Santa Monica, the hip side of LA
Santa Monica is an urban oceanside paradise, with all of the amenities and excitement of a big city with the great beach access and vibrations of an ocean village. Although it is consistently packed with people – locals and travelers – Santa Monica has plenty of areas that exude the feel of a smaller town. Plus, hop on the Big Blue Bus or a bicycle and quickly find yourself in the totally different but equally cool neighborhoods of Venice, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Culver City, or Marina del Rey in no time. Or if you desire a more “big city” feel (i.e. traffic congestion and pavement), get on the freeway and head towards downtown LA.
All visitors to Santa Monica will find themselves on the Third Street Promenade at one point or another during their stay. The Promenade is a strictly pedestrian strip with upscale stores and boutiques, a wide range of restaurants, and street performers for entertainment. Venture off of the Promenade towards the ocean, and you will find some interesting secondhand clothing stores and record shops as well. Once you hit the ocean, you realize that you are quite a bit higher than the actual beach, and you will need to choose a way to get down there. I recommend heading out onto the famous Santa Monica Pier and continuing from there. The views of Malibu from the pier are great.
Away from the tourist strip is Main Street, a more eclectic area one block from the beach south of Third Street. Saturday hosts a farmer’s market that shouldn’t be missed. On other days, visit the brand-new American Apparel, a funky bead shop, or one of the all-natural juice bars.
If your artistic side calls you, hail the bus and ride out to Bergamot Station to visit the many galleries and retail art shops with constantly rotating exhibitions.
Reference: More on LA
Reference: Specifics on Santa Monica
This entry was contributed by Elizabeth Gleeson.
May 28th, 2007 at 10:04 am
I love Santa Monica as well, it has really developed into a great California beach town. It does have such great ambiance, and I love the quaint homes you find there. It has probably one of the most famous boardwalks around, and has gained in popularity over the years. It truly is a great place to visit.