Elegance and Heritage Meet: Inside the Timeless Residence of 2700 Highland Ave in Manhattan Beach
In 1962 Robert “Bob” Beverly and his wife Elizabeth Louise, known as “Bettelu,” moved into a big house on the corner of Highland Avenue and 27th Street. It had terrific views of the ocean that were amplified by leafy trees and the lush grass of the park it bordered. For decades the remarkable property—which spans a neat cluster of residences—would serve as a sunlit home base for these local icons of California’s Golden Age.
“He was a big to-do around here,” real estate agent Carol Glover says of Bob Beverly.
An attorney and three-term mayor of Manhattan Beach, Beverly graduated to the state Legislature in 1967, where he served for nearly 30 years. Beverly is perhaps best-remembered politically for the Song-Beverly Act, a game-changer in consumer protection that became a template for such laws beyond California. Meanwhile, Bettelu was a matriarch of Manhattan Beach, active in local charities and running her husband’s campaigns while raising their four children.
“She was a dynamo,” Carol Glover describes.
Two parcels – 6 residences
Much of their lives centered around Manhattan Beach, so it’s fitting the Beverly property occupies a central spot in the town, and is more than ordinary: It’s a compound of approximately 11,400 square feet (roughly 1/4 acre) consisting of cleverly planned residences—6 in all—that range from a main house to a group of apartments.
“There are two different parcels here,” real estate agent Dave Salzman says of the property, which is located diagonal to Bruce’s Beach and is neatly bordered on three sides by Highland Avenue, 27th Street and Crest Avenue.
First, the larger parcel: It consists of three full lots that include the main residence—a 5-bedroom hacienda-style house wraps around a large backyard.
“Unheard of for the Sand Section,” Carol Glover says of the wonderfully private green space that connects with the interior via big French doors.
Then there’s a full-size pool and 4 separate apartments, several with majestic ocean views due to their lofty elevation. Interestingly, there was previously yet another 1-bedroom apartment that, at some point, was integrated into the floorplan of the main residence, where it lives today as a nicely tucked-away bedroom wing.
The smaller parcel is a half-lot, consisting of a 1-bedroom apartment along Highland Avenue with a private patio and yard in the rear.
There’s also room on the compound for 6-plus vehicles in the form of three garages in all, each with capacity for two cars, plus a small outdoor lot for additional parking.
Striking is the hidden-in-plain-sight factor. The property is located along a central route, yet living spaces are neatly tucked behind high walls and strategic design. There’s a perpetual feeling of openness that comes from its corner-lot position and proximity to the spacious park, where rolling tiers of green hillside play against the sterling blue of the ocean and ample sky.
It’s just an inviting 2-minute path to stroll to the beach for a swim or a fresh-air workout along the Strand. “Less than 700 feet,” notes Dave Salzman. When you feel like stepping out with friends, a 5-minute cruise along the ocean brings you to Manhattan Beach Pier and the upmarket eateries and boutiques of Downtown. Alternatively, you can walk along Highland Avenue for coffee and yoga in North Manhattan.
A Buyer’s Oyster
The sheer span of the place translates into options. One is a makeover of the existing property. The main home was built in 1948, and residences have a streamlined, post-war profile—along with lots of original hardwood floors and large-scale picture windows that would converge nicely into an au courant coastal compound.
“It could be renovated into a very clean, Modernist style,” says Carol Glover of the property, pointing out a particularly user-friendly feature of the primary residence: a private yard that wraps around main living and sleeping spaces, connecting indoor spaces with nature.
What about total re-development?
“The world is the buyer’s oyster as long as it fits in zoning and other requirements,” notes Carol Glover. However, a caveat from the state, Dave Salzman points out: “You can’t reduce the number of units.”
Based on the current configuration, the agents point out, the two parcels could potentially be redeveloped to accommodate 4 townhomes, a single-family with an ADU, and yet another single-family home. All of these are separate units.
It’s an unusual and rare property, and Carol Glover and Dave Salzman are well-suited to its representation. The agents, both longtime residents of Manhattan Beach, are also keen property developers. It’s a pursuit they’ve been involved in their entire lives: Carol, as a Manhattan Beach native who helped her parents build and renovate local homes starting in childhood; and Dave, who began working on job sites in early youth with his carpenter-turned-real-estate-agent father. Adding to their acumen is that Carol is a real estate attorney.
“If it’s a deal with some thorns or trickiness, we say ‘bring it on,'” she says with a laugh. “We just love real property.”
Standing in the sunlit living room of the main home, you gaze out over the ocean—surveying views of Palos Verdes and Catalina, watching the waves fold into the sand and breezes rustling the tree tops. Decades ago two special townspeople chose to call this hillside home.
Over 60 years later the opportunity has come around again, with the property’s size, location and unique vistas making it even more rare, with an updated range of possibilities.
Its next chapter, Carol Glover points out, “is in the eyes of the buyer.”
Dave Salzman | DRE # 00952732
Carol Glover | DRE# 01473202
Salzman Real Estate Team
Engel & Völkers – LA / South Bay
Phone: 310.545.2260
List Price: $16,950,000
Photography by Paul Jonason