n his youth, Russ Lesser recalls a Manhattan Beach that consisted mostly of small beach cottages that served as summer homes. His family was one of the few that lived there year-round. “The house I grew up in was built in 1909, and my grandparents purchased it in 1917 for $1,000. Much of the beach area and the rest of the city consisted of vacant lots,” he says. “As soon as school was out, we spent every free hour on the beach. We learned to body surf, and people rode waves on inflatable pillows, t