Santa Monica, California, United States

Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. A favorable climate, anchoring the Westside of Los Angeles County, Santa Monica is a beachfront city popular with tourists for its expansive beach and its famous pier, which are among the most popular coastal attractions in Southern California. Santa Monica is a very desirable city whose people are drawn to its accessibility and its progressiveness as a community.

Santa Monica is a beachside city of 8.3 square miles on the westside of Los Angeles County, features three miles of Pacific beaches and the Santa Monica Pier. Offering an environment of unparalleled natural beauty, the city is home to a mix of residential communities, commercial districts, and recreational venues. The City of Santa Monica is a national leader in environmental, economic and social sustainability. Recently named by National Geographic as one of the Top “10 Beach Cities in the World” and by TIME as one of the “Best Places to Live”.

Santa Monica developed as a seaside retreat at the turn of the 20th century. The railroad owners built the first version of the amusement park on Santa Monica pier as an attraction to fill empty train seats on weekends. Santa Monica grew into an urban, eclectic, and prosperous beach city whose real estate values are amongst the most pricey in the world.

The city has experienced a boom since the late 1980s, through the revitalization of its downtown core, significant job growth, and increased tourism. Santa Monica has a strong and diverse economy. Known as “Silicon Beach,” local businesses are at the leading edge of the nation’s creative economy and startup scene.

Today, Santa Monica is a mixture of very affluent, single-family neighborhoods, renters drawn by the high quality of life, lifelong surfers, young professionals and students.Santa Monica attracting many celebrities, like Marion Davies, to build magnificent beach front homes on Pacific Coast Highway. Within the city, visitors will find a number of urban shopping districts and plenty of restaurants and nightlife.

Tourism attracts over 8 million visitors annually. Popular tourists sites include Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier and Palisades Park atop a bluff over the Pacific Ocean. Santa Monica has three Visitor Information Centers that feature experienced Travel Counselors, foreign language line, tickets to area attractions and free visitor information on attractions, hotels, dining, museums, galleries and entertainment.

Main Attractions
More than 8 million visitors a year come to Santa Monica because it is a renowned beach city. Santa Monica is also known as a walkable and bike-friendly town, so it’s easy to get around and experience the haven of shops, spas, restaurants, attractions like the Santa Monica Pier and Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica events, and more.

Santa Monica Beach averages 280 days of sunshine a year and offers some of the best sunsets on the West Coast. The beaches of Santa Monica attract all types of visitors, and on a normal day at the beach, you will likely see families playing on the sand next to mats laid out for a yoga fitness class. Also, don’t be surprised to see a celebrity out and about shopping or grabbing coffee at one of the local shops.

The Santa Monica Pier, where a variety of shops, restaurants, and carnival attractions (including a solar-powered Ferris wheel) atop a historical wooden wharf. Santa Monica is also known as a walkable town, though many choose to strap on wheels or pedal their way around the 22 miles of bike path’s the area has to offer.

Throughout Santa Monica there are numerous pieces of public art to discover. From large murals to huge sculptures, there are almost 40 of these to check out. For Santa Monica nightlife, the Third Street Promenade is the place to be, bustling with activity from moviegoers, party animals, nightlife and bars, and talented street performers.

Santa Monica Pier
The Santa Monica Pier is a large double-jointed pier at the foot of Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California, United States. It contains a small amusement park, concession stands, and areas for views and fishing. Explore spectacular views, Marion Davies Guest House, cultural events, historic pool, spaces for filming and more.

Santa Monica Pier (Ocean Front Walk At Seaside Terrace). A bustling boardwalk whose huge Ferris Wheel is the city’s icon, with terrific coastline views of Malibu and the Southbay. The long pier holds Pacific Park, an old-fashioned amusement park with reasonable by-the-ride pricing, including a small roller coaster and the Ferris wheel. The Pier has restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, and some street performers. At almost all hours you’ll find at least a few people fishing as well. The Pier is within easy walking distance to the Promenade.

The pier contains Pacific Park, a family amusement park with its solar panelled Ferris wheel. The brightly lit wheel can be seen from a distance and has been turned off during the Earth Hour observance. The pier is a venue for outdoor concerts, movies, and other activities.

It also has an original carousel hippodrome from the 1920s, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium operated by Heal the Bay, shops, entertainers, a video arcade, a trapeze school, pubs, and restaurants. The pier’s west end is a popular location for anglers.

Beach
Santa Monica State Beach is an iconic destination that draws visitors from around the globe. Discover the many ways to explore the sun and sand. Explore spectacular views, Marion Davies Guest House, cultural events, historic pool, spaces for filming and more.

Santa Monica Beach. A large, wide, beautiful beach on either side of the pier. Perry’s rents bikes and roller blades or bring your own for use on the world famous strand that links all of the Westside beach cities. For some of the best people watching in the world, follow the strand south a couple of miles to Venice Beach.

Third Street Promenade
The Downtown District is the home of the Third Street Promenade, a major outdoor pedestrian-only shopping district that stretches for three blocks between Wilshire Blvd. A very successful Urban mall project: a vibrant, outdoor street full of restaurants, movie theaters, shopping, bookstores, and bars. Those who enjoy street performances will be impressed by the quality of musicians, dancers, and others. The Promenade is located only three blocks from the beach, the Promenade is one of L.A.’s most popular places to “hang out” for people of all ages.

Santa Monica Place
The Santa Monica Place, featuring Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom in a three-level outdoor environment, is at the Promenade’s southern end. After a period of redevelopment, the mall reopened in the fall of 2010 as a modern shopping, entertainment and dining complex with more outdoor space.

Santa Monica hosts the annual Santa Monica Film Festival. The city’s oldest movie theater is the Majestic. Opened in 1912 and also known as the Mayfair Theatre, the theater, it has been closed since the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The Aero Theater (now operated by the American Cinematheque) and Criterion Theater were built in the 1930s and still show movies. The Santa Monica Promenade alone supports more than a dozen movie screens.

Parks and recreation
Get outside and be active, discover Santa Monica’s award-winning parks and recreation programs. Palisades Park stretches out along the crumbling bluffs overlooking the Pacific and is a favorite walking area to view the ocean. It includes public art, a totem pole, camera obscura, benches, picnic areas, pétanque courts, and restrooms.

Chess park lies along the concrete path about 500 feet (150 m) south of the pier, and is frequented by locals who rate no less than class B in standard chess and can promise a fierce game of blitz chess. Watch a game in action, or challenge an aficionado.

Tongva Park occupies 6 acres between Ocean Avenue and Main Street, just south of Colorado Avenue. The park includes an overlook, amphitheater, playground, garden, fountains, picnic areas, and restrooms. The Santa Monica Stairs, a long, steep staircase that leads from north of San Vicente down into Santa Monica Canyon, is a popular spot for outdoor workouts. Some area residents have complained that the stairs have become too popular, and attract too many exercisers to the wealthy neighborhood of multimillion-dollar properties.

Ishihara Park opened to the public in 2017 and acts as a buffer between the Los Angeles Metro Rail and the surrounding residential community. The Cove Skatepark is a 20,000-square-foot facility in Memorial Park welcomes beginners to advanced athletes alike. Swim Center, located on the Santa Monica College campus, discover aquatics programs and classes at the Swim Center.

Music and arts venues
The Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome (carousel) is a National Historic Landmark. It sits on the Santa Monica Pier, which was built in 1909. The La Monica Ballroom on the pier was once the largest ballroom in the US and the source for many New Year’s Eve national network broadcasts.

The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium was an important music venue for several decades and hosted the Academy Awards in the 1960s. McCabe’s Guitar Shop is a leading acoustic performance space as well as retail outlet. The Santa Monica Playhouse is a popular theater in the city.

Bergamot Station is a city-owned art gallery compound that includes the Santa Monica Museum of Art. The city is also home to the California Heritage Museum and the Angels Attic dollhouse and toy museum.

The New West Symphony is the resident orchestra of Barnum Hall. They are also resident orchestra of the Oxnard Performing Arts Center and the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.

Twilight Dance Series (on the Santa Monica Pier). Thursday evenings in summer, starting at 7:30PM. The Twilight Dance Series is a free concert series that has been running since 1983. Acts range from rock to reggae to folk and have included artists such as the Indigo Girls, Patti Smith, Los Lobos, Dick Dale and others.

Trapeze School New York (TSNY). Trapeze School New York at Santa Monica Pier is a school of flying trapeze and aerial arts open to the public and for all skill levels and ages. Also offered are corporate workshops, events and parties, birthday parties and performance workshops.

Shopping
Santa Monica like the rest of the LA area is very cosmopolitan and attracts a lot of tourist shopping dollars. The city offers many shopping options from the Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica Place in Downtown Santa Monica to unique boutiques along Main Street and Montana Avenue.

Santa Monica has three main shopping districts: Montana Avenue on the north side, the Downtown District in the city’s core, and Main Street on the south end. Each has its own unique feel and personality. Montana Avenue is a stretch of luxury boutique stores, restaurants, and small offices that generally features more upscale shopping. The Main Street district offers an eclectic mix of clothing, restaurants, and other specialty retail.

Montana Avenue (between 7th and 17th streets). This area is relatively free of major national chains but is full of quaint but expensive local boutiques and cafes.

Third Street Promenade. A completely pedestrianized street that is the region’s most popular shopping destination. Though chain stores have pushed out independent ones, it is the vibrant street life that distinguishes Third Street from the rest.

Santa Monica Place, 395 Santa Monica Pl (at the south end of the Third Street Promenade). An indoor-outdoor mall that was extensively remodeled in 2010. It houses a variety of restaurants, shops, and pavilions.

Main Street. From Pico Blvd to Navy Street, Main Street shopping is similar to Montana Ave in that it celebrates the independent retailer. Main Street also has its fair share of excellent restaurants and bars. Heritage Square on Main Street is home to the widely popular, family-friendly Sunday Farmer’s Market.

Farmers Market. Four weekly markets on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, bring the farmers to Downtown, Main Street, and Pico neighborhoods. You will find California farmers selling products they grow including: fresh fruit, vegetables, shelled nuts, dried fruit, dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs), meats (chicken, beef, lamb, goat, rabbit, duck), fish, flowers, plants and seedlings, processed farm products (cured olives, olive oil, jams, juices, pickles, salsa, etc.). Since 1997, the Santa Monica Farmers Markets have collaborated with SMMUSD to bring food literacy to its kids, teaching workshop topics including seasonality, variety, growing practices.

Activities
Whether you’re looking for a local cultural event, want to taste Harry’s Berries’ famous strawberries at a farmers market, spend the day with your toes in the sand at the beach, or explore the local art scene, there is something for everyone in Santa Monica.

With over 3.5 miles of coastline, there’s plenty of volleyball courts to enjoy, including at the Annenberg Beach House, where you can grab a snack at Back on the Beach Cafe or take a dip in the pool. Foodies will be delighted that some of the best dining options in the Los Angeles area can be found right here in Santa Monica. Discover amazing nightlife, open-air and rooftop dining, as well as deals at numerous happy hours.

The famous Santa Monica Farmers Markets that will leave you in disbelief. If you love the outdoors, go for a hike in the nearby Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area or spend an afternoon at Tongva Park. Art and culture lovers will adore the fantastic murals that dot the city, as well as the numerous art galleries, concerts and cultural events that Santa Monica boasts.