Welcome to Sand Section | Area 142
The Sand Section of Manhattan Beach runs parallel to the Pacific Ocean and the breathtaking beaches of this small, coastal town. The Strand provides a path for the many outdoor enthusiasts who live and play in this area, including bikers, joggers, walkers, rollerbladers, and more. In its earliest days, Manhattan Beach was part of the ten-mile ocean frontage of Rancho Sausal Redondo, which means “Round Clump of Willows.” Later, the area was named “Shore Acres” by George Peck, who owned a section of the north end of town. In 1901, John Merrill bought the south portion and called his section Manhattan after his old home in New York City. Peck and Merrill, unable to agree on a city name, flipped a coin and Manhattan won. The first downtown building was built by Merrill around 1901, a small frame building later used for city offices. The official date of incorporation of the town was December 7, 1912. Today, Manhattan Beach is an upscale but laid-back beach community home to some of the best surf in the South Bay. With a variety of shops, restaurants, and long stretches of white sand beaches, Manhattan Beach has something for everyone
General Information
Boundaries
South of Homer St. and Francisco St., North of 45th St., East of Bell St., Valley Dr., and West of The Strand. The Sand Section is divided into four areas:
- South: This area runs from 1st St. to 15th St. and includes walking streets from 1st St. to 8th St.
- Central: Runs from 16th to Marine St. and 22nd to 36th St. Eachstretch includes homes with scenic views.
- North Manhattan (El Porto): This area runs from Rosecrans to 45th St. It has the easiest freeway access in Manhattan Beach and includes older properties built under LA County rules prior to annexation.
- Gaslight Section: Gaslights line every street from 21st St. to 24th St. and between Blanche and Grandview. Typically these smaller, cozier homes are two stories and set back from the street
Business Districts
8th St. to 13th St. from Valley Dr. to the Ocean
Lot Sizes Strand lots are 33.3 x 105:
- North/South full lots are 30 x 90, half lots are 30 x 45
- East/West full lots are 33 x 100 or 105, half lots are 33 x 50 or 52.5
- Many half-size lots (30 x 45 or 33 x 52.5) are in the Sand Section(Larger lots cannot be split to this size)
General Building Information
Must verify with the City of Manhattan Beach for current regulations.*
- 30 feet height limit, 3 stories from the average height of the 4 corners on the lot (median)
- No decks on the top floor must be 9 ft. below the height limit
- Setbacks are 10% of the lot, except on corners
- The majority of zoning is R-1 and R-2
Street Specific Notes
- Walk streets: 1100 to 500 Block, South of 10th St., 100 to 400Block, 16th to 21St, St., 100 to 300 Block, 23rd to 36th St.,
- Corner lots are usually worth 25-30% more than interior lots
