Ocean Park Blvd

Also known as the South of Ocean Park (SOOP), Ocean Park Blvd is similar to another Californian neighborhood, Venice Beach. The temperatures are constantly chilly around the year as it is an ocean side town but the Santa Monica tourists keep the residential area buzzed enough. This is because the neighborhood works as a retreat for people coming from in from the Santa Monica Airport, only a few miles away from Ocean Park.

One glance at Ocean Park Blvd may give you the impression of a laid back 60s town complete with a weekly farmers market and Victorian style buildings. Watch the streets get narrower and narrower as you reach the beachfront; Ocean Park has been built to make its habitants prefer walking to other commute methods.
Dining

Mrs. Winston’s Green Grocery is hands-down the best salad bar in the tri-state area. Opened in 1987, the store was promoting organic produce long before it occurred to the rest of the country to start eating healthier and being more environmentally conscious. Be sure to get one of their famous green smoothies. I know they sound too healthy to be actually delicious but before you know it, you will be paying for seconds!

A true testimony to the laid back and artisanal nature of the neighborhood is Society Kitchen, a place where you get to wax creative while you enjoy your favorite alcoholic beverage. If you get hungry from your artistic endeavors afterwards, they have the most delicious fish tacos in town to end the trip on a perfect note.
Shopping

Name any category you like from antiques, apparels, and cosmetics to barber shops to even pet service, Ocean Park is at your service. For handicraft items, the Artful Handcrafted Gifts is both reasonably according to price as well as quality-wise. During sale hours, the store is generous enough to offer up to even 20% discount.

Ocean Park is also the proud proprietor of one of the top ten flea markets in the country, the Santa Monica Airport Antique Market. The displays are held every month and the items are not only originated from the country but also from all around the world. Whether it is furniture from the Mid-century era or African art sculptures that you are looking for, you are bound to find at this flea market!
Entertainment

As aforementioned, Ocean Park is home to Santa Monica Airport and its many additional assemblages. The two most visited ones are the Museum of Flying and Airport Park.

The Museum of Flying does not disappoint area-wise, taking up close to 22,000 square foot in total. In addition to showcasing dozens of airplanes, the place also provides real-life like simulation of flying for adults and a playground for kids where they can pretend to operate a cockpit. The exhibits are fun and educational, displaying an ever-growing collection of aviation artifacts (not to mention, memorabilia of flying heroes themselves). Viewers may also get to see active airplanes being flown in since the museum has been built right in front of the airport. This means that no two visits can be expected to be exactly similar.

The Airport Park is smaller in size, with 4 acres of area to its name. There is also space for accommodation for pets in order to ensure maximum customer relaxation for the entire duration. Kids are welcome to play in the vast playground area while adults may indulge in friendly sports in the light-studded field. The dining area includes 17 picnic tables along with arrangements for barbeque. The only problem is, you may not even want to leave the airport!

One amusement park that cannot be included in this list due to being closed down for good is the Pacific Ocean Park. Plans were made with great spirit and the park was to be the next Disneyland of the country but after nearby communities were closed down, the park lost its regular attendance and sponsors backed down. The next amusement park to be built in such a great scale was the Pacific Park in Santa Monica Pier. Thankfully, it has escaped such a fate as the Pacific Ocean Park.

source https://santamonicaday.com/ocean-park-blvd/