20230429_114521Santa Monica Pier on a cloudy day (April 2023)

Santa Monica is a popular beach city in west Los Angeles, and it’s the epitome of living the “LA dream:” a world-famous beach, sunny skies 300+ days out of the year, and plenty of entertainment (shops, restaurants, cafés) to keep both locals and visitors busy for a lifetime. It’s very crowded and touristy, but given its beautiful beaches and attractions, it’s no wonder that people flock to its golden shores for fun in the sun. Santa Monica is a must for first-timers when in Los Angeles.

Initially the land of the indigenous Tongva, it came under Spanish rule starting in 1769, before being handed off to Mexican hands in 1839. After California became a US state in 1848, Santa Monica experienced an economic boom throughout the rest of the 19th century and into the 20th century. The 20th century saw a huge influx of Japanese and Chinese immigrants, the former who worked in the fishing industry. The city was also a major harbor for LA before it shut in 1920, with the San Pedro port (Port of Los Angeles) eclipsing it as the hub for cargo and passengers.

The tourism industry also grew rapidly, with amusement parks and hotels being constructed to accommodate visitors in this slice of west Los Angeles. The Santa Monica Pier, iconic since its inception in 1909, is world-famous filled with all sorts of rides, games, and restaurants along its wooden promenade– you also can’t miss its famous Pacific Wheel, which can be seen in the distance while strolling the beach or driving top-down along Highway 1.

Santa Monica is a 8.4 squared meters and is home to nearly 100,000 residents (although millions flock to its shores every day). Given its relatively-small size, it makes for a walkable and especially bikeable city, and you’ll see plenty of cyclists zipping along the promenade from one end to the other. Besides its sandy beaches with conditions ideal for surfing and beach volleyball, it also serves as the gateway to nearby beach cities including the more-upscale Pacific Palisades to the north and the hip, bohemian Venice to the south.

Most visitors tend to gravitate to Santa Monica Pier when visiting LA. After all, it’s iconic, and it offers that nostalgic, all-American experience with arcade games, snack stands with popcorn and cotton candy, and a towering Ferris Wheel. However, it’s also important not to stay too long at the pier, as it’s over-priced and gimmicky that’s not a true reflection of the entire city of Santa Monica; I would advise visitors to move away from the coast and more-inland to experience more of what the city has to offer.

20230429_114219Santa Monica Pier


20230429_113729On the boardwalk

For instance, I would start off with a stroll along Third Street Promenade, just a block or two from the ocean. While also touristy, its wide pedestrian road stretches for three blocks and is an “outdoor mall” to window shop at high-end outlets like Kate Spade, Tiffany & Co, and REI. You can also witness street musicians busking on the side throughout the day (this is where singer Andy Grammer got discovered!), as well as plenty of vibrant street art on the smaller side streets.

20230429_111910Third Street Promenade


20230429_111204“Greetings from Santa Monica”

Another major street I’d recommend visitors is Main Street, which roughly begins at Santa Monica Pier and goes as far as its neighboring Venice. It’s several miles filled with cafés, restaurants, and smaller boutiques which, similar to Third Street Promenade, is just a block or two away from the water. The foot traffic isn’t as heavy as it is near the pier or Third Street Promenade, but offers a great alternative to hang out for a trendy brunch or Happy Hour before sunset.

Besides the beach and shopping/eating, Santa Monica has a few sites worth checking out, including the historic Hotel Casa del Mar from 1926 and the Georgian Hotel from 1933 in Italian Renaissance Revival and Art Deco styles, respectively. You can also take a stroll in Tongva Park, named after the indigenous people who originally lived in present-day LA. It’s home to acres of gardens and picnic areas to relax at, along with a futuristic bridge that serves as a platform for overlooking the Santa Monica Pier and the Pacific Ocean.

20230429_112842Georgian Hotel


20230429_120412Tongva Park

Even though I’m native to Los Angeles, I actually did not visit Santa Monica until I was in college. And even after that, I seldom went as the Westside traffic over and back is a hassle (if you’re from a big city like LA, you’ll understand that the last thing you’d want to do is brave the traffic at peak hours, which are practically all the time). However, I see the appeal of Santa Monica, as it’s an emblem of that beach, surfer vibe that’s quintessential to LA culture. Definitely worth a visit whenever in LA!

Thanks for reading, and have a good day! 🙂

— Rebecca

Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

55 thoughts on “Lost in LA: Santa Monica”

  6. Whenever I’ve been in LA, I’ve always based myself in Santa Monica, which is also easier to get to from the airport. There used to be cheap motels around the Pier, but they’ve now disappeared, replaced by luxury buildings. I loved walking in the gardens along Ocean Avenue. Santa Monica is a good place to feel like on vacation while actively visiting the rest of LA.

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    1. Nice! Santa Monica is a fun and vibrant spot to base oneself while in LA. It’s true that a lot has changed and continues to change in LA, including the hotels (and more expensive)! Hope you can return to this small haven of town during your next visit 🙂

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  7. Isn’t it funny that many of us only visit places closer to home years after we heard about them for the first time. In the case of Jakarta where I currently live, it’s also the traffic that has been keeping me in my neighborhood on weekends instead of venturing further away. Are there decent public transit options connecting downtown LA with Santa Monica? That would be really convenient.

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    1. I wholeheartedly agree! Although I grew up in LA as a child, I didn’t live too close to Santa Monica, so I didn’t go until I was much older. There’s actually a direct metro line (Metro E, aka the Expo line) which takes you from downtown LA to Santa Monica. Definitely very convenient!

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    1. Traffic, traffic everywhere! Especially in big cities. At least here in LA, it’s imperative to leave at least 15 minutes before what Google Maps estimates, just because traffic can suddenly come up en-route. And there’s the acceptance of being 10-15 minutes late to places. That’s LA to you!

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  9. I remember stopping briefly in Santa Monica on our long ago California road trip but we didn’t linger as we wanted to get away from that notorious LA and surroundings traffic! Good to see a bit more of it through your eyes 🙂

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    1. Santa Monica is a tourist hotspot, so it’s notoriously busy almost all the time. It actually wasn’t too bad when I visited on a rainy day, and that’s saying something! LA traffic sucks, and as a local, it’s a matter of just going with it and accepting how it is…

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  10. California has so many cool places to visit, and Santa Monica is one of the top attractions.I hope the current atmospheric rains are not causing too much permanent damage. I hope all is well where you are too; I’ve heard LA has received much of the torrential rains. It’s sad to see.

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    1. Yes, it was absolutely POURING starting Sunday up until Tuesday. It didn’t rain during the day on Wednesday, but it poured again at night. I’ve just been inside and hunkering down!

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    1. How lovely! I’ll have to check out that PBS documentary, as I recently have been watching some LA docs on PBS, actually. And I’ll actually be writing about Venice Beach next, so look out for that later! Thanks for reading, Rebecca. 🙂

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  13. How I would love to be ‘Lost in Santa Monica’ one of these years. The Georgian Hotel looks like it would be a fun for a night or two, just been checking it out. A walk down the coast would be just lovely, I notice it’s about a 45 minute walk from Santa Monica Pier to Venice Pier. That would be a must for me just to relive the famous scene between Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall at the end of ‘Falling Down’.

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  14. I think Piers in England aren’t a patch on the US version. We have Brighton, but it doesn’t look as fun or interesting as Santa Monica. I’d love to be able to visit one day, and love the look of that Georgian Hotel.

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    1. Brighton was lovely when I visited! I think it’s just a different atmosphere, as you have the Atlantic Ocean and I have the Pacific. Beautiful scenery all around, anyway!

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    1. Santa Monica gets busy and overwhelming sometimes, so I don’t blame you for wanting to relax afterwards! It was POURING last weekend until Tuesday, but now it’s all sunny skies. Thanks for checking in. 🙂

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  19. Great post and wonderful photos, Rebecca. The beachside city of Santa Monica has a charm all of its own and is the essence of that classic postcard picture of Southern California. I love everything about Santa Monica’s wide, flat beach as well as the pier and its vintage theme park. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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  20. Santa Monica is really an iconic place, and I can understand why visitors go there all year round, as it is something that we see so much in movies and on tv! Actually the very first thing I did in LA when I went there 2 years ago was walking around 3rd street and Main street!

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  21. I’ve always wondered about Santa Monica, and I think you gave a well-rounded review of it. My impression of it has always been one of beaches and piers, a place to have fun in the summer. It seems like it has a bit of Vegas vibes, but with more outdoor vibes – and more wholesome 😄

    The outdoor mall concept is very interesting to me. There was an area near me in Melbourne that tried this outdoor mall concept but it didn’t work for many reasons. I am not sure about the weather in Santa Monica, but I imagine it would be pretty wet for shopping if it rained. But I guess as it’s quite a touristy place with high end goods, it’s become pretty iconic for Santa Monica.

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    1. You have a point! Santa Monica has a sort of gimmicky vibe that’s reminiscent of Las Vegas, but not as gritty/seedy. A lot of shops and sites are outdoors in SM, but also even throughout much of southern California, as it really doesn’t rain that much. But when it rains, it’s true that it puts a damper on the experience!

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    1. Think New Jersey, but the West Coast version, and that’s Santa Monica! There’s that classic, old-timey atmosphere to the Pier, which harks back to the US from the mid-20th century. Also a piece of nostalgia, as many of us experienced that slice of Americana, even as kids!

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