The ocean is big, I've yet to find something it can't handle. I ended up here by accident, after a long and aimless drive. I needed to pull over, get a handle on things, think for a minute. The universe stepped in, and bam, all I could see was grass, trees and an unobstructed view of the big blue. Perfection. read more

First of all, the park is awesome. Grassy area with some basketball courts overlooking the beach. A great place to have a picnic or take a rest on a bike ride. Check it out-it rocks. Enough said about that. But how many times have I ridden past Bruce's Beach, formerly known as Parque Culiacan, and earlier as City Park and Bayview Terrace, and said to myself, "What the heck is this park doing here? It's surrounded by apartments and condos, why did they not keep building here? Did something burn down that the original owner couldn't afford to pay for?" Don't get me wrong-I love parks...but I've always felt that Bruce's Beach looks like it was never intended to be there, like it was something else and was made into a park. One rainy day earlier this week on a bus ride to work I got my answer. An elderly woman sitting next to me who had lived in Manhattan Beach her whole life told me the story of "Bruce's Beach" and how the KKK and eventually the City got rid of an entire African American Community in 1924. The bus driver confirmed this statement. I found it hard to believe so I jumped on the internet. There I found many links including one yelp thread from Cheri A about Bruce's Beach http://www.yelp.com/topic/beverly-hills-bruce-s-beach-in-manhattan-beach and one Wikipedia article http://wikimapia.org/2889867/Bruce-s-Beach-City-Park Bruce's Beach was one of the few beaches in Southern California in the early 1900s that was not off-limits to African Americans.(What?not everyone could go to the beach???) Developer George Peck established the area in 1912 as a beach for African Americans, which was so against the conventional wisdom of the time, when most beaches in Southern California were white only beaches. In 1912 Mrs. Willa Bruce bought one of the first lots on George Peck's site and began to establish a beach resort for African Americans. The local Manhattan Beach Community reacted to the Bruce's arrival with disapproval to say the least. The KKK often harassed African American beach goers, burnt crosses on their property and the Manhattan Beach City Council began to push for the Bruce's removal from the city. Indeed, if you were an African American and you were seen at Manhattan Pier at night, you risked getting arrested or worse. The city eventually declared eminent domain and paid the Bruces $14,500 to leave Manhattan Beach-an amount well below market value. (This left Mrs. Bruce financially ruined.) After the Bruce's left their beach, the cottages were burned to the ground (the KKK actually had tried to burn them to the ground when the Bruces still lived there.) The city then tried to build a whites only resort but the NAACP intervened and fearing negative publicity, the city backed down. For years from the 1930's to the early 1960's the area was just an unused sand dune, a constant desolate reminder of an unresolved past. By 1962 though, the city took a renewed interest in the area calling it Bayview Terrace and a park was built. Later it became known as Parque Culiacan, after Manhattan Beach's sister city in Mexico. By 2006 a renewed interest in the park's roots began to emerge and the Manhattan Beach City Council was forced to dig into the city's not so pretty past. The Council renamed the park 'Bruce's Beach' and eventually celebrated this change in a ceremony on March 31st, 2007 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMDWxDtwE1s . Many have suggested that Interpretive panels and public art should faithfully, completely, and accurately celebrate the proud legacy of Bruce's Beach and African-American Los Angeles so that all who visit it can learn of it's past. Seems to be a reasonable request to me. (I wonder, do the kids of Mira Costa High learn about the history of Bruce's Beach in their History classes?) The City of Manhattan Beach has declared that "Friendship, goodwill, and respect for all begins within our own boundries and extends to the world community." If that is truly the case, why not just give the property back from who they took it from, or at the very least make a better effort to communicate the Park's history and culture? read more

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Beautiful park with a very sad history. Basically, the park was owned by a a black family in 1917 and they created a resort for African American people who were banned from beaches. The family was terrorized by the KKK and moved to South Central. It took Manhattan beach almost 100 years to rename it "Bruce Beach." read more

A beautiful little serene park overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I had never been here before and was in need of a little rest and relaxation, chillaxing and meditation. This proved to be the perfect spot. Some dogs. But it is an open unfenced park. read more

John S. and Joan S. hit the nail on the head with their reviews. This beach has a lot of history and the park name Bruce's Beach recognizes the part of the beach that black Americans enjoyed, and the racism that eventually closed down their beach. I applaud the recent decision to rededicate the park and rename it back to it's historical name. On a personal note, I grew up spending entire summers on the sands between 26th and 27th street. Several Manhattan Beach families formed "Club 26" and not only spent summers together, but other family trips and block parties. The grassy park was fun to drag my boogie board on and kick the sand off my feet. The big parking lots and streets provide some of the better parking for beach goers. In 1984, I stood at the top of this park and watched the Olympic torch get carried by a runner down Highland. I don't think I knew the significance at the time. I like this grassy patch and hope they keep it like this for people to enjoy. read more

On the list of other great places to fly a kite in Los Angeles. You really can't ask for anything better. You have the whole elevated terrain and a lot of open space to let that kite fly high and over the ocean. Since the park is separated in tiers, you can easily roll down one and stop without hurting yourself too much. Which is fun if you just want to roll around on the grass and get all itchy by the end of the day. From here you get to see the nice condos of the MB area as well as a great view of the ocean/beach from a slightly higher place. There's basketball courts there so you can get your B-ball on while the smarter folks are flying their kites on this elevated area. Just be careful not to hit the nearby expensive homes. Parking is also pretty easy. In all, this spot is one of the better secrets that MB hides. It's not known by all and since it's tucked away between all the wonderful homes around here, you can really relax and not be around too many crowds. I used to use this as a starting point to run to the pier and back. A good work out on a sunny day. A great spot for a Sunday afternoon picnic. read more

Beautiful location. Sacred ground. Great opportunity to put the past behind and join with others to move forward together.

It's a nice area but overall I'm pissed. Why? BECAUSE ITS NOT A FUCKING BEACH. Sure it's just a short walk from the beach. You can see it in the picture I added. But it's not a beach. It's just a grass area with a few basketball goals. I was hoping for a dog friendly beach. And this said it was a beach and dog friendly. But it's not. The grass area is called Bruce's beach. The actual beach is manhattan state beach or city of manhattan beach or something like that. Fuckin' bullshit. read more

Bruce's Beach - GRASS ONLY - Parks Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

This has become my go to beach after I moved. A direct shot for me down Rosecrans. There are no summer hour restrictions on the street, I believe it's Highland, so once you find parking you are good for the rest of the day. After reading some reviews I realized why I always see people in training. Yes, I guess the Lifeguard Training Center is right smack in the middle of the beach. Which provides a great feeling of security when I tote my nieces and nephews down their. If they get swooped up by a wave all I have to do is flag down one of the many fit trainees. It's generally pretty mellow and calm. A lot of families and active people getting their daily run in. It's also a great spot to start off a bike ride down to Marina del Rey. read more

Bruce's Beach is a beautiful viewpoint atop Manhattan Beach! If you don't want to get your toes sandy, I recommend coming to this park to view the sunset or to come with a picnic blanket and some food. read more

I love love love Bruce's beach. Great views, quiet park, nice benches, well kept grass - and it's free! What isn't there to love? Please don't turn it into an obnoxious skating place. read more

Nice hill to chill on, relax on the grass and just steps away from the beach.

Another secluded secret area. This time in Manhattan Beach. Good place to work out because it has a setup of bars to hang from for pull ups and hanging leg raises. You can do pushups here too, and then go for a beach sprint. I wouldn't say it's amazing, but you can park (metered) and do a workout or play volleyball, or surf in a somewhat less crowded part of Manhattan Beach. read more

A nice spot overlooking the beach that you can hang out and just talk with little to no disturbances. I often come at night with a group of friends and it is a peaceful place to be and reminisce to the sound of the ocean read more

A nice little park in Manhattan Beach! It's got a few basketball hoops(the court is not regulation size) and little hills with benches and trees that provide shade and a great shot of the great pacific ocean! It's a perfect spot if you want to relax by the beach without the sand getting all over you. Also can be a bit of a challenge since they only have a two small parking spots and street parking if you're there early! Have fun! read more

Bruce's Beach - Small park by the beach! - Parks Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

One of the best hidden view spots for sunset and just a beautiful area overall parking is limited but good enough and viewable for visitors a must spot to see in the beach cities read more

This area has an amazing view of the ocean from a reasonable distance - but not only that, I can basically go show off and tell them that it's my beach. I know that it's named from a different Bruce, but shoot, let me dream, okay? read more

i love this park. i always go here instead of the main hustle of downtown. this place is peaceful, perfect to a enjoy a day view or the sunset, perfect to take kids and do semi serious exercise on the odd basketball courts....its great to go lie down and look at the beach, or lie down and talk, be with your dog, with a friend, or a date...and the beach down below is generally empty. i love the rolling little hills of this park...kids love it too. it has diff levels and plenty of benches for diff people to enjoy. it is surrounded by manhattan beach residences, each with their unique architecture. dog owners here seem respectful. read more

I am a South Bay Chick, I have lived here all my life. My younger days were spent at Dockweiler Beach. But as I grew older and ventured South on the strand past El Porto, I loved walking past the houses and admiring the buildings. When I would come to the Lifeguard station, I often wondered about the park behind it. Why was I so drawn to it? What was Parque Culican? After some research and the recent unveiling of the park's past owners, I understand the connection as an African American to the little park in Manhattan Beach. It is a wonderful place with a great view of the ocean nestled in the middle of the busy city. It is a nice place to sit and watch the world go by and reflect on the bygone era of ancestry doing the same thing. One of my favorite places in the Beach Cities. i would invite everyone to go by and read the plaque on Highland Ave and learn a history lesson. read more

Luna, my four legged friend, and I have spent many a day here. Wondering the Strand along the coast and soaking in the warm Cali rays. A favorite spot for a game of horse, especially at sunset. Typically its no trouble finding parking during the week, either on the street or in one of the two paid lots just south of the park. Fab place to get your workout on, as you can easily use the grassy hillsides for various routines, the beach for some soft sand running, the strand for a bicycle ride, or the bars for a little upper body workout. Excellent conditions for an easy stroll or a boot camp style workout. Please note this is actually a park not a beach, dogs are not permitted on the beaches here. read more

This park is the new name here in Manhattan Beach. A nice break from all the tall and skinny mini-mansions of the area.

A wonderful park with a great view; perfect for a solo adventure or a family picnic. Sweet spot to go with the one you love to be with.

Pure Tranquility....Love the park setting. i just relax sitting from a distance as a watch the surf!

I could spend all day here. It has the most calming energy. The perfect place to set up a blanket and have a picnic or read a book.

Great park overlooking the beach. Come out for a picnic, and be taken by the view and fresh breeze.

A very very nice park, if you want to sit and relax and want a great view of the ocean, this is the sweet spot. The park is sloped downward. There's some metered parking lots near the beach. Most people go to beach so the park isn't crowed. read more

This was my favorite find in Manhattan Beach. Perfect for my little dog to run back and forth on the tiered level lawns and enjoy the ocean view and breezes. So awesome! read more