By Noah Bell
Staff Writer
The simple, laid back, affordable lifestyle that once defined Manhattan Beach is slowly disappearing. In order to prevent the unfavorable change from a small beach community to a busy shopping area, the City of Manhattan Beach must place restrictions, limiting the rise of rent and controlling the type of businesses that are able to come into downtown.
Starting in about 2005, a large majority of the small-scale shops and restaurants in Manhattan Beach have closed down. One of the main reasons is the rent in downtown has been increasing at an average of three percent a year, according to Scott McColgan, owner of Shark’s Cove in downtown Manhattan Beach for the past twelve years.
Manhattan Beach used to be a simple place to eat, shop, and spend time. Now it has become very busy and costly. Residents of the South Bay looking for an easy, quick, and inexpensive meal are forced to explore other places in neighboring towns.
For any resident, a typical night out in downtown comes with five legitimate options for a quick, inexpensive, and great meal. Mama D’s, Wahoo’s, El Sombrero, Manhattan Pizzeria, and The Kettle are the only reasonably priced restaurants left, each with an average meal costing at about twelve dollars. Every other restaurant has long wait or reservation times, overly-expensive food, or both.
The City of Manhattan Beach does not realize the dilemma that they have caused by now keeping a cap on the rent, because no action has been taken to put a cap on the increasing rent. Allowing rent to rise freely only damages the town itself, forcing quaint, “mom and pop” shops out.
According to Kelly Stroman, Executive Director for Downtown Manhattan Beach Business & Professional Association, many merchants have seen a dramatic increase in their rent over the past few years. For smaller businesses this can pose a real threat to their ability to make a profit as they don’t have a big corporation behind them that can pay the rent.
Some of the businesses that were affected include, Good Stuff, Memphis, Sun and Moon Cafe, Mandarin, Cafe Pierre, and Sunset’s. These stores, all located in downtown Manhattan Beach, have closed within the last ten years. These stores made room for Birdwell Britches, Kreation, MB Post, Little Sister, Splendid, Love & Salt, and The Strand House. Only prestigious, pricey stores have replaced the independent shops that were once a major part of the community, changing the city for the worse.
When asked about how the city plans to keep a sufficient balance between small, family run businesses and larger retailers and companies, Mayor Mark Burton said that the city is working towards a height restriction on buildings, so that major companies cannot come in and build large stores. The city should also look into giving local “mom and pop” stores financial support by not increasing their rent.
Change must happen in order to preserve the beach town feel. In addition to controlling rent, another solution would be for the city to issue a moratorium, meaning that only a business of the same type can replace one that closed down. For example, only another retail store would be able to replace a closed retail store. Included in the moratorium would be retail, restaurants, and other businesses. This prevents offices and non-retail businesses from taking popular first level spaces. According to mayor Burton, the city is already in the process of creating one, slowing the competition for ground level spaces.
Many people may be in favor of the rapid expansion of Manhattan Beach and see it as a form of progression for the whole community. As new customer base and more recognition would be beneficial with the establishment of better known restaurants.
However, the new changes that the city is facing will only transform it into an exclusive dining and shopping area that a majority of the locals cannot afford. This will in turn drive away local diners and shoppers,
According to McColgan, the landscape of Manhattan Beach has changed over the past few years, and the charming, family-friendly feel will continue to disappear if the city allows the more upscale companies to move in.
The recent shifts in the business atmosphere of downtown Manhattan Beach has completely eroded the coastal city feel that the town is known for. The undisciplined rent has been forcing more and more small businesses out. Until small business are protected, Manhattan Beach will no longer be a quaint, peaceful beach town, but will become a bustling, lavish town centered around shopping and dining. In order to prevent this, the city must take action before it is too late by passing new laws, which will help preserve the feeling that has been such an influential part of Manhattan Beach for a long time.
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