy to walk everywhere, just a pretty little beach town right at the airport, though you feel miles away from the buzz going on all around you, love coming here every time!

I love the Strand! There’s no hills, its flat, so it makes for a pleasant run. Frequent pro athlete sightings here — U.S. beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh used train in MB. Also I see US soccer player Mia Hamm going for a run all the time… she lives near the Strand with her husband, former major league baseball player Garciaparra.
It’s 1.7 miles one-​way, from Hermosa Pier to Manhattan Pier on the Strand.

I find having the separate bike path pretty sweet. First off it is not as crowded and the sand is farther away. I am always anxious about slipping on sand while I run. I like the Manhattan strand a bit less than the Hermosa strand, however, because there are comparatively more dog poop on this strand. Also, I almost stepped on a snail. That was the last straw.
What I really do like about this area are the hills going up the streets. I did three hills and decided I hurt too much and should stick to flat plains for the rest of the way. The Hermosa strand doesn’t have that, and this is part of the reason why I will run this way again. The smoke stacks are a sore sight for sore eyes and the houses are prettier to look at in Hermosa by a little bittle bit.

This strand will float everyone’s boat:-)
You can walk, run, skate, watch half-​naked people, snoop out on million dollar homes… it’s all there for you here on the strand!
As for me, it’s a great place for a run and watch the sunset OR sunrise. I do intervals… running on the sand, then cement, then sand… and so on. There’s little walkway openings (divider between the sand & cement) making it easy to do the quick switches. I love it!

I started to run again and came here with a friend last week. The distance from the end of Manhattan Beach pier to Hermosa Beach pier and back is about 4 miles.
The view of the ocean and the expensive beachfront houses beats running on a treadmill any day!
There’s a separate bike path (for part of it) so you don’t have to worry about getting run over by them.
The path is pretty flat so if you want a little challenge with incline, zigzag in between the blocks, some of them are slightly steep.