Letters

I sat down with my coffee and the Sunday Times, looking forward to Christopher Reynolds’ “L.A.’s Sandbox” [Aug. 28] piece on South Bay beach cities, which he defined as stretching from Redondo Beach in the south to Marina del Rey in the north. Somehow he completely left out the unique and oh-so-charming Playa del Rey.

Playa del Rey has its own gorgeous beach and the tide-changing Lagoon Park with its protected flocks of amazing birds, kiddie playgrounds, basketball courts and baseball diamonds, as well as rolling hills and walking paths above Culver Boulevard and the incomparable Ballona Wetlands (a mecca for bird and nature lovers).

The community also features a marina jetty with its “freeway” of glorious sailboats and colorful kayakers, all wrapped up with its stunning ocean vista and curving coastline all the way to Malibu and beyond.

A hamlet, really, funky and artistic, but a true find for any beachgoer.

Places to stay? How about the Inn at Playa del Rey (435 Culver Blvd.), named “One of the Best Places to Stay in the World” and recipient of the Condé Nast Gold Award and “One of the Ten Best Urban Inns” by Forbes.com.

Fine dining? Caffé Pinguini, Berri’s Cafe, Tandoor-A-India and Bistro du Soleil come to mind.

Family dining? Cantalini’s Salerno Beach, the legendary Hank’s Pizza, Playa’s Pita and, of course, Outlaws Bar & Grill, just to name a few.

Lorraine Devon Wilke

Playa del Rey

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I’m sure many South Bay beach city residents will relish Reynolds’ story, just as I did. But he gave zero recognition to Redondo Beach Harbor, which has about 1,400 boats of all types and a history to go along with it. I agree that the pier is “gritty and kitschy” because our past city leaders have done nothing to improve it. Good work on Reynolds’ part, but take a look at the harbor and marina sometime. He missed the boat on this one key feature of the South Bay.

Michael G. Jackson

Vice Chairman

Redondo Beach Harbor Commission

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Writing about “where to eat” without mentioning Cafe Pierre in Manhattan Beach eludes me. It’s one of the few places in town with an interesting menu, good help and quiet. Different strokes, I suppose.

Richard P. McDonough

Irvine

Monterey lodging

Regarding “Scene Stealer” by Rosemary McClure, Aug. 21: I just returned from a lovely weekend in Monterey. Although the area is every bit as wonderful as described, readers should be aware that those reasonable prices are not available at all times. Due to the weekend’s motor sports events, the price for a room at the Hotel Munras was more than double what was cited in her article, even for reservations made more than six months in advance.

Ruth Mellk

Pennington, N.J.