Santa Monica

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Santa Monica

COASTAL CITY THAT NEIGHBORS MALIBU, VENICE, PACIFIC PALISADES, AND BRENTWOOD

In the 1800s, orator Tom Fitch called Santa Monica “the Zenith City by the Sunset Sea.” The 21st-century version of Santa Monica fulfills its early promise, with a bustling downtown and beach that attract millions of visitors per year. Pacific Coast Highway connects SaMo with coastal draws such as Malibu and Pacific Palisades. Venice and its Abbot Kinney Boulevard draw an eclectic crowd; upscale Brentwood is home to the Getty Center and numerous A-listers.

SANTA MONICA

Third Street Promenade, three pedestrian-only blocks on 3rd Street between Broadway and Wilshire Boulevard, teems with people. Visitors can browse dozens of shops, including H&M and Anthropologie, and gawk at the myriad street artists.

If they don’t refuel at one of the many eateries along the Promenade, visitors can venture to the surrounding streets to restaurants from cozy pub Ye Olde King’s Head to Michelin-starred siblings Rustic Canyon for small plates and Cassia for Asian fusion.

Anchoring the Promenade at Broadway is Santa Monica Place, an open-air shopping center with Nordstrom, 80 boutiques and the top-level Dining Deck. Steps away is the western terminus of the Metro Expo Line, which connects Santa Monica by light rail to downtown Los Angeles.

Santa Monica Pier, built in 1909, is at the end of Colorado Avenue and features Pacific Park, a mini amusement park with food stands and rides including a solar-powered and LED-lit Ferris wheel.

MALIBU

A few miles north of Santa Monica along Pacific Coast Highway is Malibu. Many of the city’s best destinations are visible from PCH, including renowned restaurants with ocean views, from the casual Malibu Seafood to the upscale Nobu Malibu. Celebrity-frequented Malibu Country Mart serves as the area’s town square; its Lucky’s steakhouse is new. Adjacent Malibu Village and Malibu Lumber Yard offer plenty more shops and restaurants.

PACIFIC PALISADES

There’s more than initially meets the eye in seemingly sleepy Pacific Palisades. Palisades Village—from the developer of The Grove and the Americana at Brand—boasts more than 40 boutiques. The Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine on Sunset Boulevard is a 10-acre oasis with a koi- and swan-filled lake. The area’s crown jewel is the Getty Villa, inspired by a Julius Caesar-era villa and dedicated to the study of the art and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Night Flight cocktail at Citrin; Central Garden at the Getty; the Venice canals. OPPOSITE: Santa Monica Pier

VENICE

Abbot Kinney developed Venice as an American version of the Italian city; the canals in his version are lined with multimillion-dollar bungalows. His namesake Abbot Kinney Boulevard is Venice’s coolest section, with restaurants such as Gjelina and distinctive boutiques making for an altogether entertaining stroll. On Ocean Front Walk, you might see street performers, vendors and Muscle Beach bodybuilders.

BRENTWOOD

Marilyn Monroe once called this affluent enclave northeast of Santa Monica home; it remains a favorite celebrity stamping ground. San Vicente Boulevard functions as the neighborhood’s main street, with independent shops, bakeries, cafes and restaurants. The Brentwood Country Mart, a charming open-air shopping center built in 1948, offers upscale retail.

The area’s main draw is the architecturally stunning Getty Center, a hilltop museum boasting J. Paul Getty’s spectacular art collection and a beautiful central garden.