Santa Monica, California

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.

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.

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.

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.

This might be the top neighborhood to live in in Santa Monica. At least, it is according to Niche.com. 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 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.