Manhattan Beach, little bubble of opulence that it is, is a good place to be a dog and it doesn’t matter if you rent the smallest little one-bedroom apartment in the middle of all the million dollar madness.
It is a perfect town with its wide sandy beach, pier that reaches out into swelling, heaving, surfing waves, and vibrant downtown.
It is difficult to imagine a happier lifestyle for both people and dogs than sitting on the wide concrete extension outside Starbucks with a chai tea latte and the first rays of morning sunshine glinting on the waves, followed by a long walk on the Strand – north or south it stretches for miles and all the beautiful people are out there flexing and strutting their stuff. Boutique shops, Zagat-rated restaurants, beach volleyball …… parking is a nightmare but the experience is everything you could imagine.
And when the crowds have left and you sit alone in the sand and watch for the green flash as the sun sets over the Pacific you understand now why you came this way.
Thoughts and Things
The few years we lived in Manhattan Beach with Spike were some of the happiest of my life. Walking that dog up and down the Strand were my favorite walks anywhere.