Santa Monica, California

Do residents in Santa Monica get bored? We don’t think so. With 3.5 miles of beautiful beach bisected by the iconic Santa Monica Pier, a bustling cosmopolitan area highlighted by the 3rd Street Promenade and the hip art scene permeating everywhere from tasteful street graffiti to high-end art galleries, it’s your own fault if you can’t find something to do.

For those seeking entertainment with ocean views, you have options. Walk down the Santa Monica Pier, the terminus of historic route 66, and hop on the iconic ferris wheel or roller coaster jutting above the boardwalk. The busy area boasts people-watching opportunities galore, but you’re also free to head inside to the aquarium beneath the pier to watch the wildlife instead. And don’t forget the beach is right there. Surf, build a sand castle with the fam, or get a workout in at the original Muscle Beach.

If it’s the arts and culture scene you’re after, maybe one of the 120 museums, galleries and public art installations within the city will catch your eye. You can explore the city’s largest concentration of galleries at the Bergamot, or walk along the modern installations in Palisades Park, a 26-acre coastal bluff park with nonstop ocean views.

Shopping enthusiasts are obsessed with the 3rd Street Promenade, a pedestrian-only shopping space a few blocks from the waterfront. Here a diverse selection of restaurants, boutiques and entertainment draw many to this downtown hub. Or, mix work with pleasure by renting a bike and pedaling your way along the eclectic shops that line the boardwalk in Venice Beach just to the south of town.

Did we mention Santa Monica is only 15 miles from Hollywood? Yeah…we’ve made our point.

Yes, Santa Monica has a booming house market featuring everything from cozy traditional settler homes to updated open-floor-plan properties with ocean views. However, as prices continue to go up, some people who could once afford to live here feel like they’re being pushed out. The average price for a single-family home is $1.7 million, with plenty selling for over $10 million. And seeing as the majority (71%) of residents rent, it isn’t a surprise that they aren’t stoked about the median cost for rentals being $3,823, according to Zillow.

Those who have lived in Santa Monica for a while or who grew up here say the worst consequence of increasing living costs is the noticeable uptick in crime and the growing unhoused population, particularly since the pandemic.

Despite a popular sentiment of the city needing to enforce some rent control, Santa Monica is still seen as one of the best places to live outside LA.

Just 16 miles east of L.A., Santa Monica flaunts a well-rounded mix of urban and suburban living. Here, you get the plush side of art and entertainment in a lively downtown area plus the laid back vibe you’d expect of a SoCal beach city.

Rated L.A.’s #1 neighborhood to live in by Niche.com, young professionals and families enjoy easy access to large parks, endless “going-out” options, top notch schools and good public transportation. The Metro E-Line southern terminus makes L.A. an hour train ride away, and for those who prefer to drive, the freeway access isn’t too bad either.

Prime weather and access to nature make outdoor activities like surfing, running, biking, skating and beach volleyball a common shared interest among residents. It is no surprise that this more liberal and environmentally conscious community highly values the city’s above-average walkability score of 82, which makes a day running from the beach to the mall to the movies all feasible on foot.