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.


There’s Always Something to Do

The Best Thing About Santa Monica?

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.


Let’s Talk Money

The Worst Thing About Santa Monica?

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**](https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/santa-monica-los-angeles-ca/) 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.


If You Can Dream It, You Can Walk to It (Mostly)

Lifestyle of Santa Monica

The schools in Santa Monica are highly rated. According to Niche.com, the [**Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District**](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/santa-monica-malibu-unified-school-district-ca/) has earned an “A+” rating, echoed by high ratings on [**Greatschools**](https://www.greatschools.org/california/santa-monica/santa-monica_malibu-unified-school-district/) as well. As the name implies, this school district serves the cities of Santa Monica and Malibu. It includes ten elementary schools, two middle schools, three high schools, an adult high school and an alternative school. Most are located within Santa Monica, meaning parents won’t need to drive to Malibu to drop their kiddos off.

One of the things that make this school district unique is its Dual Immersion Program available beginning in PreK at [**Edison Language Academy**](https://www.smmusd.org/edison) and continuing through the middle school years before finishing in grade 12 at Santa Monica High School. This program allows students to realize a higher proficiency level in a second language than in more traditional school language programs.

Parents in Santa Monica prioritize education and benefit from the unique variety of schools available in the area. In addition to public options, there is a long list of well regarded private schools in neighboring areas, including the Harvard-Westlake School, Windward School and Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences, amongst many others.


Unique Offerings

Schools in Santa Monica

Santa Monica is quintessential L.A. living. Simple as that. There’s so much happening around you that at times you simply won’t know where to look. Or, you can block it all out and spend a whole day meditatively watching the waves. Whatever fills your cup. They say you tend to reflect your environment. So, if you’re living immersed in envelope-pushing artwork, entrancing vistas, novel cuisine and more, what do you think you’ll be inspired to create? Whether you’re in the finance business or show business, Santa Monica can inspire you.


Unleash Your Creative Potential

Why You Should Move Here Now

Downtown residents are never bored. With immediate access to the 3rd Street Promenade’s plethora of entertainment offerings and regular events like the farmers market, there’s always something to do here. 

Downtown living is dense living. You won’t find single-family homes nestled amongst the shops and restaurants. Instead, residents enjoy high-rise condo living, most popular on Ocean Avenue and Main Street, for prices ranging from $1.5 million for a studio to upwards of $5 million. This neighborhood also enjoys close proximity to the metro line and is home to one of the city’s most diverse populations as business people from around the world flock to L.A.


Young Professionals/DINKS

Downtown

Between Wilshire Boulevard and Montana Avenue lies a more traditional-style neighborhood full of attractive architecture and manicured landscaping. More often than not, the three- to five-bedroom homes have driveways and lawns. The less frequent and smaller two-bedroom homes are older and can be found for as low as $1.5 million, but more commonly prices range from $3 to $5 million here. About 40 blocks inland from Santa Monica’s beachfront, residents enjoy a quieter lifestyle without losing convenient access to the city’s lively downtown area. 


Families/DINKS

Wilshire-Montana 

Attracting the city’s most elite and affluent residents, Palisades Beach Road is located right alongside the Santa Monica beachfront. If you live here, you and your neighbors are likely high-powered executives, owners of large chain corporations or in the entertainment industry.  

Unlike some other beachfront neighborhoods in Santa Monica Bay, homes in the Palisades are on large lots and spread out from one another, offering a fair amount of privacy. You can find a large four-bedroom home here between $5 and $11 million. Or, you can rent in one of the area’s smaller apartment complexes, apartment buildings or high-rises. 


Families, DINKS

Palisades 

Adjacent to the Wilshire-Montana neighborhood lies Mid-City. Offering a mixture of single-family homes, apartment buildings and condos, this neighborhood attracts those who want to live in Santa Monica at a more reasonable price. You can find a one-bedroom condo here for about $600,000, according to a local real estate agent. While some complain that Mid-City feels isolated and at times, “off in the middle of nowhere,” there are many galleries, eateries and some decent transit options for residents. The benefit of a less competitive housing market is that you can get more bang for your buck.


Mid City

This might be the top neighborhood to live in in Santa Monica. At least, it is according to [**Niche.com**](https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/n/ocean-park-santa-monica-ca/). Close enough to kiss the sands of Santa Monica State Beach and Venice Beach and conveniently located just off the 10 Freeway, Ocean Park isn’t lacking in “access.” Its authentic and artsy vibe is underpinned by its popular restaurants and boutiques, and highlighted by [**Clover Park**](https://www.santamonica.com/things-to-do/clover-park/) where awards shows like the People’s Choice Awards have been previously held.

The area offers an eclectic mix of apartments, condos and Craftsman-style bungalows that range anywhere from $600,000 to over $2 million, depending on size. While some price tags seem fairly reasonable in this neighborhood, residents have more access to parks than most others in Santa Monica, and like downtown, also enjoy a vibrant patchwork of coffee shops, restaurants and bars.


Young Professionals, DINKS

Ocean Park

Santa Monica

**Considering moving to Santa Monica**

I’ve been commuting from Santa Monica to the valley the past 5.5 years. It’s easy. If you get on the 405 at Santa Monica Blvd. you have some stress at Wilshire but after that it’s cake.

Recommend 10/10 for walkability, city access, fun times. Leaving to buy a house; need more than 6-figures to buy here. But it’s a good city with a good heart. Homeless not an issue in the collegiate streets. They are here but they’re neighbors. It’s not like what we hear closer to the beach.

**How's moving to Santa Monica coming from big walkable cities?**

Santa Monica is pretty walkable, coming from someone who walks / rides transit almost anywhere they live or visit. I also like that Santa Monica has the ‘big blue bus’ which is really nice… and they’re only in certain parts of LA. I don’t think they go farther than century city? But it took me from century city to Santa Monica in like 25~ minutes in five o’clock traffic. And of course they have the metro which will take you all the way downtown, among other places.

We’re currently in the same boat as a one car household and I WFH. It can be a little isolating at times but it’s totally doable and once the weather cools down, I genuinely enjoy walking most anywhere in this city (with the exception of some neighborhoods). For me though It’s not the driving that sucks it’s the finding parking… so that’s why I like public transit.

Anyways, I’d say totally doable. Good luck with your move!

**Hello,**

**My girlfriend and I are thinking about moving to Santa Monica this summer. We just visited the city for a few days and loved it! Do any of you locals have tips on where to live? Here are some of our constraints:**

**Near the water. I would like to be within a mile of the beach.
Ideally $3.5k/mo or less for a 1 bedroom.**

1** parking spot included.**

**Things in walking/biking distance. I want to minimize driving.**

**The usual stuff - quiet, safe, etc.**

**Thanks in advance for the advice!**

https://www.reddit.com/user/Ok_Permit1989/ is correct. Visiting our fair city "for a few days" is great. It's awesome you had a wonderful time. Now, try experiencing it for a month before you decide to call it home. This means buying groceries, refilling your prescriptions, and doing all the tedious stuff of everyday life. A vacation mindset is different than that of a daily grind.

Yes, the weather is great. The beautiful people are concentrated here. The food variety is mouth watering. There are world class medical professionals all within walking distance of most residential neighborhoods. Amazing recreational opportunities. This paragraph is the severely abbreviated list.

Here's the severely abbreviated list of what's bad. Traffic, high cost of living, homelessness, nuisance crime. Santa Monica was in the news last week as one of the most dangerous cities. This shouldn't be news to anyone and there hasn't been much progress over the years. Back to the traffic for a minute. When you visit again, try driving east along Wilshire, Santa Monica, or Olympic at evening rush hour. Time how long it takes you to drive east of the 405/Sepulveda. Repeat this exercise on the 10 freeway eastbound.

The advantages are obvious to you right now; the disadvantages are not. Once you spend a month in a short-term rental living your everyday daily life, the "normal" irritations of SaMo will become slightly clearer.

**Moving to Santa Monica, Do's and Don'ts**

Hey Hey! Welcome to the neighborhood: ) I moved from Park Slope, Brooklyn to California about 3.5 years ago. I originally lived in Culver City for a year and then moved to Santa Monica and that's when everything changed for the better for me! I truly fell in love with California then. I could write forever, but I'll give you some basics for now.

**Positives:**  

Santa Monica is a little city with a downtown (not like NYC, but nice little spot) so if you live fairly close to the water, you'll be able to walk to the beach and downtown pretty easily. This was huge for me because I missed all the walking in NYC.  

It's crazy clean (which is weird coming from NYC), but a nice change of pace.  

There are restaurants and bars everywhere!  

Lots of good people live on the West Side and they are all generally active with dogs. You get to pet lots of random floofs and you get to do yoga with your girlfriend in the park before brunch.  

The ocean is your backyard. It's absolutely amazing.  

Apartments are rent controlled.  

There's a Trader Joes on Pico and it's never had the long lines Manhattan used to. Go to Joes!

**Negatives:**  

You're gonna get a parking ticket. Probably several times within the first year. If you're not lucky enough to have a garage, I have an alarm on my phone that reminds me to move my car daily and it works.  

Honest to god, I've gotten pulled over for Jaywalking. I live on Montana Avenue and it seems like Santa Monica police are truly bored. You actually have to respect the traffic lights here. SUPER frustrating. I've never gotten used to it!  

People don't know how to act when the weather changes. If it's raining, people stop remembering how to drive. If it's slightly cold, people are walking around in coats and snow boots. I find it to be kind of adorable and super hilarious.

Santa Monica, California

Dogtown

Looklyloo Score: 87

We're on it!