58 DIGS.NET
| 5.14.2021
S W E E T D I G S | 8 2 5 H I G H V I E W A V E N U E
M
A
R
K
E
T
he Hill Section of Manhattan Beach has a
different feel and atmosphere from the rest
of town. There's a sense of calm that seems
to settle in while ascending its wide, unclut-
tered streets and a generous amount of space
between homes, which tend to uniformly be beautiful.
"The most challenging properties to find in Manhattan
Beach are the really nice, oceanview homes in the Hill
Section," says real estate agent Bryn Stroyke. Particu-
larly, he details, those in the northwest quadrant of the
Hill Section, "where you get not only ocean views but
a close walking distance to Downtown. They're highly
desirable, and they very rarely come up." A few blocks
south of Manhattan Beach Boulevard, at the corner of
Highview Avenue and 9th Street, a four-bedroom and
four-and-a-half-bath residence fits this coveted real es-
tate bill.
During a two-year remodel wrapped up in 2020, this
approximately 5,000-square-foot home was refash-
ioned into a modern Spanish-style residence dominat-
ed by big sunny rooms and a palette of cool neutrals to
neatly frame its enchanted coastal setting. Raised ceil-
ings, plenty of oversized windows and outdoor spac-
es are effective backdrops to the energized exterior
scenes of coastal blue, green and white that transform
many of the home's interior spaces. "It's what I call
a 'coastal Spanish modern,'" describes Stroyke. "This
house is flawlessly designed in this style, and beauti-
fully executed."
There's an easy sophistication to the home—where
minimalism is warmed by oceanside rays and natural
materials, notably buff floors of white oak—that com-
plements the property's location and local way of life.
"It's the ultimate lifestyle house," says Stroyke, noting
that the home's lot, at approximately 5,400 square
feet, is smaller than usual for the spacious Hill Section,
where they can measure up to 10,000 square feet and
even more. The absence of a big yard gives the home
a feel similar to those along the town's walk streets,
that collection of charmed pedestrian thoroughfares
located along the beach and Downtown. Though this
home's footprint is double that of a typical walk street
"To get elevated ocean views, traditionally you need to be situated high on the Hill,"
Stroyke explains. "But Highview Avenue is the exception."
T
