What is Santa Monica Like?

Santa Monica, with a population of only around 92,000 people, is a beachfront city in California. In recent years, the city has become something of a resort town, where millions of tourists visit every year to take in the sights and relax. One of the benefits of this boom in tourism is the growth it has caused in jobs in the city, which makes Santa Monica a great place to settle down in.

Santa Monica hosts the headquarters for many major companies, some of which are the popular streaming service, Hulu, the record label most of your favorite artists are signed to, Universal Music Group, and the famous movie studio Lionsgate Films. Besides covering all your music, film and TV show needs, companies based in Santa Monica are also known to span the video game industry. Unless you’re a gamer, these names won’t mean much to you. Several game developers have their headquarters in Samo, including Naughty Dog, Activision Blizzard, PUBG Corporation, and also Riot Games.

So many startups call Santa Monica their home that it has now been dubbed the center of a region called Silicon Beach. Over 500 tech startups, as well as several major players like Google and Facebook, have offices in the area. What sets it apart from Silicone Valley is that the economy is much more diversified here, instead of just being based around tech. This is great news for anyone looking to move to Santa Monica because it means almost whatever sector you’re in, you can find a good job near the city.

Santa Monica is the epitome of Californian life, with the beach and the sun shining down on it almost every day of the year. The beach temperature is usually 5 to 10 degrees lower in the summer and higher in the winter, which is why you’ll find people there year-round, either trying to beat the California sun, or going looking for it. The temperature peaks in September. On average you can expect the temperature to be somewhere between 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, which sits well with a lot of people and is part of the reason why Santa Monica has become a resort town. Although the city has never seen snow, there has been hail. Because of its proximity to the ocean, Santa Monica is also less smoggy than its neighboring cities. The ocean breeze keeps the air fresh.
Another great thing about this city is that you really don’t need a car to get around, everything you need will be within walking distance. If you want to go somewhere farther, there’s the reliable public transport system to take you there.

Most people reduce Santa Monica to just the Pier, which is understandable because of its notoriety. There are, however, 8 distinct neighborhoods in Santa Monica, each with their own personalities and highlights.
Downtown Santa Monica has two of the largest shopping areas in the city; Santa Monica Place and Third Street Promenade. During the weekend, you’ll see the place come alive with both locals and tourists who have come for a little window shopping, to see the incredible street performers, or to grab a bite to eat.

Main Street is more laidback, wherever you look, there will be a surfer in sight. Many of the restaurants look out onto the beach and reflect the surfer attitude you might expect from the city. There are endless coffee shops and recently a lot of international restaurants have opened up in the area.

Mid-City is known for its art galleries as well as one of the largest art collections around. There are some great restaurants in this part of town, and many entertainment studios call it their home.

Montana Avenue is also a shopping district, but with less of the glitz and glam of 3rd Street Promenade. There are still tons of great stores and restaurants to visit here, if you have the time.

Ocean Park Boulevard is similar to Main Street, with its artsy personality. This area of the city houses many smaller businesses, boutiques and art galleries. There’s also the Santa Monica Airport which includes the Museum of Flying, a fascinating place to lose yourself in for hours.

Pico Boulevard is the most diverse place you will find in the city, both in the people and the businesses it homes. Besides the boutiques and record stores, there’s also the smaller farmers market that takes place here every Saturday.

Ocean Avenue houses one of the most iconic sights in the film industry; Santa Monica Pier. The Pier has been featured in countless different forms of media, and sees some of the largest crowds in the city. Although it’s over a century old, it’s never looked better.

Wilshire Boulevard is one of Samo’s most famous neighborhoods. You’ll find restaurants here that can satisfy any palate, as well as a few well-known designer consignment stores that will delight those on a budget.

source https://santamonicaday.com/what-is-santa-monica-like/