Los Angeles
Santa Monica
Introducing Santa Monica
From natives to tourists to L.A. transplants, everyone is drawn to Santa Monica, and it’s no wonder - this classy beachside city really knows how to light up the map. If Southern California were a magazine, Santa Monica would be the centerfold. She’s gorgeous, welcoming and friendly - in fact, she’s downright bubbly.
Santa Monica’s favourite runways are all downtown and she’s got a bombshell of a boardwalk. Her trees are always blowing in the ocean breeze, her palm fronds coiffed and perky, and she smells of all things delicious, from handmade soaps to cupcakes and even fresh tempura.
Fresh-faced and dressed to impress, Santa Monica keeps up with the latest trends in food and fashion. Accompanying many a patron, dogs are her most sought-after accessory, from Dobermans on choke chains to rhinestone-collared Chihuahuas in handbags, and they’re welcome at several establishments throughout the city.
Santa Monica’s that friend you call on for style tips, the city you want to be seen with - and unlike so many other neighbourhoods, she wants to be seen with you too. That’s why this area is so darn inviting. No matter where you stroll, the doors are always open, the patios beckoning, the bike paths glistening with sand.
Best of all, Santa Monica doesn’t belong to just one crowd - and that’s why she wins popularity contests again and again.
Our hosts recommend
Best known for
3rd Street Promenade
Closed off to all but pedestrian traffic, this three-block retail and restaurant hotspot is the perfect place to window shop, grab a drink, or observe the talents of a variety of street performers from singers to balloon artists to contortionists.
Santa Monica Pier
The iconic Ferris wheel lights up the sky at night, reeling visitors in, just like the fishermen that cast their lines off the Pier’s edge. You’ll find soap sculptors mixed in with exotic bird handlers, cotton candy vendors and magicians - a veritable hodgepodge of eclectic entertainment.
The Market at Santa Monica Place
While this inviting venue was once the roof of a shopping mall that had seen better days, a recent revitalization transformed the locale into a go-to haunt for picnickers with style, where artisanal cheeses, fine wines and fresh baked goods may be sampled and procured.
If Southern California were a magazine, Santa Monica would be the centerfold. She’s gorgeous, welcoming and friendly - in fact, she’s downright bubbly.
Homes in Santa Monica See all homes in Santa Monica
Wander further
Venice
4.1km
Pacific Palisades
4.4km
Brentwood
5.2km
Westwood
6.5km