How to Spend a Perfect Day in Manhattan Beach

Manhattan Beach is the South Bay at its most relaxed and most beautiful. It's also easy to do in a day: almost everything worth seeing sits within a few walkable blocks of the pier.

Morning: the pier and the Roundhouse

Start at the Manhattan Beach Pier, which opened in 1920 and is listed as a California State Historical Landmark as the oldest concrete pier on the West Coast. Look down as you walk for the Volleyball Walk of Fame, with plaques honoring past Manhattan Beach Open champions. At the end of the pier, the Roundhouse Aquarium houses local marine life, including small sharks and touch tanks, and it's free (donations welcome).

Late morning: the Strand

Walk or bike the Strand, the paved beachfront path lined with some of the most photographed homes in LA. You can rent bikes or boards near the pier, or just roll up your pant legs and walk along the water.

Lunch: downtown Manhattan Beach

Downtown is packed with good options. A few of our favorites:

• Ercole's 1101 (1101 Manhattan Ave) for a legendary burger at the town's oldest bar.
• Manhattan Beach Post (1142 Manhattan Ave) for creative, shareable plates.
• Love & Salt (317 Manhattan Beach Blvd) for Italian-American pizza and pasta steps from the pier.

Afternoon: Metlox Plaza

Metlox Plaza stands where the Metlox Pottery factory made ceramics from 1927 until 1989. Today it's the city's open-air town square, with boutiques, restaurants, fountains, and a fireplace for cool evenings. Downtown Manhattan Beach has more than 150 shops, so there's plenty to browse.

Sunset: back to the water

End where you started. The pier is lit with replicas of its original 1920s lampposts, and watching the sun drop into Santa Monica Bay is the best free show in town. For a sit-down dinner with a view, The Strand House (117 Manhattan Beach Blvd) looks right out over the beach.

Hours, menus, and storefronts change often in LA. Check before you go.