People walk almost everywhere, and hundreds of joggers and park-Yoga enthusiasts can be seen from before Sunrise to long after Sundown (though I do admit, they are hard to avoid running over during the peak exercise hours of 7-10am). Living on the Westside has many ups, and a few downs. Yet, even the downs are more like minor inconveniences that are completely forgotten after a 2 minute walk to a coffee shop or to TCBY. In fact, they are inconveniences you merely laugh away as you consider how nice it really is to live in a land of perpetual sunshine and a non-existent crime rate.
Let's Examine:
Probably what I love the most about Santa Monica is the food. The quality of food is actually pretty surprising given the size of the women you see walking around. Surely with food this good, someone must be eating it?
I live on Idaho and 7th, just a very small block south of Montana, which is perhaps less known than, say, the 3rd Street Promenade. Yet, on Montana, one could find everything they need to fill their every gluttonous whim. Spumoni is a small Italian cafe with an extensive Gnocchi menu and the best pasta dish you'll ever have (Rigatoni Siciliana...trust me).
The chicken caesar salad and the tapenade served with the bread are just stupid. Right next door is a TCBY that is open until 11pm, and in the event that you need to kill your carb-induced coma: a Starbucks on the other side. Down a few blocks on the corner of 10th and Montana is a really interesting Caribbean cafe called Babalu. I haven't really tried any signature dishes, but their breakfast can kill even the most persistent hangovers.
On this street there are probably a dozen small restaurants, positioned between the boutiques, delis and wine shops, that I have yet to visit. The place I frequent the most is positioned half a block away, on 7th and Montana: Pavilions. Surely, it is your ordinary small-to-medium Grocery store. Yet, being a 2 minute walk away and with a system that lets me take the shopping cart home and leave it in the alley, Pavilions is like the Mecca of weeknight eating. Any recipe I want to try, any wine impulse I have, and any desire for the latest People or US Weekly can be satiated immediately.
By far the best place in Santa Monica, and probably the entirety of Southern California for that matter, is Bay Cities Italian Deli and Bakery.
You can get Sandwiches, Cheese, Wine, Spice, Olive Oil, Sausage, and bread that an Atheist would praise the sweet baby Jesus over. The line is long and its closed on Mondays, but besides this, Bay Cities is the best thing to happen to Santa Monica. Go there, and if you don't, lie to me and say that you did. If you are in my area, and you don't know me well enough to call me, a few other places to try are Amici's, Guido's, or Makkai (if you're on a nice date); Barney's, South, The Parlor, or Father's Office (if you're trying to have a casual time and possibly get laid); and again, Bay Cities if you're going to cook an Italian meal and possibly propose (anyone?...no?).
Be careful if you go to Santa Monica to go Shopping. Boutiques like LF and Planet Blue are out of control with the prices. This being said, they do have great sales. My personal favorite is Zara, which you've heard of and you can find it on the Promenade. If you don't like it, there are 500 other places to try so there's no point in examining this. Moving on.
-If you like Yoga go to Power Yoga
-If you like Ballet go to Westside
-If you are going to the beach, walk there don't park. Better yet, ride a bike.
-Go to Helen's on 25th if you need to buy a bike.
-Make it over to Abbot Kinney in Venice at least once in awhile. Venice is a hip older sister to Santa Monica, or better yet, a 'Silverlake-by-the-Sea". You may have a really great time, or you may have a really boring time. Either way, its worth a shot.
-Stay away from Yankee Doodles. There is nothing in there for you. For that matter, avoid Johnny Rockets too. And CPK.
-This is a big one: After you visit Bay Cities in the morning, find a place to sit with a Mimosa around 4th and San Vicente. The men, they run/lift weights/walk dogs/do Yoga with no shirts on and they are in perfect shape. (Feel free to email me a thanks for this suggestion).
If you are thinking about moving to Santa Monica, here is what you need to know:
1) Get in touch with me. I'm fairly new here myself and I am still going through East-Side withdrawals.
2) Get used to not having a Target/Wal-Mart around. Many convenience-type places you didn't even realize you depended on are practically non-existent. Instead, you will find boutiques with $900 lamps.
3) Try not to drive on the weekends. Walk to the store, to the movies, to the beach, and to the restaurants. Browse the swap meets and farmers markets and garage sales. Walk to Michael's or Joanne's and make something. Cook something you've never cooked before (don't try a wine reduction. You'll only ruin your pan and make yourself cry).
4) Be careful where you park. The Santa Monica Parking people don't mess around. Tickets are like, 65 bones.
5) Know that Santa Monica is rent controlled. Further, rents are going down, and landlords are willing to drop even further if they're desperate. You may end up paying more at first, but the pricing wont really increase after that. Always use Westside Rentals.
6) Be aware of neighbors that have been there awhile. They are, for whatever reason, always a pain. Yet remember, they are rent controlled so they are probably paying half what you are. The landlord would love nothing more than to get them out and raise the rent to market. Don't take shit from these people.
7) Be happy. If you're not happy, Fake it 'till you make it. The streets are wide and uncongested, the palm trees and tall and pretty, and the beach is right there. It'll catch on.
I learned that in Rome, they have a term for overly fussy, public complainers: brutta figura. As for us Americans, it is more in all of our nature to complain to the managers or try to get an extra 20% off when the hem in frayed. However, you will find there is a certain easy-goingness in Santa Monica as well. It could be the beach, the Yoga, or the fact that many of these people don't work (for whatever reason). It could be the lack of noisy traffic or the ease of obtaining caffeine in the mornings. Hell, it could even be the jogging men. Whatever it is, it is not a bad place to visit, and certainly not to shabby a place to live.
Come on out.
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