MANHATTAN BEACH PLACES TO GO THINGS TO DO
Beach volleyball Manhattan Pier Beach Volleyball Walk of Fame
The history of beach volleyball was written in the sands of the beach cities. The Manhattan Beach Six-Man (July 30, 31) is the sport’s largest (up to 50,000 fans), most colorful (teams play in costumes) and competitive amateur tournament. The profes- sional Manhattan Beach Open (August 26, 27, 28) is known as the Wimbledon of beach volleyball. Winners are honored with a bronze plaque on the Manhattan Pier Volleyball Walk of Fame, the sport’s second highest honor. The sport’s highest honor, an Olympic medal, has been brought home by local vol- leyball players from every Olympics Game since beach volley- ball was introduced as an Olympic sport in Atlanta in 1996. (Manhattan Beach resident Mike Dodd won a silver medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Hermosa Beach resident Eric Fonoimoana won gold at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Manhattan Beach resident Holly McPeak won bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. And Hermosa Beach resident Kerri Walsh won gold at both the 2004 Olympics and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.)
In the spring Hermosa Beach is to beach volleyball what Arizona is to baseball. China, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Great Britain and other nations send their teams here to train. This spring, fans will get a preview of the 2012 London Olympics when the visiting national teams scrimmage at the Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach piers. USA Olympics Beach Volleyball’s headquarters overlook the sand courts at the Hermosa Beach pier. Fortunately, for recreational players, open courts are avail-
able every day somewhere on the beaches in Hermosa, Manhattan and Redondo. Jumping and diving in the soft sand make beach volleyball one of the most physically pleasurable sports on the planet. It’s also one of the few sports that can be
The Manhattan Beach Six Man tournament is the most popular amateur volleyball
tournament in the world.
PHOTO BY BRENT BROZA (BROZAPHOTO. COM)
enjoyed at any level of ability, and enjoyed with players of dif- fering abilities. In the many, colorful summer tournaments, teams are commonly assigned A, B, C, and D players. The nets are always up and ball may be rented from Jeffers Beach Rentals (39-14th St., Hermosa Beach). The three beach city recreation departments offer lessons through the summer, as do many of the local pro players
Downtown Manhattan Beach dining
Area of Manhattan Ave., Highland Ave. & Manhattan Beach Boulevard
In the 1970s, Manhattan Beach blocked McDonalds, and by extension other chains from opening in its downtown. As a result, downtown developed a tradition of innovative restau- rants. Nonetheless it remained a backwater on the greater LA map, until recently. Now, it’s home to more celebrity chefs than the cooking channel. Among them Manhattan Beach Post’s David LeFevre, Sashi Sushi and Saki Lounge’s Makoto Okuwa, and The Strand House’s consulting chef Neal Fraser and chef Travis Lorton. Time will tell if celebrity chefs will have the staying power of the downtown’s many widely admired longtime chefs, including Café Pierre’s Guy Gabriel, Mucho Ultima Mexicana’s John Butler, Talia’s Ron Guidone, Sun and Moon Café’s always entertaining Tommy Yatsuka and Darren’s deaf chef Darren Weiss.
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8 EASY READER VISITOR GUIDE July 2011
Downtown Manhattan shopping Skechers, whose corporate headquarters are in Manhattan Beach, has its flagship store in downtown Manhattan, with over 250 models of shoes to ponder. Other national fashion leaders in the downtown include Michael Stars, True Religion, Lucky Brand and Manhattan Beach founded Diane’s Beachwear. But what makes the downtown unique are the many longtime, independent stores. Generations have grown up wearing beach fashions from Rose Jacobson’s Cotton Cargo, which opened on Manhattan Beach Boulevard in 1975. Photographer John Post also began in the mid 1970s, docu- menting the beach cities with his panoramic camera He exhibits his work in an old brick building on Manhattan Avenue. Manhattan native twins Lisa and Lee Hoven, who grew up playing beach volleyball, create unique floral arrange- ments at Growing Wild, their two decade old shop on Highland Ave. A welcome, more recent addition is Pages bookstore, where everybody knows your favorite author. Also new to the downtown is Metlox, a European style dining and shopping plaza anchored by the boutique hotel Shade, the #6 reason to visit Los Angeles, according to Conde Nast Traveler. Trilogy Spa in the Metlox plaza is popular among residents for its rejuve- nating treatments. On “First Fridays After Sundown, Downtown” the shops stay open late for trunk shows, new lines and special offers.On Tuesdays the downtown hosts a Farmers Market. If it’s December, don’t miss the community caroling, led by the John Brown Band, followed by the city tree lighting and a holiday fireworks show off the end of the pier.
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