Manhattan Beach, California

The Sand Section, as the name implies, has the easiest access to the beach and runs along the city’s 2-miles coastline. The lots are smaller and higher in cost, but many have ocean views. Including both the Downtown Manhattan Beach area and the city’s North End strip of shops and restaurants, plus two elementary schools, this area can be fairly dense. Within the Sand Section, running right along the water’s edge, is The Strand. This oceanfront area consists of a bike path, sidewalk, and the front row of houses. What these lots lack in privacy, they make up for in oceanside views.

The median home price in the San Section is $4.6m but Downtown does offer condos at more accessible prices and apartments for rentals if the $4m+ price tag ain't in your budget just yet.

A good middle ground for growing families, homes in the Tree Section often offer four to five bedrooms and have backyards, offering a sense of more spaciousness than The Sand Section, but not quite as much space as East Manhattan. This quaint, small-town feeling neighborhood includes, you guessed it, tree-lined streets with names like Walnut, Pine, and Elm. One huge plus to the Tree Section is you border the Sand Section so you're still a short walk to the beach. The neighborhood also sidles up next to Sand Dune Park which means you and your kiddos get the dunes and the tons of recreation available in the park including tennis (and pickleball!!!), Aquatics, Summer Camps, Youth and Adult Sports Leagues and plenty of special events throughout the year.

The median home price here is $3m+, which of course is crazy but that's much cheaper than neighborhoods like the Sand Section so important to keep that in mind if you're focused on Manhattan Beach.

Much larger lot sizes, great schools and pretty parks with state-of-the-art playgrounds make East Manhattan the ideal place for families who are on the hunt in Manhattan Beach. Residents enjoy a bit more privacy and space from their neighbors than anywhere else in Manhattan Beach albeit sacrificing direct access to the beach as a result.

It should be noted that the real estate community is working hard to rename East Manhattan as Manhattan Knolls. The new moniker fits as a result of the neighborhood being built on a series of rolling hills that give the neighborhood a more bucolic feel. When you combine the hills with the larger beautiful yards, great big parks like Polliwog (the biggest park in the area) you know families are going to embrace the open green spaces for the kids and doggos to play

The community also gets the benefit of all the events and ongoing activities that happen at Polliwog Park, including the summer series of concerts, massive playground space, wonderful pond and tons of open green space for play. Median home prices in Manhattan Knolls are $2.7m, which shockingly makes it the least expensive neighborhood in the city.

Unwilling to choose between more space or a great view? Then the Hill Section is for you – if you can afford it. This area is the smallest district in the city but has some of the largest lots, biggest homes, widest streets and the highest prices. If you’re lucky, you just might find a panoramic view of the city, Pacific Island and even Catalina Island. It comes at a price as the median home price is north of $5.5m.

Not shockingly this neighborhood is built on a hill (hence the views). If you're on the West side of the hill, you're looking at the Pacific every day. If you're on the North or East side you have beautiful views of Downtown Los Angeles. The majority of the Hill Section is a short walk to the restaurants and shops of Downtown so it really is silly how much this neighborhood has to offer between its convenience, stunning beauty and ridiculously large homes and yards.

[Manhattan Village](https://manhattanstrand.com/explore-manhattan-village-in-manhattan-beach-ca/ is the only gated community in the city. It also has a nice mix of what the community refers to as town and court homes as well as estate homes. The average list price across these different home types is ~$2.1m, which means the estate homes are pricey and the town and court homes are more within reach (sub $2m).

In addition to the nicely designed community homes, you also get plenty of different pools and jacuzzis throughout the Village, a big playground, and living right next door to a big soccer field complex, the Westdrift Golf Course and the Manhattan Village Mall. Pretty much everything you need is within walking distance.