REDONDO BEACH

The "South Bay" (as the beach cities south of LAX - or Santa Monica Bay - are called) is a diverse region of Los Angeles, but one most often unexplored by non-Angelenos. Those who do venture south to this coastal community often only visit the quaint seaside streets of Manhattan Beach, or take in the stunning beauty (and pricey real estate!) of Palos Verdes, or even the post-college party crowd of Hermosa Beach.

But one of the most ethnically and culturally interesting areas of the South Bay is Redondo Beach, a surfing destination with a population of Asian, Hawaiian, and Brazilian residents. Although the neighborhood is beachside, it's still not as developed or glitzy as its nearby neighbors, and there's a lot to discover. 

Last weekend welcomed the official start of summer, and if you're in LA, you should be within a mile of the Pacific Ocean from now until September. So strap on your sandals, and get ready for your best day in Redondo Beach!

Stop 1: Green Roast Coffee

This incongruous coffeeshop - located inside a strip mall along the main road - has loads of character and charm once you walk through the front door. It's owned by a sweet older couple who roast the coffee beans every morning, and bake all the pastries from scratch.

The organic house pours include Ethiopian, Guatemalan and Peruvian blends, as well as a 100% Kona brew. We tried the vegan brownie, flourless peanut butter chocolate chip bite, and peanut butter fudge (definite favorite!). They also serve paleo cookies, sandwiches, smoothies and shave ice.

(1300 Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach)

Stop 2: Veterans Park

This 6.3 acre park is on the edge of the Redondo Beach boardwalk, and includes a memorial to local war veterans, a field for picnics and frisbee-playing, and a community center and playground. The park has beautiful views, and is a popular spot for families. The local farmers' market sets up shop on Thursdays, too!


(309 Esplanade, Redondo Beach)

Stop 3: Captain Kidd's Fish Market

If there's one thing we LOVE at MyBestLADay, it's a seafood market! (hey, we lived in Seattle for over 5 years!) This one is located inside King Harbor, and offers fresh seafood, cooked-to-order lobster, and the chance to pick out your very own clams, mussels or crab and have them steamed. You can also order a bowl of paella, some authentic chowder, ceviche ($4.99 for large) and shrimp cocktail ($6.50), among many other yummy things.

The picnic tables in back (covered with newspaper, of course!) are the perfect summer spot to enjoy lunch and watch the boats go by. 

(209 N Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach)

Stop 4: Jus' Poke

Why hop a flight to Hawaii when you can get that aloha spirit and some mouth-watering poke right here in LA?!

Again, Jus' Poke is sandwiched between a residential neighborhood and a busy main road. But you're not coming here for atmosphere - you are coming here for one of the best poke bowls you've ever tasted. The "Ohana-owned" shop is authentic (certainly not fancy!) and offers some seriously fresh fish. We ordered the spicy poke and shoyu poke with brown rice. For $9.50, you can also choose one side (we got seaweed salad and pickled cucumbers - nom!)

We recommend grabbing one of the few tables outside.

(501 N Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach)

Stop 5: Wanna Chill?

We decided to keep the Hawaiian theme going, and stop by the ever-popular Wanna Chill? for some handmade cups of frozen ice. And this is certainly not your normal after-school sno-cone. They offer over 50 flavors, and we ordered "California Surf" - pineapple, strawberry and coconut shave ice with coconut ice cream and condensed milk. Oh boy, oh boy! 

The praline ice cream cone was also rich and gorgeously delicious. And Wanna Chills? offers acai bowls and smoothies. 

(625 B Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach)

Stop 6: Redondo Beach Pier

The Redondo Beach Pier and International Boardwalk is the stuff of childhood summer dreams. We're talking old school fun like an arcade, ice cream parlor, and several seafood markets. The pier was re-built in the 1990s after several major storms, and although its popularity has been challenged (especially compared with places like the Santa Monica Pier), we couldn't think of a better way to spend a July evening. Bonus points if you see dolphins playing in the ocean!

(100 Fisherman's Wharf, Redondo Beach)

Stop 7: A Basq Kitchen

Holy tapas, this place is good. Owned by Terranea Resort chef Bernard Ibarra (who has cooked in high-end resorts and restaurants all over the world), Basq Kitchen brings Spanish pintxos, tapas and wines to the Redondo Beach boardwalk. It may look like a tiny hole-in-the-wall as you walk up, but this open air restaurant really delivers with the small bites (patatas braves and lamp chops were our favorites!) The red sangria is a wonderful weekend drink (or heck! Any night - it's summer!), and the place is lively and fun.

(136 N International Boardwalk, Redondo Beach)

The Details:

We recommend getting around the neighborhood on bike. You can rent them here.

A map of our day looks like this:

MANHATTAN BEACH

Tired of the big-city stresses of Los Angeles? Had enough of traffic jams, concrete sprawl, and smog? Then get yourself to Manhattan Beach, a beautiful coastal city south of LAX. Although it's only about 25 minutes from downtown Los Angeles, it feels like a world apart: the capital of beach volleyball, bike rides along the boardwalk, and boardshorts, there's good reason Manhattan Beach is mentioned in the Beach Boys' song "Surfin' USA."

Stop 1: Paradise Bowls

Visit any California coastal town, and you'll be sure to find surfers coming out of the water and searching for a breakfast acai bowl. Acai, loaded with antioxidants and deemed a "superfruit," is blended with other fruits (banana, strawberries, mango, etc) or peanut butter, then topped with items like shaved coconut, granola and honey. 

Paradise Bowls takes it a step farther with pitaya bowls: made instead with pitaya (also known as dragon fruit). You know you gotta be on top of California's health trends! Whether or not you're in a wetsuit, the food here is scrumptious. 

We ended up trying the Monkey Business smoothie (banana, pineapple, mango, coconut milk) and the Kokomo smoothie (acai, banana, strawberry, mango, pineapple, pineapple juice). Delicious and nutritious! 

(919 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach)

Stop 2: Shopping on Manhattan Ave

There are several budget-friendly shopping options on Manhattan Ave, including All Yoo and Pages: A Bookstore. D'Boutique is a favorite, offering a wide selection of designer jeans and affordable vintage clothing, purses and shoes. On our trip, we found a $120 Diane von Furstenberg dress and $80 Tory Burch top, both in fantastic condition. Lots of great finds! 

Stop 3: Manhattan Beach Pier

The Manhattan Beach Pier is a must for any trip to the Southbay. You'll see couples holding hands, gray haired men casting fishing poles, and kids with dripping ice cream cones. It's a great place to watch paddle-boarders cruising by, and to visit the Roadhouse Marine Studies Aquarium (at the end of the pier). It's open 3pm-sunset weekdays, and 10am-sunset on weekends. There's also a cafe next door, where you can get a cup of coffee ($1.75) or frozen treats.

(2 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach)

Stop 4: FishBar

We were a little late getting lunch, which turned out to be a GREAT thing, because FishBar has a happy hour that begins at 2pm! We ordered Bay Shrimp Ceviche and oysters of the day from the happy hour menu, as well as blackened fish tacos from the regular menu. Service was a little slow, but the food was tasty and the tunes were good. 

We will definitely be back for Taco Tuesday, which included over 15 kinds of tacos (fried lobster! buffalo shrimp! red crab!) between $5-12. Reverse happy hour also runs from 9:30pm-12am Sunday through Thursday.

(3801 Highland Ave, Manhattan Beach)

Stop 5: Four Daughters Kitchen

We were itching for some caffeine after lunch, so wandered down to Four Daughters Kitchen, a cute cafe and bistro just down the street. They had just started brewing a fresh pot, so we ordered a couple of Americanos and sat out on the front patio (right next to a little vegetable garden). Happy hour and breakfast also recommended.

(3505 Highland Ave, Manhattan Beach)

Stop 6: Bruce's Beach

There are few parks more beautiful than Bruce's Beach. It was one of the few beach resorts that allowed minorities in the late 19th and early 20th century in California, and named after a prominent African-American couple, Willa and Charles Bruce. It's a small park - a series of hills with spectacular views and the sound of waves crashing. There's 3 basketball hoops, several benches for sunset viewing, and dogs are allowed in the bottom portion of the park. No better place to relax and take everything in.

(Highland Ave and 27th Street, Manhattan Beach)

Stop 7: Sand Dune Park

Looking for an intense workout? You will find it at Sand Dune Park, guaranteed! There's a 100-foot high sand dune for walking or running up, as well as a series of trails and stairs. The park recently started requiring an online reservation to use the sand dune (find it here) and charging $1 (exact change only). Membership is also available! The trails are free, and there's also a play area for kids (called a "Tot Lot"), as well as a few picnic tables.

You know we eat a lot at MyBestLADay, so we may be needing some runs up that sand dune!

(33rd and Bell Ave, Manhattan Beach)

Stop 8: MB Post

You know a restaurant is good when there's people lined up outside at 4:55pm on a weekday. MB Post, the former post office, is one of the trendiest new restaurants in the South Bay. They are known for delicious and inventive small plates and craft cocktails - as well as hard-to-get reservations! We ordered the Avila's Heir, a spicy margarita with mandarin, and the Pirate Ship, their version of a Dark & Stormy. Both were delightful, and the atmosphere is lively and fun.

(1142 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach)

Stop 9: Fishing With Dynamite

If getting a table at MB Post is tough, it's nearly impossible at Fishing With Dynamite - it's even newer, trendier, and only seats 33 people. This seafood restaurant is run by the same chef, David LeFevre, and features fresh and refreshing seafood plates. We saddled up to the bar and ordered the Cape Cod Squash Rolls - warm, salty squares of bed with whipped rosemary butter and Yellowfish Tuna Tartare - pickled pineapple on bottom, jicama and light-as-air yuca chips. Service was attentive, and the cozy restaurant is warm and inviting.

(1148 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach)

Stop 10: Manhattan Beach Creamery

Let's be honest here. No meal is really complete without a treat, and when we walked by Manhattan Beach Creamery, we knew we had to stop. Cupcakes, ice cream sandwiches, candy, frozen bananas - a total dream for our sweet tooth! But the chocolate-covered bacon had us from the start. How could we resist? The salty and sweet combination was almost too good to be true. Heavenly!

(1120 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach)

The Details:

We visited Manhattan Beach on a gloriously sunny day, and walked everywhere (nothing exceeded 25 minutes). If your dogs are barking, there is also Beach Cities Transit, which provides fixed routes between Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and El Segundo. Cash fare is $1.

A map of our day looks something like this: