Mark Salkin

The colorful city of Santa Monica — population 88,000 — is sandwiched between Venice and Malibu along the beautiful coastline of the Pacific Ocean. Known for it's wide sandy beaches, Third Street Promenade shopping area and pier, which is home to an amusement park, restaurants and live music venues, Santa Monica is famous for being the western end of the iconic Route 66 highway.

Community Statistics

• Population: 87,536
• Median Age: 39.3
• Median Household Income (2009): $71,095
• Estimated per-capita income (2009): $55,682
• Median house/condo value (2009): $1,000,001

Neighborhoods

• The Bayside District
  This "Downtown" district encompasses the Third Street Promenade and is the city's shopping district.


• Mid-City
  Home to Sony, MTV and Universal as well as Bergamont Station, Mid-City is where you'll find the city's thriving art district.


• Montana Avenue
  Distinctly upscale, Montana Avenue is where you'll find luxury goods, unique clothing stores, cafes and restaurants. The residential neighborhood surrounding Montana Avenue is known for large lots and beautiful homes.


• Main Street
  Borrowing the laid back vibe of Venice, Santa Monica's Main Street is home to many restaurants, cafes and clothing stores. On weekends the Main Street farmer's market takes over and the parking area near Ocean Blvd. becomes a pedestrian mall where much more than fruits and vegetables are offered for sale.


• Ocean Park
  Smaller in scale than most other Santa Monica neighborhoods, the Ocean Park area offers a park, restaurants and salons to local residents. The homes here are more modest than those you'll find near Montana Avenue or closer to the beach.
   
• Pico Boulevard
  This is where Santa Moncia College is located, and where many small businesses and restaurants can be found.


• Santa Monica Airport
  The Santa Monica Airport is more than the city's air transportation hub, it is home to a lively artist community, a monthly antique flea market and several popular restaurants.

Points of Interest

• Third Street Promenade
  An outdoor pedestrian mall stretching from Broadway to Wilshire Boulevard that features clothing stores, fine restaurants, live street performers and over a dozen movie screens.


• Bergamont Station
  A city-owned gallery compound that includes the Santa Monica Museum of Art as well as many galleries that feature local and national artists.


• The Santa Monica Pier
  Located at the end of Broadway and rising above the bike path and the Santa Monica Hippodrome (a National Historic Landmark Carousel featured in the movie, The Sting), the Santa Monica Pier offers amusement park rides and games, an aquarium, live music concerts in the summer and fine dining year round.


• Palisades Park
  Running the length of the bluffs overlooking the Pacific, Palisades Park is an expanse of manicured lawns that is very popular as a gathering place for locals out for a stroll, a run or a dog walk.

Restaurants

View Urban Spoon's list of the best Santa Monica restaurants