Santa Monica, CA Road Trips

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. Santa Monica is a very desirable city whose people are drawn to its accessibility and its progressiveness as a community. 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. However, it's not only palm trees and leisure, Santa Monica is home to the RAND Corporation, the storied Cold War think tank that was tasked with discovering how to win a nuclear war, among numerous research projects of varying secrecy. It's also the base of a number of major video game studios, from Activision Blizzard to Naughty Dog, and several major media companies, including David Ellison's Skydance Media, which bought Paramount in 2026. Tourists visiting the Los Angeles region will find Santa Monica one of the best situated locations to base their trip. There are plenty of hotel, restaurant and entertainment options, as well as close accessibility to major sights like Venice Beach, Malibu and Beverly Hills.

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. 1 Bergamot Station Arts Center, 2525 Michigan Ave, ☏ +1 310 453-7535. M 9AM-4PM, Tu-F 9AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-5PM (Individual galleries may have different hours). Over 30 art galleries, including the Santa Monica Museum of Art. Free. 2 Museum of Flying, 3100 Airport Ave (at Santa Monica Airport (KSMO)), ☏ +1 310-398-2500. F-Su 10AM-5PM. Centered around artifacts from the Douglas Aircraft Company, which used to manufacture iconic aircraft like the DC-3 at the Santa Monica Airport. It includes many aircraft in static display, from a replica Wright Flyer to World War II fighters to the microjet which appeared in the James Bond film Octopussy. "Rides" in a full-motion flight simulator are $8 each. Adult $10. 3 View Decks at Santa Monica Airport (KSMO), 3223 Donald Douglas Loop South (On the north and south sides of the Administration Building), ☏ +1 310-458-8411. dawn-dusk, daily. Open air-decks with picnic tables. Watch and photograph the airplanes as they come and go at the airport. Listen to Air Traffic Control on loudspeakers. Bring a picnic lunch. Also, Clover Park, at the corner of 25th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard, has a viewing area with a telescope focused on the runway. Free.

1 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. (updated Jun 2015) 2 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. Hire a bike or skates and travel along the cycle path (there are a number of shops to hire from around and on the pier). 3 Third Street Promenade (several blocks of Third Street). 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. 4 Trapeze School New York (TSNY) (Santa Monica Pier), ☏ +1 310 394-5800. 7 days a week.

Very diverse food selection, from high-end cuisine to burgers and tacos. In general, Mexican food this far west in the city is never going to be as good as places on East LA, but they'll still be quite good. 1 Bay Cities Italian Deli, 1517 Lincoln Blvd, ☏ +1 310 395-8279. Some of the best sandwiches on the west side. There will be a long wait during peak hours, so browse the authentic Italian market after you take your number, or go online, view the menu, and call in your order in advance. 2 Bagel Nosh Deli, 1629 Wilshire Blvd, ☏ +1 310-451-8771. M-F 6:30AM-2:30PM, Sa Su 7:30AM-3PM. Serving breakfast, lunch, and hand-rolled bagels since 1978. 3 Snug Harbor, 2323 Wilshire Blvd, ☏ +1 310-828-2991. 6AM-3PM. A great breakfast place! A small "hole in the wall" with a relaxed atmosphere and competent service, you'll find many locals trying to wake up on Saturdays and Sundays. Offering up traditional bacon and eggs with a twist the food is fresh and good. Meat lovers should try Uncle Zeke's scramble. 4 Tacos Por Favor, 1408 Olympic Blvd, ☏ +1 310 392-5768. M-Sa 8AM-8PM, closed Sundays. Fresh, cooked to order Mexican food in a taqueria atmosphere. It features good tacos and an excellent chicken mole burrito. Don't miss the pickled carrots and jalepeños in the salsa bar. 5 Rae's Restaurant, 2901 Pico Blvd, ☏ +1 (310) 828-7937. Daily 6:30AM-4PM. Cheap, hearty diner food. Breakfast and lunch only. Quentin Tarantino fans may recognize the interior from Reservoir Dogs, or the exterior from True Romance.

Santa Monica offers over 50 Happy Hour specials all over town, from dive bars to the high end hotels. Because LA and specifically the west side of LA are famous the world over for their night life, going out and drinking in Santa Monica is expensive, normal prices for a domestic beer are $5 and martinis frequently range over $15. The bars listed below are sorted by type and not price: 1 Fathers Office, 1018 Montana Ave (near 10th & Montana), ☏ +1 310-323-BEER (2337). Excellent burgers in this popular pub. Offers beers from over 20 different micro-breweries, a nice wine selection, but alas no full bar. The other downside is that it's a small space and very popular so long lines quickly spring up. Don't try to change any of the items on the burger - it's their way or the highway. For fun, try to sneak in ketchup. 2 Britannia Pub, 318 Santa Monica Blvd (near 3rd Street Promenade), ☏ +1 310-458-5350. Small but very friendly Brit style pub, popular with locals and budget travelers. Good and cheap snacks and meals. 3 Ye Olde Kings Head (Kings Head), 132 Santa Monica Blvd, ☏ +1 310 451-1402. British style pub that is a notable hangout for tourists, celebrities and locals. Favorite amongst local Brits to watch football and play pub quiz on Tuesdays. Has excellent fish and chips. 4 Library Ale House, 2911 Main St. Carries lots of interesting beer on tap. Food is mid-scale pub style.

1 Bayside Hotel, 2001 Ocean Ave, ☏ +1 310 396-6000, toll-free: +1-800-525-4447. $75-140. 2 Ocean Park Inn, 2452 Lincoln Blvd, ☏ +1 310 392-3966, toll-free: +1-800-605-5005, fax: +1 310 399-0502. $70-85. 3 HI Los Angeles/Santa Monica, 1436 Second St (on 2nd Street between Santa Monica Blvd and Broadway), ☏ +1 310 393-9913, fax: +1 310 393-1769, [email protected]. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon. Hostel/backpacker style accommodation. 200 beds, clean, safe, plenty of activities. Linen incl. towel provided, the bed is even made for you. From $30. 4 Palm Motel, 2020 14th St, ☏ +1 310 452-3861, fax: +1 310 450-8635. $65-95. 5 Seaview Hotel, 1760 Ocean Ave, ☏ +1 310 393-6711. A 1950s art deco gem one block from the ocean. The rooms are upgraded with fresh colors, cozy fibers and trendy furniture. Each room includes free wireless, flat screen TV's and free maid service. $88-125. 6 Gateway Hotel Santa Monica, 1920 Santa Monica Blvd, ☏ +1 310 829-9100, fax: +1 310 829-9211. $90-160. 7 Ocean View Hotel Santa Monica, 1447 Ocean Ave, ☏ +1 310 458-4888, toll-free: +1-800-452-4888, fax: +1 310 458-0848. $100-250. 8 Ambrose Hotel, 1255 20th St, ☏ +1 310 315-1555. While 20 blocks from the beach, the Ambrose Hotel offers great style and comfort for less than the large beach-front hotels. Very convenient if visiting someone at St. John's Santa Monica Hospital. From $175. 9 Hotel Casa del Mar, 1910 Ocean Way, ☏ +1 310 581-5533, toll-free: +1-800-898-6999, fax: +1 310-581-5503, [email protected].

Santa Monica sits at the western terminus of the 10 (Santa Monica) Freeway, about 20 mi (32 km) west of downtown Los Angeles and 7 mi (11 km) north of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The city is roughly bounded by Centinela Blvd to the east, Ocean Park Blvd to the south, San Vicente Blvd to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The tourist center of Santa Monica is the downtown area near the famous Santa Monica Pier, which was once the western end of historic Route 66. By car, take the 10 Freeway to the 4th/5th Street exit, then head left toward the ocean. From the north, turn left off the Pacific Coast Highway (California 1) at the California Incline, which deposits you just a few blocks north of the pier. The county-wide Metro public transit agency offers service to Santa Monica from throughout the Los Angeles region. Santa Monica is the western terminus for the Metro Rail Expo Line, which runs out to Culver City, Exposition Park, and onward to Downtown LA. The line ends in Downtown Santa Monica at Colorado Avenue and 4th Street, just a few blocks from the Santa Monica Pier. Prominent Metro bus lines to Santa Monica include the 20/720 via Wilshire Boulevard from Downtown LA and the 04/704 via Sunset Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard from Union Station in Downtown LA. Lines 720 and 704 are Rapid lines which stop only at major intersections, making them faster than their local-stop counterparts 20 and 04 (however, the 20 and 04 run later into the evening). Service tends to be every 10 to 20 minutes. Metro fare is $1.75.

Many of Santa Monica's tourist destinations are within easy walking distance of each other. The city Big Blue Bus system operates a number of lines that link not only places within the city, but also neighboring Brentwood, Westwood and Venice Beach, making Santa Monica one of the relatively few places in Los Angeles where one needn't drive to get around. Some lines run every 10 minutes or so, which means you may not need to coordinate your plans around the schedule. Traffic is very heavy in the downtown area, and during rush hour and weekends the city's main arterial streets (Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica Blvd, Lincoln Blvd) are choked with cars. Santa Monica also has a fairly extensive bike share system, Breeze, with bike stations throughout Santa Monica and adjacent Venice Beach. ♿Both the Big Blue Bus & Metro Rapid (Red Bus) fleets include pneumatic wheelchair ramps & chair anchor points. Most stations are level and paved and stops are pre-announced (audio & visual). Fares for passengers with a disability are at 50%.

Crime rates in and around the tourist areas are relatively low, thanks to an increased police presence and "neighborhood watch" campaign by business owners. While there is a large homeless population in the area, you're unlikely to be seriously bothered. The small neighborhood around Pico Boulevard and 20th Street can be a little rough, side streets in this area are best avoided at night.