MB WEEKLY – LENS:
A “Coffee with Cops” event in Manhattan Beach at Dunkin’.
MB WEEKLY – Q&A:
Jessiqa Pace
(Jessiqa Pace Realtor)
Q: WHAT DO SOUTH BAY BUYERS SAY THEY WANT – AND WHAT DO THEY FALL IN LOVE WITH?
A: The Strand, pier views, walkable downtowns, great restaurants, clean parks, safe streets, and top schools – there’s a reason demand remains strong. It’s hard to beat the South Bay. When it comes to homes, buyers consistently fall in love with three things:
- View: Any city, ocean, or park view dramatically increases demand.
- Layout: Buyers know instantly if a home “works.” Open kitchens, good flow, work-from-home offices, and smart bedroom placement are essential. A bad layout is a deal-breaker.
- Outdoor Space: Private outdoor areas matter. California’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle strongly influences buying decisions.
Q: HOW MUCH OF A HOME’S VALUE IS EMOTIONAL VERSUS FINANCIAL?
A: In Manhattan Beach and Hermosa, emotional value is financial value. These communities offer a lifestyle people deeply want to belong to. With median prices around $3M in Manhattan Beach and $2.4M in Hermosa, buyers are often less focused on size and more focused on lifestyle. If someone wants it, they’ll pay for it.
Q: WHAT’S THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT THE SOUTH BAY?
A: Many outsiders don’t know where it is. Some confuse it with the Bay Area, and even locals can’t always define it. “South Bay” isn’t a top search term, yet it includes more than 15 cities. Ask ten residents which cities qualify, and you’ll get ten answers – though Manhattan Beach and Hermosa are always mentioned.
Q: HOW HAS THE DEFINITION OF “HOME” CHANGED?
A: Post-COVID, home is no longer just personal – it’s professional. Buyers want spaces that support work-life balance. Another growing trend is ADUs. With new state mandates allowing multiple units on standard lots, many buyers now prioritize properties with ADU potential.
Q: ONE UNDER-THE-RADAR TREND TO WATCH?
A: The South Bay is getting more refined. High-end dining, retail, and commercial development are booming – from Manhattan Beach to the Riviera and Torrance. You no longer need to go to L.A. for great food or atmosphere. Looking ahead, the 2028 Olympics will further elevate the South Bay. Infrastructure improvements and increased visibility should make it a dining, sightseeing, and lifestyle hotspot – with lasting benefits for quality of life.
www.Jessiqa.com
MB WEEKLY – LENS:
Stefan Kampe, president of Leadership Manhattan Beach.
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MB WEEKLY – LENS:
Owner of The Butchery, Robert Hagopian, on MB Weekly’s “Coffee Talk.”
CITY TALK COMMENTARY:
** BOB HOLMES (Former Three Term Manhattan Beach Councilman and Mayor): [Stewart] Fournier is simply incorrect. The explanation in the Easy Reader, if accurate, (I did not attend the council meeting) is embarrassing. To say we need a $300,000 Asst. Police Chief to handle various new reporting requirements is absurd. If we really need additional headcount to handle the increased workload, hire a bookkeeper/accountant (Non CPA) or lower level financial analyst at less than 1/3 the price. To have suggested that this new unneeded position be funded by not hiring two new authorized officers verges to me on dereliction of duty. We have many on-the-job work injury claims from our first responders. This depletes overall available headcount. We have many retirements due to a very generous retirement plan. It takes a long time to fill officer positions and actually get them on the street. Let’s get this recruitment going and reach full authorized strength. The City Manager should be admonished for even bringing the Chief’s proposal forward. The City Manager should have squashed it.
** DAN STERN (Former MB Mayor): If the City Council is listening, they are not acting. City staff, salaries, budget and pension liabilities are all bloated and uncontrolled. With respect to Chief Johnson, taking credit for reduced crime after the change in District Attorney is illogical. The city has never had and doesn’t need an Assistant Chief. We need a chief who does her job (and doesn’t fudge statistics).
** MARK BURTON (Former MB Mayor): Paul Wafer: Hope Is Not A Strategy [in 03/05/2026 issue]. Does City Staff mislead our City Council? Yes, there are instances when they most certainly do. The mid-year budget presentation by the City’s Finance Director and the presentation by the Chief of Police were classic obfuscation and misdirection. The Finance Director’s responses to City Council questions amounted nothing more than word salads. Any listener was left guessing if the City had a deficit or surplus, when the numbers show a considerable deficit. As for the Chief of Police, her responses to City Council questions regarding the “need” for a new Deputy Chief position to be funded by eliminating two patrol officer positions were nonsense, especially when you consider that AI could easily collect the data and generate a report now being required by new State Laws. In addition, the Chief had already moved a Lieutenant to her office to assist with administrative duties. If the City Council can’t trust its staff to be open, honest and forthcoming, then we have a serious problem in our City. Staff should just tell it like it is.
The entrance to Starbucks in Downtown Manhattan Beach.
MB WEEKLY – LENS:
Irish Soda Bread going fast at Manhattan Bread & Bagel.
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1. ** There’s a quiet pandemic unfolding in American family life: adult children who have cut off contact with their parents. It’s more common than many admit, and the pain for parents can be profound and lasting. The Bible may not command love for parents – but it does command something equally powerful: honor. —- Craig Newmark, Redondo Beach
2. ** How about this for irony? President Trump’s enemies may be his most valuable campaign consultants. Every over-the-top attack, every hysterical headline, every dramatic meltdown seems to add to his success. —- Gloria M., (a frustrated Democrat without T.D.S.) El Segundo
3. ** Hello neighbors, my name is Lupe, and I am currently available for full-time or part-time nanny positions in the South Bay area. I have many years of experience caring for children and supporting families. I recently completed nearly 6 years with the same family, caring for their children from infancy through early childhood and providing household support. I have also worked through professional agencies, including South Bay Nannies and Palos Verdes Domestic Agency. My email address is Lupe.ramir8@gmail.com.
4. ** Let’s just be honest. People who wear face masks outdoors or in their car alone are really weird! —- Holly W.
5. ** 3-bedroom 2-bath apartment for rent on a quiet cul-de-sac street in Hermosa Beach. Just off the Greenbelt on Ardmore Ave and 7th Street. Walk to South Park and downtown Hermosa Beach restaurants, Pier Plaza, schools, and blocks to the beach. Lower unit of duplex. Newly renovated. Parking and laundry available. $4800/month. —- (310) 498-8033
6. ** I saw the interview with Karen, the owner. Salon Flourish in Manhattan Beach left a disappointing impression. My wife once worked there, and the low starting pay and near-impossible raises created constant frustration. Staff faced heavy pressure to upsell services and products, with high sales quotas that made the job feel less like hairstyling and more like car sales. —- F.G., Redondo Beach
7. ** The starting bell rings early for Mira Costa’s beloved Scholar Quiz! … The tournament runs March 23-27, with Finals on March 30. Register fast – spots fill quickly. Questions? Contact miracostascholarquiz@gmail.com for details.
8. ** Confiscating 5% of billionaires’ invested capital each year might sound heroic – until the economy starts wheezing. Most billionaire wealth isn’t lounging in gold bathtubs; it’s invested in companies, jobs, and growth. —- Dr. Michael O., Redondo Beach
9. ** CONCERNED ABOUT MBUSD SCHOOL FUNDING? – Join fellow MBUSD parents at Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi’s South Bay Community Town Hall. Saturday, March 21 | 10–11:30 am | Torrance City Hall – Council Chambers – RSVP here. – Parents interested in coordinating pre-submitted questions on state education funding are encouraged to contact District Legislative Representative Nathalie Rosen for additional information.
10. ** The best possible way for a spy to stay hidden would be to occasionally joke that they are a spy, so that people will assume they are not a spy, because a real spy wouldn’t say that. —- Lisa G.
11. ** I have a client who wants to pay cash for a full lot in Manhattan Beach or Hermosa Beach for $ 4M+ or to tear down. Patricia —- 310-200-8181
12. ** MB residents are starting to ask who is going to run for City Council in November besides the forever incumbents Howorth, Lesser, and Montgomery. —- Mark Burton, Manhattan Beach
13. ** Hello Parents! My name is Angie. I’m a babysitter and house sitter with over 10 years of nanny experience. I’m available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, plus spring, summer, and holiday breaks. CPR certified with my own transportation. Serving the South Bay and Westside. $30-$35/hour. Contact: 310-739-9669 or Mangie83@yahoo.com
14. ** Nearly half of California teachers say they plan to retire or quit within the next decade. Why? Chaos in the classroom and a shocking lack of discipline. And let’s be honest – many parents are missing in action when it comes to teaching basic respect. If parents won’t parent, teachers can’t teach. The results are exactly what we’re seeing. —- Kaley G., Manhattan Beach
15. ** Another brilliant idea from the geniuses running LAX: double the fees for ride-shares, taxis, and limos. Translation: travelers pay more. Bureaucrats call it “reducing congestion.” Most of us call it what it is: another airport tax disguised as policy while passengers wait years for that $3.5 billion people mover. —- Russell G.
16. ** Wow! – Golden Retrievers Gently Meet the Baby: https://youtu.be/LiwjmzBpdYw?si=a2jJRt9gtVUkJT7d —- Grace G., Hermosa Beach
17. ** Friends, we’re nearing 1,200 signatures – thank you to everyone who has signed the “Stop the Rise” petition opposing the 7-story building at Marine & Sepulveda. Now another 7-story project is proposed at 2nd & Sepulveda. Please take 10 seconds to sign and share so our community’s voice is heard: https://c.org/Yg4hQX6HNC – Every signature counts. —- Name Withheld by Request
18.** My neighbor introduced me to his friend visiting from Arizona. So I asked the friend about Nancy Guthrie. She said, “Trump had something to do with it.” I laughed. She said, “I’m not kidding.” I said, “You’re serious?” She said, “I most certainly am.” —- Lawrence P., Manhattan Beach
19. ** I don’t know a single person who improved their life with narcotics, weed, or even alcohol, for that matter. Yet we’re told the solution is to legalize it, tax it, and call it progress. To me, that doesn’t solve the problem – it simply scales it up and sells it with government approval. —- Gavin A.
20. ** MB Weekly Reader Question: Name the worst (most dangerous) intersection in Manhattan Beach. Write to: MBWeekly@TimeWire.net
21. ** Everyone always talks about what their last meal would be. No one ever asks what your last song would be. —- Aria B.
22. ** Well, Yamaha has just announced they are moving to Georgia. This follows a string of companies fed up with Sacramento – Nissan, Toyota, Mitsubishi, In-N-Out, SpaceX, to name a few. But don’t worry, according to Katie Couric, Gavin Newsom is “ridiculously good looking.” Apparently, that will cushion the blow. —- TJF, Manhattan Beach
23. ** Hermosa Beach officials are hitting the pause button on the proposed Nike After Dark Tour L.A. 2026 women’s half-marathon planned for October. The 13.1-mile race would start and finish in Redondo Beach and pass through neighboring cities, raising concerns about road closures, traffic disruptions, and impacts on residents. Negotiations with staff continue. —- Editor’s Note
24. ** Manhattan Avenue between 26th and 27th Street, in front of Bruce’s Beach Park, will be closed for up to 18 months starting this April. Hear the details at the Community Meeting on March 19th at Joslyn Center, 7:30-8:30 pm. Few people know this is happening. —- Jim U.
25. ** My nails look so glam! Thanks Bliss Nails!! —- A. McCaffrey
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