Manhattan
Beach is one of the three beach communities of the Los Angeles South
Bay (Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo Beach). In its earliest days,
Manhattan Beach was part of the ten-mile ocean frontage of Rancho
Sausal Redondo, which means "Round Clump of Willows." At one time
the area was called "Shore Acres" by George Peck, who owned a section
of the north end of town. 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 2, 1912.
After World War II a large influx of people came as a result of
the desirability of the area for year-round living. Servicemen visiting
during the war returned with their families to live here. Manhattan
Beach is now home to the newest television and film production facility
in Southern California, Manhattan Beach Studios. This is the first
studio built from the ground up in California in 60 years. The 550,000
square foot project consists of fourteen art deco sound stages,
office space, and related facilities with the first tenants being
the TV shows "Ally McBeal," and "The Practice." |
