The Story Behind
A Singular Coastal Estate Where Architecture Meets the Pacific
There are homes that respond to their environment, and then there are estates that seem to have been conjured from it. 117 34th Street is unmistakably the latter. Conceived on a double lot along one of Manhattan Beach's most coveted walk streets, this custom residence was designed from its earliest moments as a statement — not of excess, but of intention. Every decision, from the siting of the terraces to the selection of materials, reflects a coherent design philosophy: that luxury is not the accumulation of fine things, but the considered orchestration of them.
The main residence arrives at five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, yet what defines the interior is not its scale but its flow. Living spaces progress naturally from one to the next, each calibrated to the shifting light and the ever-present horizon beyond. The showcase kitchen serves as the social and culinary heart of the home, built around a commanding 60-inch La Cornue range finished in a striking navy blue, flanked by dual 36-inch refrigerator and freezer columns, integrated wine refrigeration, and a dramatic large-format stone backsplash with deep grey veining. Pendant lighting and ornate chandeliers cast a warm, considered glow across the stone-topped island — a workspace that is equally at home hosting a private dinner for two or a formal gathering of many.
Nearby, a climate-controlled glass and steel wine display functions as both cellar and sculpture, its transparency inviting admiration while its engineering ensures preservation. A four-stop elevator connects the home's levels with quiet efficiency, while Lutron shades, smart-home automation, solar panels, and Tesla Powerwalls speak to a property that is as intelligently conceived as it is beautifully executed.
Two ocean-view terraces extend the living experience outward with equal sophistication. The first, designed for outdoor dining and grilling, captures the full breadth of the coastline. The second — more contemplative in character — features a central fireplace and dual suspended swing sofas that hover above the Pacific horizon, offering a vantage point that is equal parts dramatic and serene. A dedicated home theater with cinema-quality projection and a hidden trophy room round out the interior's most distinctive offerings.
Outside, the estate's centerpiece demands its own consideration: an AKVO Spirolift movable-floor pool and spa, a system so rarely deployed in residential settings that its presence here borders on the extraordinary. At the touch of a control, the floor rises to create a flush entertainment deck or descends to any desired depth — transforming the outdoor environment entirely. Surrounding it, a Lynx outdoor kitchen equipped with a pizza oven and dual BBQ stations, multiple gathering spaces, and manicured hedges that ensure absolute privacy complete an outdoor environment built for living at an exceptional scale.
The guest house, appointed with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and its own rooftop deck with panoramic ocean views, ensures that every guest experiences the property at its full measure. Parking for five vehicles, generous proportions, and an address that is simply without equal make this estate not just a home, but a legacy.
Manhattan Beach occupies a singular position in the Southern California coastal landscape — a small, walkable city of approximately 35,000 residents that has quietly cultivated one of the most desirable addresses on the Pacific Coast. Situated in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, it sits roughly 18 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles and just minutes from Los Angeles International Airport, offering a rare combination of genuine coastal seclusion and metropolitan accessibility that few communities along the California coastline can genuinely claim.
The city is organized around its beach and the celebrated Manhattan Beach Pier, a historic landmark that has anchored the community's identity since its original construction in the early twentieth century. The pier stretches over the Pacific and terminates at the Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab and Aquarium, a beloved institution that has educated generations of local families about the ocean ecosystem at their doorstep. Downtown Manhattan Beach, centered along Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Highland Avenue, is a concentrated but remarkably complete village of independent restaurants, boutique retail, and neighborhood gathering places — the kind of Main Street that larger coastal cities spend decades trying to recreate.
The walk streets that thread through the sand section of Manhattan Beach are among the neighborhood's most distinctive and prized features. These pedestrian-only passages, lined with some of the city's most architecturally significant homes, create a genuine sense of community that sets the sand section apart from virtually any comparable neighborhood in California. Residents move on foot between the beach, the downtown core, and one another's homes with an ease and intimacy rarely found in proximity to a major metropolitan area.
Athletic culture is deeply woven into the fabric of Manhattan Beach life. The city is widely regarded as the birthplace of professional beach volleyball — the Manhattan Beach Open, one of the sport's most prestigious tournaments, has been held on its sands since 1960. The beach itself is consistently ranked among the cleanest and most well-maintained in Los Angeles County, drawing swimmers, surfers, paddleboarders, and cyclists to its shores year-round. The Strand, a paved path running the length of the city's coastline, connects Manhattan Beach to neighboring Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach, providing miles of oceanfront recreation.
The local school system, anchored by Manhattan Beach Unified School District, is among the most highly regarded in California, a consistent draw for families who choose the community as a long-term home rather than a seasonal retreat. The city's low density, strict development guidelines, and active civic engagement have preserved its residential character even as property values have climbed to reflect its desirability.
For those whose lives extend beyond the neighborhood, proximity to Los Angeles's cultural, professional, and culinary institutions — from the galleries and restaurants of Venice and Santa Monica to the entertainment industry corridors of Century City and Beverly Hills — places everything within reach while ensuring that the return home always feels like an arrival somewhere worth returning to. At 117 34th Street, the location is not simply a backdrop. It is an essential part of what the property offers.
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