The Story Behind
A Rare Corner on The Strand Where the Pacific Begins
There is a particular kind of rarity that has nothing to do with square footage or finish level — it is the rarity of position. At 920 The Strand, that position is defined by a corner lot at 10th Street, a geometric advantage that fundamentally changes the experience of every unit within the building and sets this property apart from the vast majority of Strand addresses that are flanked on both sides by neighboring structures.
The west-facing facade opens directly onto The Strand and the Pacific beyond, delivering the unobstructed ocean views that define the Strand's enduring appeal. But it is the north-facing exposure — available only because of the corner configuration — that elevates 920 above its neighbors. Natural light enters from two directions rather than one. Coastal breezes move freely through each residence, carrying the particular quality of sea air that no mechanical system can replicate. The result is an interior environment that feels genuinely alive with the coastal conditions outside, not merely adjacent to them.
With only a single shared wall and an adjacent quiet walk street to the north, the building offers a degree of privacy and openness that is structurally impossible for mid-block Strand properties to achieve. The four residences — one one-bedroom and three two-bedrooms — are each oriented toward the Pacific, with living spaces and primary bedrooms framing views that take in the ocean, the pier, and the wide arc of Santa Monica Bay. Several units feature vaulted ceilings with exposed wood beams, fireplaces with brick chimney breasts, and kitchens appointed with coastal-inspired tile work and open sightlines to the water. The interiors, while ready for a buyer's vision, communicate a coherent sensibility: relaxed, luminous, and thoroughly shaped by their proximity to the sea.
Outside, an expansive patio and yard area faces directly onto The Strand, furnished with brick-paved gathering spaces, a fire pit, outdoor seating, and a patch of artificial turf that creates a private transition between the structure and the public walkway beyond. From this vantage point, the Manhattan Beach Pier frames the northern horizon, volleyball courts animate the sand below, and the Pacific performs its nightly ritual of color as the sun descends. The Fourth of July fireworks, the AVP Professional Beach Volleyball Tournament, the daily procession of cyclists and pedestrians along the walk path — all of it unfolds from a front-row perspective that is simply not available from most addresses on this stretch of coastline.
The property conveys completely vacant — an uncommon circumstance on The Strand that hands the incoming owner a blank slate. Redevelop to a singular vision. Establish a premium rental portfolio. Occupy one unit and generate income from the others. Or leverage the short-term rental permissions that apply within the Coastal Zone to maximize yield from one of the most recognizable and sought-after addresses in the South Bay. The architecture and the setting are ready. The next chapter belongs entirely to its new owner.
Manhattan Beach occupies a particular position in the Southern California coastal imagination — aspirational without being inaccessible, sophisticated without sacrificing the easy informality that defines life at the edge of the Pacific. Of the beach cities that line the South Bay, Manhattan Beach has long been regarded as the standard against which the others are measured, a reputation built over more than a century of careful community character and reinforced by the consistent desirability of its real estate, its schools, and its streets.
The Strand itself is the spine of that reputation. This 1.5-mile oceanfront walking and cycling path runs the length of the city's beachfront, connecting a continuous row of homes and low-rise multi-family buildings to the sand and water with no arterial road between them. Properties on The Strand are among the most coveted in California not simply because of their views, but because of the lived experience they provide — a daily existence conducted at the literal edge of the continent, where the boundary between private life and the natural world is measured in footsteps.
The intersection of The Strand and 10th Street places 920 at a particularly significant node within this already exceptional corridor. The Manhattan Beach Pier, one of the most recognizable landmarks on the Southern California coastline, is steps to the north. Originally constructed in the early twentieth century and rebuilt in its current form in 1992, the pier anchors Downtown Manhattan Beach and serves as the visual and social center of the community. The Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab and Aquarium, located at the pier's end, has been an educational institution for local students and visitors for decades.
Downtown Manhattan Beach, accessible on foot from the property, is a concentrated and carefully curated retail and dining district centered on Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Highland Avenue. The neighborhood supports an array of independent restaurants, wine bars, boutique retailers, and wellness establishments that reflect the community's affluent and active demographic. The area has attracted notable culinary investment over the years, with a dining scene that draws residents from across the South Bay.
The beach itself is a year-round recreational destination. Manhattan Beach is widely recognized as one of the foundational locations of American beach volleyball — the AVP Professional Beach Volleyball Tournament has been held here for decades, drawing elite athletes and large crowds to the very courts that sit directly across from 920 The Strand. The active culture of the beach extends to surfing, open-water swimming, cycling, and running along the Strand path, all of which are woven into the daily fabric of life at this address.
Public infrastructure in Manhattan Beach is consistently ranked among the strongest in Los Angeles County. The Manhattan Beach Unified School District has long maintained a reputation for academic excellence. The city's proximity to Los Angeles International Airport — approximately four miles to the north — provides practical convenience without the density or noise typically associated with airport adjacency. For those whose lives extend beyond the beach, the location threads easily into the broader geography of the Los Angeles metropolitan area while offering a quality of daily life that the city's interior neighborhoods cannot match.
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