Welcome to Santa Monica
The coastal city of Santa Monica is a living postcard.
Santa Monica is filled with beautiful people, populated beaches, upscale shopping, and lots of fine dining. Its bustling pier, complete with iconic Ferris wheel and amusement park attractions, paired with clean streets, great weather, outdoor malls, and accessible oceanfront make it a destination known throughout the world.
Around the Block
The Neighbors: A Diverse Crowd of Students, Families, Surfers, and Entertainment Industry Pros
Santa Monica’s unique brand of California cool complete with beach, boardwalk, and culture appeals to residents of every sort.
What to Expect: Sunsets on the Boardwalk, Outdoor Dining, and Weekend Mornings at the Beach
Popularized on the big screen, Santa Monica represents Southern California living around the world and the reality does not disappoint. Oceanside activities, stunning panoramas, candy-hued building abound in this dreamy beach neighborhood.
The Lifestyle: Vibrant, Cultured, and Low-key Luxe
Occupying a pristine stretch of the Pacific, Santa Monica emanates a casual coolness. The boardwalk welcomes joggers, bikers, and bladers, with much of local life revolving around the water. Yogis flock, attracted by some of the city’s best and most plentiful studios.
Unexpected Appeal: World-renowned Designers and Endless Retail
Despite Santa Monica’s laid-back vibe, it takes its shopping seriously. Between the contemporary chains lining the Third Street Promenade and an upscale, open-air mall that houses Barney’s, Tiffany & Co., and Louis Vuitton, there is no shortage of options.
The Market: Expansive Single-family Homes and Contemporary Apartment Complexes
Santa Monica presents a diverse range of housing style, all centrally located and boasting spectacular ocean access. Its residents occupy single-family homes along quaint, tree-lined streets, modern beachfront houses near the bustling boardwalk, and amenity-rich apartment buildings. Its affluent residents also rent upscale apartments and there are plenty of hotels in the neighborhood for the tourists that flock here.
You'll Fall in Love With: Sunshine, Ocean Breezes, and Idyllic Views as Far as the Eye Can See
Los Angeles is generally known for its mild climate, but Santa Monica may well be the jewel in the city’s meteorological crown. It averages 310 days of sunshine per year, with cerulean skies and a pleasant, near-constant ocean breeze. Daytime temperatures are typically in the low 70s and rarely rise above 83 degrees.
Welcome to Venice
Home to a vibrant surfing and skate culture, Venice maintains an edgy coolness that has long attracted the city’s free spirits.
With ocean exposure, a boardwalk that stretches over two miles, an endless parade of street performers, and classic Californian architecture, Venice is among the city’s hottest neighborhoods.
Around the Block
The Neighbors: Surfers, Skaters, Entrepreneurs, and Artists
Over the past several years, a slew of artists, restauranteurs, and designers have entered Venice, imbuing the area with a creative, innovative sensibility.
What to Expect
Venice locals enjoy the town’s creative atmosphere, tasty food, and of course, the shoreline. With perhaps the best waves on the southern California coast, Venice beaches draw ocean enthusiasts from every corner of the city.
The Lifestyle: Hip, Hyperlocal, and Beach Driven
Venice’s reputation as a laid back beach town is well-deserved. Its stylish locals appreciate and support the plentiful food, coffee, and fashion establishments scattered throughout town places like Gjelina, Salt and Straw, and Blue Bottle Coffee have devoted fan bases.
Unexpected Appeal: Secluded Side Streets
While the beach and boardwalk see their share of crowds, its residential streets sometimes provide a quiet respite.
The Market: A Varied Mix of Newly Developed Apartment Buildings and Modern Homes
Homes in Venice are predominantly modern and beautifully designed. The lots tend to be smaller compared with other LA neighborhoods, spiking the beach town vibe with a surprisingly urban feel.
You'll Fall in Love With: The Vibrancy and Effortlessness of This Urban Surfer Hub
Offering perfect waves, bustling boardwalk, beautiful homes, and community sensibility, locals prize Venice as one of LA’s most vital beach communities.
Welcome to Pacific Palisades
One of LA’s lushest neighborhoods.
Pacific Palisades is a polished, coastal, quiet residential area with large private homes, spectacular ocean views, and ample amounts of park space and hiking trails. Its quaint downtown area, known as The Village, is home to restaurants, coffee shops, and boutiques. Frequent neighborhood-sponsored events foster a true feeling of community among residents.
Around the Block
The Neighbors: Upscale Families, Outdoorsy Professionals, and Wealthy Industry Folks
This neighborhood’s small-town feel and wide open spaces appeal to a diverse group that includes families, outdoors enthusiasts, and industrious professionals.
What to Expect: Beautiful Scenery, a Charming Downtown, and a Strong Sense of Community
Pacific Palisades is one of LA’s best kept secrets. It offers the ocean views, beach access, and impressive outdoor opportunities of neighboring Santa Monica and Malibu, but attracts fewer tourists. A weekly farmer’s market and hyperlocal dining and retail add to its small-town feel. The neighborhood is also home to the stunning Getty Villa, the second outpost of the J. Paul Getty Museum, which features Roman-inspired architecture and gardens.
The Lifestyle: Brimming With Sunshine, Endorphins, and a Deep Appreciation for Life's Finer Things
Pacific Palisades’ fitness forward residents make great use of the ample park space and beautiful beaches, and spend weekends patronizing high-end neighborhood restaurants and shops.
Unexpected Appeal: Access to Many of LA's Finest Trails
Invest in a good pair of running shoes and take in the ocean views from one of the neighborhood’s many footpaths, like those at Will Rogers State Historic Park.
The Market: Populated by Spacious Single-family Homes on Private Lots
Residents pay top dollar to inhabit this seaside hamlet, enjoying the breathtaking views as well as the sense of safety and quiet Pacific Palisades affords.
You'll Fall in Love With: Direct Access to the Lush Greenery of Palisades Park
This coastal neighborhood offers plentiful outdoor space, but Palisades Park is the largest 117 acres and most accessible communal area. Within walking distance of the Village and set atop bluffs that provides perfect sunset views, it boasts baseball diamonds, tennis courts, and a hockey rink in addition to its many trails, lawns, and playgrounds.
