Beach cities in Los Angeles with good diversity (Long Beach, Torrance: home, neighborhoods)

[NeverStopSmiling]

Me and my husband have three year old twins and we live in Las Vegas, Nevada. It has always been a dream to live in California and we've finally saved up enough money to buy a home in the LA county. Now I am African American and my husband is white and we both want our kids to grow up in a diverse city.
I am pretty much only interested in beach cities and the ones we've considered are Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Venice and Santa Monica. Cost is not an issue except for maybe Malibu.

Basically, my question is, what are the best beach cities to live in with decent diversity? We are NOT interested in living in the suburbs at all. We'd like a more downtown vibe. I just get the impression that most beach cites are pretty much only white towns. And I am obviously not racist, I just want my children to understand that there are other cultures.

That being said, I would be forever grateful if you guys gave your inputs and pros and cons to the following cities I have mentioned.

[Beth56]

Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach would not be what you are looking for in diversity. Santa Monica would probably be more of the culture you are seeking IMO. Home prices are high and traffic can be horrible in Santa Monica during the work week. But it may be the area best suited to your needs based on the four cities you mentioned.

[1200RT]

Originally Posted by NeverStopSmiling

I just get the impression that most beach cites are pretty much only white towns.

where did you get that impression?

Originally Posted by NeverStopSmiling

And I am obviously not racist

Obviously.

[NeverStopSmiling]

I got the impression by researching the demographics of the cities and other research I've done. Again, I am NOT racist as my husband is white. But truth of a matter is that there are some cities where there is practically no diversity. I don't count seeing a black or Asian or Hispanic every here and there as being diverse. I am from New York City and it very important to me that I am in a tolerant environment. Not just for me, but for my children's sake.

[disgruntled la native]

Santa Monica is mostly white too, but at least the people are diverse minded. If you can afford it, live there

[saybanana]

Google this. la times neighborhood mapping. LA Times has good profiles of neighborhoods. Most beach cities 75% or above white with next the being Asian in places like Torrance and Palos Verdes. Black and latin populations are small. Out of all the west beaches, Venice is the most diverse. The northern beaches like Santa Monica and Venice tend to lean more liberal, while the southern ones lean more conservative. Santa Monica and Venice are huge international tourist attractions. On warm summers most beaches and boardwalks are filled with people from all backgrounds and incomes.

I notice in general most areas in LA County are segregated by race and or ethnic groups. There are few areas where it is really good mixed of people and cultures in a small area.

[ccm123]

Redondo is diverse, more so than Hermosa or Manhattan.

[2Easy]

When people bring up diversity and Los Angeles, I think that it's important to remember that Hispanics are pretty much everywhere. So while the Hispanic population in beach cities is less than in other areas, there are still lots around. The Asian population in beach cities is growing, but still small. The black population is still very small, but a couple of decades ago outside a couple of areas like Venice, it was almost non-existent in the South Bay and Santa Monica areas.

But to answer your question, Long Beach is by far the most diverse beach city in Los Angeles County.

[yby1]

Redondo Beach has more diversity than the other beach cities. Another area to consider is San Pedro.

[majoun]

All L.A. county beach cities are majority white except for San Pedro and Long Beach, yes, even Venice is (non-Latino) white majority, although it has a pretty large Latino population.