Niko's studio was great. My favorite part was Manhattan Beach itself; lots of great restaurants, shopping, surfing, beaching, all the good LA stuff. The hills are a bit of a workout, but nothing unmanageable. The studio is small but definitely has more than all the necessary essentials. The full kitchen was quite nice to have.
If you are a light sleeper, know that it is below a house with active residents. We played some white noise on our laptop to drown out the stepping, and it was all good.