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10 Things to Do When You're Staying in Manhattan Beach

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All Hotels Week long, we'll be providing map guides with advice on what to eat/drink/do when you're staying at five LA hotels in five different neighborhoods. Discover something new, whether you're a tourist or a cross-town staycationer.

Casual, laid-back Manhattan Beach is rich as heck: its Hill Section is the second richest neighborhood in Los Angeles and homebuyers there are frequently locked in insane bidding wars with winners paying for multi-million dollar oceanfront houses in cash. What we're trying to say is, the closest us normals are probably going to get to living here is staying in a chic hotel for a while (the Shade Hotel, for example) and packing as much MB activity as possible into the visit. We've got just the map to get your staycation started.

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Shade Hotel

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Eat at your own hotel (where there are casual tacos!), get hopped up on the in-room Keurig, then ride your comped beach cruiser until you get tired again. Take a bath and play with the "chromatherapy" lights that adjust their color based on your whims. Once clean, head to the Zinc bar, one of the snazziest in town. Welcome to vacation.

Little Sister

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Get your palate ready for some pan-Asian food at the restaurant which Johnathan Gold complimented by calling it "one of those rare restaurants where you eat far better than you think you're going to."

The Beach

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Even if you don't like the beach, you should go to this one. Try hitting up a different section each day.

Fishing with Dynamite

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By now, you've noticed that MB has some incredible eateries. This one showcases seafood, fitting considering the location, and largely serves it up raw, as our friends at Eater have discussed.

The Strand/Ray Kappe's Scheimer Residence

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Bike, walk, or jog your way up and down The Strand, gawk at the very expensive houses, and dawdle at the architecturally interesting ones, like Ray Kappe's Scheimer residence, built in 1985 and reminiscent of "a glamorous passenger ship."

The Local Yolk

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This wealthy enclave still has ties to the humble romantic surfer image, as evidenced by this no-frills, completely delicious diner. The coffee flows freely, the biscuits are handmade (perhaps by an old granny in the back), and when you see the omelets you will always think they've snuck in an extra egg.

If you're going to be at the beach, eventually you're going to want a book. Support your local independent bookstore (also the closest one to the beach) by stopping by to pick up a lighthearted page turner or a book about California beachfront homes.

Manhattan Beach Pier

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This pier is the polar opposite of Santa Monica's; take that as you will. It's well-kept-up and has a small, quaint aquarium at the very end of it. The pier's southern side is sometimes the site of pro beach volleyball games (as will be the case this August), but, when that's not happening, the nets are up for the non-pros.

39th Street Residence by MAKE Architecture

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There are several stunning examples of contemporary architecture in MB, several of which were the subject of an AIA/LA home tour a few years ago. This house and three others are all within a mile of each other (but don't attempt to show yourself around inside, they are private).

Veterans Parkway/Hermosa Valley Greenbelt

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This nearly-four-mile trail begins in MB and ends in Hermosa Beach, providing nearly continuous green space through the towns. While it doesn't get very close to the water, it's still a great, tree-lined walk.

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Shade Hotel

Eat at your own hotel (where there are casual tacos!), get hopped up on the in-room Keurig, then ride your comped beach cruiser until you get tired again. Take a bath and play with the "chromatherapy" lights that adjust their color based on your whims. Once clean, head to the Zinc bar, one of the snazziest in town. Welcome to vacation.

Little Sister

Get your palate ready for some pan-Asian food at the restaurant which Johnathan Gold complimented by calling it "one of those rare restaurants where you eat far better than you think you're going to."

The Beach

Even if you don't like the beach, you should go to this one. Try hitting up a different section each day.

Fishing with Dynamite

By now, you've noticed that MB has some incredible eateries. This one showcases seafood, fitting considering the location, and largely serves it up raw, as our friends at Eater have discussed.

The Strand/Ray Kappe's Scheimer Residence

Bike, walk, or jog your way up and down The Strand, gawk at the very expensive houses, and dawdle at the architecturally interesting ones, like Ray Kappe's Scheimer residence, built in 1985 and reminiscent of "a glamorous passenger ship."

The Local Yolk

This wealthy enclave still has ties to the humble romantic surfer image, as evidenced by this no-frills, completely delicious diner. The coffee flows freely, the biscuits are handmade (perhaps by an old granny in the back), and when you see the omelets you will always think they've snuck in an extra egg.

Pages

If you're going to be at the beach, eventually you're going to want a book. Support your local independent bookstore (also the closest one to the beach) by stopping by to pick up a lighthearted page turner or a book about California beachfront homes.

Manhattan Beach Pier

This pier is the polar opposite of Santa Monica's; take that as you will. It's well-kept-up and has a small, quaint aquarium at the very end of it. The pier's southern side is sometimes the site of pro beach volleyball games (as will be the case this August), but, when that's not happening, the nets are up for the non-pros.

39th Street Residence by MAKE Architecture

There are several stunning examples of contemporary architecture in MB, several of which were the subject of an AIA/LA home tour a few years ago. This house and three others are all within a mile of each other (but don't attempt to show yourself around inside, they are private).

Veterans Parkway/Hermosa Valley Greenbelt

This nearly-four-mile trail begins in MB and ends in Hermosa Beach, providing nearly continuous green space through the towns. While it doesn't get very close to the water, it's still a great, tree-lined walk.