All in all, 2024 was a pretty good year in Manhattan Beach. Nevertheless, it was death and drama that brought the most readers to Manhattan Beach News in 2024. 

This year, the community tuned in as we said goodbye to some of our favorite merchants and some of our favorite parking lots. But in the end, it was an extremely unusual crime that drew the largest number of eyeballs in 2024. Read on for the top ten most-read stories of the year:

10: Mark Your Calendars for 2024 Events in Manhattan Beach: We write this story in January every year, and it's a perennial favorite, helping people save the dates for iconic events in Manhattan Beach throughout the year. Stay tuned for the 2025 story coming soon.

9: Woman's Body Recovered From Beach: This sad story took place back in January, putting a spotlight once again on some of the dangers of night swimming in the ocean, as well as elevated surf and rip currents during the winter.

8. Pedestrian Killed in Accident on Sepulveda: This story took place only two weeks ago, and yet it was one of the most-read stories of the year. The stretch of Sepulveda Blvd. between 6th and 9th Streets has been the site of multiple pedestrian and vehicular accidents.

7. Adult Male Found Deceased at Polliwog Park: In July, a 23-year-old male foreign national was found deceased in Polliwog Park. The L.A. County Medical Examiner determined that the victim died of methamphetamine intoxication.

6. Death of Owner Reported at 11th and Peck 'Farmhouse': Following the New Year's shooting death of a party-goer at the red "farmhouse" on 11th Street (more on that in story #3 below), the owner of the house passed away later that month.

5. GROW To Close After 19 Years in Manhattan Beach: The popular family-owned grocery store GROW closed down in July, after nearly two decades of bringing fresh produce and specialized groceries to the city. 

4. Manhattan Beach Businesses Bid Farewell: This story only ran three days ago, and yet it still garnered some of the highest readership of the year. Manhattan Beach News readers tuned in to learn about the departure of Pitfire Pizza, Manhattan Grocery, Presotea, and Lemonade.

3. Early Morning New Year's Shooting Results In Critical Injury: The year 2024, unfortunately, started out with the tragic shooting of a 24-year-old man outside a party at the 11th Street "farmhouse." After being taken to the hospital, doctors determined that there was no chance of recovery because of the severity of the bullet wound to his head.

2. Downtown Parking Lot 3 'Unsafe,' Fully Closed: Readers flocked to the story of the full closure of Parking Lot 3 in Downtown Manhattan Beach due to unsafe seismic conditions. (Initially, the city had only closed the top level.) The lot has since been torn down and a temporary single-level lot is being created while the city makes plans for its replacement.

And the number one most-read story of the year was...

1. $1 Million Cash Theft Reported During Kid Drop-Off at Martyrs: The unusual theft of a cardboard box containing $1 million, stolen from a car while the driver was dropping a child off at American Martyrs School, drew the most readers across town (and beyond) in 2024. Manhattan Beach Police told stunned residents that yes, the theft did really happen, and some businesses regularly require transporting large amounts of cash. Nevertheless, police used the opportunity to remind residents of the importance of securing their vehicles and taking all valuables with them. (Note that the photo illustration above was created by AI.)

P.S. It wasn't all death and crime! Let's give some love to a few of the runners-up, including:

Six File for Three Manhattan Beach City Council Seats

Huynh Named New Principal of Mira Costa