King Harbor, Redondo Beach, CA

King Harbor is the working waterfront of Redondo Beach, with four marinas, three yacht clubs and the horseshoe-shaped pier all packed along Harbor Drive. Living here means boats in the view and restaurant lights on the water at night. Homes in King Harbor are mostly apartments and condos, many with ocean or marina views, clustered around Harbor Drive and the blocks just inland of Pacific Coast Highway. Czuleger Park and Moonstone Park give residents a lawn with a view of the boats. The water is the reason to be here. The marinas rent kayaks and paddleboards, run sailing lessons and send out whale-watching trips. Seaside Lagoon, a saltwater swimming lagoon, opens in the warm months, and the Strand bike path runs south from the pier along the beach. Bluewater Grill is known for its cioppino, Chart House on Yacht Club Way does prime rib with a harbor view, and The Boy and The Bear on PCH is the flagship of a local coffee roaster with the biggest patio in its small chain. Errands are close. Whole Foods sits at 405 N Pacific Coast Hwy with a coffee shop, a bagel shop and a burger spot in the same center. The harbor, the pier and the beach are all walkable, and a car is mainly for trips inland. The tradeoff is sharing it. Weekends and summer evenings bring visitors to the pier and the restaurants, and the retired AES power plant site nearby is still waiting on a settled plan. Early on a weekday, though, the docks belong to the fishermen and the paddleboarders.