Manhattan Beach is Sport's Stars Home Turf

In Los Angeles all the fans eventually go home from a day or night of cheering their favorite local teams and heroes, whether Dodgers, Lakers, Clippers, or Kings. But, where do the sports stars go home to after a stunning victory or a tough loss? Many on the rosters of the L.A. sports teams call Manhattan Beach their home, where their children love to play in the sand and surf and where the neighbors greet them with a “hello.”
L.A. Kings captain “Matty” Norstrom settled in Manhattan Beach 7 years ago, after asking his teammates (as do most professional athletes) with an interest in the best local real estate for his family. Norstrom said, “It’s a really family-oriented area. A lot of the wives get together with the kids.” According to the Kings spokesman, everyone on the team’s current roster except one live in Manhattan Beach. Also, there are at the least 4 Dodgers and 6 Lakers living in the Manhattan Beach real estate area as well.
The attraction of these local sports stars to Manhattan Beach is no secret since it is conveniently located 2 miles to the south of both the Lakers’ and Kings’ practice facilities in El Segundo and approximately 20 miles away from Dodger Stadium and Staples Center. It is also 3 miles from LAX allowing a quick drive home for athletes after a long road trip or late game. Being less than four square miles, Manhattan Beach offers a real sense of community to its approximate 34,000 inhabitants. As mentioned above, many of the sports stars love Manhattan Beach because of its family-oriented atmosphere with its delightful parks and beaches, providing many options for children. Manhattan Beach has been well known for its top-notch school system with many schools with high marks in the Academic Performance Index. Still others love Manhattan Beach for its atmosphere accustomed for casual attire.
Norstrom’s teammate of the Kings Trent Klatt, immediately noticed a major change in housing prices when comparing those of his native state of Minnesota. Klatt said, “The housing market here in Manhattan Beach is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. In Minnesota, I could buy three houses for this price. It’s quite an eye-opener.”Historically, Manhattan Beach homes were single-family homes, beach bungalows, and some apartments. However, during the past 30 to 40 years, these older structures have given way for new condos, townhomes, and single-family homes. Lot sizes are generally small, especially toward the waterfront. In September of 2005, there were available for sale 76 single-family homes, 25 townhomes, and no condominiums in Manhattan Beach. The median asking price was $2,189,000 for the single-family homes and $1,399,000 for those townhomes.