The beautiful coastal city of Santa Monica is the place where LA TV people and movies come to play.
There are 400 restaurants, many of which are considered “fashionable” or “hips”. Throw in several art galleries, several luxury hotels and - oh yeah, celebrities, and you have aspirations that come as a surprise from your everyday hometown.
Our recent visit to Santa Monica reminded us why we moved to California. The weather was one of those LA days that happen more often than you think, and the haze was effectively removed by the winds and humidity on the eve of our arrival. It was like a trip a few years ago that we took from the damp Pacific Northwest to Los Angeles, which introduced us to what was bright sunshine. We could not wait to return and eventually moved to Southern California to get our regular portion of the California sun.
This weather shows Santa Monica, as expected. The views from the Palisades Park are breathtaking and occupy not only vast beaches, but also such diverse features as Malibu in the north and even Catalina Island to the south-west. Not surprisingly, half of Los Angeles seems to be running or walking here. A wide, tree-lined and well-landscaped Ocean Avenue stretches along the coastline, offering as a beautiful street in the center of the city, as you will see that these are all modern office buildings, and not historical mansions.
The Santa Monica Feast is the dominant feature on the water's edge — and also above the water — and is a favorite place for families. We lingered with our five-year-old kid at Kids Cove, part of Pacific Pier Park, where entertainment for children is held and, when everything was said and done, our daughter announced her time at the pier “best day” Ever! ”
But the Santa Monica Pier can also be very adult. During our visit, a local anti-war organization put up over two thousand white crosses on the beach to help people visualize the number of victims of the Iraq war. Although most of the crosses had no names, many of them did, and it was obvious that the bereaved families brought flowers and photographs to create improvised memories on the beach.
Only from the pier are the neighborhoods and shopping districts in the popular Downtown Third Street Promenade, the area where the city fathers took the street and turned it into a pedestrian center. On this path there are amazing shops and an unusual number of cinemas that seem to attract people from all walks of life - young and old, rich in homeless people. On weekends there are always a lot of street musicians and artists who are ready to do anything to get a hint and warm applause.
Many of the city’s restaurants are located in the central part of Third Street, although many others are common in different parts of the city. Our choice for lunch, Thai food, is actually located about 20 blocks from the beach in the city center and turned out to be an amazingly affordable place to enjoy a wide selection of perfectly prepared Thai dishes. This is not formal, but it is good.
If you're looking for a trendy - oh, here's the word again - a place in Santa Monica to see this Montana Avenue. There is a 10-block section of this street, which became the center of the universe for celebrity observers, because here we are told that famous people like to go out and be half-real people. Businesses here are an eclectic collection of specialty stores and quiet little sidewalk cafes and more nail shops per square mile than anywhere in the west of New York.
It’s impossible to walk up and down Montana without wondering whether this young 30-something “dressed” with jeans and hooded sweaters is really some kind of asterisk that takes a break between filming movies. Writer Irene Ricacio listed some local celebrity premieres in a recent article for the New York Post. “If you need more than 24 hours to see a star in Santa Monica,” says the article “You don’t watch.” The closest thing we’ve come is an obvious paparazzi stalking Montana with his camera and a two-pound telephoto lens. Undoubtedly, someone inclined him to "sight".
The steep factor also comes from the art world of Santa Monica, where the rich and famous buy, while average work gestures look and want them to buy. According to the Santa Monica Visitors Bureau, this area is “exploding” with avant-garde galleries, museums and public art. In fact, the city averages more than 10 galleries per square mile and has a total of 38 public works of art.
The words “fashionable” and “hips” can also be used to describe many of the accommodations in Santa Monica, especially the small boutique hotel where we stayed quite recently. The newest hotel in Santa Monica, Ambrose, with just 77 rooms, is located about a mile and a half from the beach in a quiet residential area of Santa Monica. The hotel is the brainchild of Deirdre Wallace, a 31-year-old who designed the hotel the way she wanted in the years she traveled and worked in the film industry. The result is a flawlessly designed, carefully renovated hotel that pays particular attention to detail.
For example, a continental breakfast included in your room is served by Rockenwagner, one of the local celebrity chefs eateries. The rooms are decorated in dark brown and soft gray-green tones and are furnished with a stylish wardrobe, tables and chairs. Beds have ample durability and are decorated with custom-made Italian Matteo bedding and blankets. Each room was designed with Feng Shui in mind, which in our case included a scenic view of the fourth floor of Santa Monica and the Pacific Ocean.
Ambrose could also be a health waste. In the bar of the guard of honor in most hotels loaded with candy and chips, Ambrose offers unique blends of fruits and nuts, vegetable chips and pretzels with yogurt. Instead of soda water, this is vitamin water. Another product on hand in your room is organic honey sugar light for your skin, or you can sometimes try the Elixer Tonic power station.
The hotel has a gym, which includes stairs, elliptical machines, pilates mats, balance balls, a ballet bar and a fitness library. If you want to read about something different from fitness, Ambrose also has a cozy fireplace library with various reading materials.
Ambrose will give you the experience you remember, perfect for these Monday morning talks around the water cooler.
AT A GLANCE
WHERE: Santa Monica is located west of Los Angeles and on the coast south of Malibu. It is easily accessible by taking Interstate 405 or Interest 5 in Interstate 10 and driving west.
WHAT: The impressive atmosphere of Santa Monica in the ocean has made it one of the most popular beach holidays for people from Los Angeles and far beyond. The combination of fashionable shops, galleries and restaurants make it a favorite for both famous and ordinary people. Interestingly, the beach town of Santa Monica is actually close to the mountains. The Santa Monica Mountains are just a few minutes from the charm and splendor of the city and offer a wide selection of trails and nature hikes in the Santa Monica National Recreation Area of 150,000 acres
WHEN: The weather in Santa Monica is sunny most of the year - about 343 sunny days a day to be exact - so there is no bad time to visit.
WHY: the scenery is great, but there is also electricity that comes with a flight so close to celebrities and the entertainment business.
HOW: For more information about Santa Monica, call the Santa Monica Convention and Conference Bureau at 800-544-5319 or visit www.santamonica.com. For more information about the Ambrose Hotel, call 877-AMBROSE or visit www.ambrosehotel.com.
