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Santa Monica, CA Area Guide

Santa Monica is a city in western Los Angeles County, California.  The city itself is situated on the Santa Monica Bay and is surrounded on the other three sides by the city of Los Angeles.  Santa Monica is nestled around Los Angeles with the Pacific Palisades to the northwest, Brentwood to the north, West Los Angeles to the northeast, Mar Vista to the east and Venice to the southeast.  As of the 2006 census, Santa Monica had an estimated population of 88,050, while the 2007 estimate from the California State Department of Finance was 91,124.  To discover Santa Monica, California at its finest, please visit their official website at: http://www.santamonica.com

History

The following information on Santa Monica’s history has been directly sourced from: http://www.santamonica.com/visitors/about-santa-monica/history/.  Please click on this link to learn more about Santa Monica’s rich history.

Santa Monica is named for Saint Monica of Hippo because the area on which the city is now located was first visited by Spaniards on her feast day. In the skateboard and surfing communities, Santa Monica's Ocean Park neighborhood and adjacent parts of Venice are sometimes called Dogtown. Because of its agreeable weather, Santa Monica had become a famed resort town by the early 20th century. The city has experienced a boom since the late 1980s through the revitalization of its downtown core with significant job growth and increased tourism.  The Santa Monica Hippodrome (carousel) is a National Historic Landmark. It sits on the Santa Monica Pier, which was built in 1909. The La Monica Ballroom on the pier was once the largest ballroom in the US, and the source for many New Year's Eve national network broadcasts. The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium was an important music venue for several decades and hosted the Academy Awards in the 1960s. McCabe's Guitar Shop is still a leading acoustic performance space, as well as retail outlet. Bergamot Station is a city-owned art gallery compound that includes the Santa Monica Museum of Art. The city is also home to the Santa Monica Heritage Museum.

Parks & Recreation

The following information on Santa Monica’s parks and recreation has been directly sourced from: http://www.santamonica.com/visitors/what-to-do/attractions/parks/.  If you would care to learn more about Santa Monica’s parks and recreation, please click on the link provided above.

Santa Monica Parks
Santa Monica is home to more than 20 public parks, and each one is unique. So whatever you’re looking for – relaxation or activities – our parks have it.
Within Santa Monica’s 8.3 square miles (21.5 km²) are over 420 acres of public open green parks with facilities for everything from basketball to softball, swimming to tennis and even lawn bowling.

Attractions

The description provided below on Santa Monica’s attractions has been directly sourced from http://www.santamonica.com/visitors/what-to-do/attractions/.  Please use the links provided to learn a great deal more on the area’s attractions and events.

With a carousel, an arcade, an amusement park, a trapeze school, restaurants and a summer outdoor concert series, the Santa Monica Pier offers a wide range of activities for the whole family. Our outdoor farmers’ markets are the place to find fresh, beautiful produce and cut flowers from local, organic California farmers, as well as live music, chef exhibitions, artisanal cheeses and gourmet items.  The original Santa Monica Muscle Beach – an outdoor, beachside facility with a range of workout equipment – was made famous by Jack LaLanne, the godfather of physical fitness. 

See event calendar: http://www.santamonica.com/events-calendar/