Our Community

In 1901, Stewart Merrill bought the south portion and called his section Manhattan after his old home, 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 was December 7, 1912. Planks were laid in the sand on Manhattan Avenue for vehicles and along the Strand and side streets for pedestrians.

Two wooden piers were build in 1901, one at Center Street and one at Marine Avenue. The Center Street pier supported a wave motor to generate power for the Strand lighting system. Purportedly, part of the wave motor lies buried in the sands at the shore end of the present pier.

The next pier was built on the same site and extended about 922 feet into the ocean. Engineer A.L. Harris developed the concept of the circular end for less exposure and damage to the pilings by the waves. The pier was completed and dedicated on July 5, 1920.

After World War II a large influx of people came to California as a result of the desirability of the area for year-round living. Servicemen visiting during the war returned to live here. The development of the defense industry brought many people to reside in the South Bay and Manhattan Beach grew in the same measure.

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Census Data (2000)
Population (year 2000): 33,852, Est. population in July 2002: 35,501 (+4.9% change)
Males: 17,052 (50.4%), Females: 16,800 (49.6%)
Elevation: 100 feet
County: Los Angeles
Land area: 3.9 square miles
Zip codes: 90266.
Median resident age: 37.7 years
Median household income: $100,750 (year 2000)
Median house value: $672,600 (year 2000)

Education Level - age 25 & over
* High school or higher: 96.8%
* Bachelor's degree or higher: 67.6%
* Graduate or professional degree: 28.6%
* Unemployed: 2.7%
* Mean travel time to work: 28.9 minutes

Marital Status –residence 15 years & longer
* Never married: 30.6%
* Now married: 55.6%
* Separated: 1.0%
* Widowed: 4.1%
* Divorced: 8.7%

Hospitals/Medical Centers near Manhattan Beach:
* Robert F KENNEDY MEDICAL Center, Hawthorne, CA
* Little Company of Mary Torrance, CA
* Centinela Hospital MEDICAL CENTER, INGLEWOOD, CA

Funeral Homes:
* White & Day Mortuary

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