6/11/2023 0 Comments Santa monica pierThough the pier was originally constructed with the dubious chore to aid with Santa Monica's sanitation needs, visitors were thrilled to walk above the water along the 1,600-foot long concrete pier. In 1909, the famous Santa Monica Pier, now the oldest pleasure pier on the West Coast, was opened attracting thousands of curious visitors. The Expo Line connects DTLA, West LA, Long Beach and all points in between.Santa Monica Pier opens in 1909 with thousands of visitors wanting to see the new pier Alternatively, if you aren’t staying in Santa Monica, you can take the metro. You may find free parking inland if you don’t mind walking a ways. Parking can get expensive, if you’re staying near the pier most of the hotels offer parking for a fee, but expect to pay around $18 for the day if you can find a spot. It brews great coffee and makes a mean breakfast burrito. Housed in the old Zephyr surf-shop headquarters where skateboarding was invented in the 70's. Just across from the ocean, this seafood shack offers a delectable raw bar, including a ceviche of the day as well as standout lobster rolls and fish tacos.įor an early breakfast or a coffee break head just a few blocks to Dogtown Coffee. There are typical food stands that you’d find at any amusement park and a few tried and true tourist chains that dot the pier, but for our money we like to stop at the Blue Plate Oysterette. This is as up-scale as Santa Monica gets. Upper floors tend to be quieter and have better views.Īnd for pure up-scale Santa Monica head straight to Shutters on the Beach. Bringing classic Cape Cod charm to the Pacific coast, the 198 rooms here have a beach-cottage feel with marble baths, wood floors and spectacular ocean views from tiny balconies with white-washed shutters. The 84 rooms, in soothing sand and sky tones, are surprisingly modern, and we love the parlor-like bath tiles. Rates include breakfast and the hostel runs a host of activities as well.Ī more mid-range (for Santa Monica standards) option is the Georgian Hotel, just across from Palisades Park, this eye-catching, 1933 art deco landmark has a snug ocean-view veranda for breakfast and sunset lounging. It has modern, clean and safe single-sex dorm beds as well as private rooms. Where to stay near Santa Monica Pierįor budget friendly, check out HI Los Angeles, this hostel with an enviable location is less than a mile from the pier. Bikes or in-line skates are available to rent on the pier and at beachside kiosks. Following the South Bay Bicycle Trail, a paved bike and walking path, south for about 1.5 miles takes you straight to Venice Beach (or about 20 miles all the way to LA's South Bay beaches). Close by, the search for the next Bobby Fischer is on at the International Chess Park. New equipment now draws a fresh generation of fitness fanatics. South of the pier is the Original Muscle Beach, where the Southern California exercise craze began in the mid-20th century. ![]() The South Bay Bicycle Trail connect Santa Monica Pier with Venice Beach and LA's South Bay beaches ©Anna Bryukhanova/Getty Images South of the Pier Kid-friendly touch tanks crawl with critters and crustaceans scooped from local waters, sponsored by the environmental group Heal the Bay. ![]() ![]() Peer under the pier – just below the carousel – for this small aquarium. The cost is separate from admission to Pacific Park. Santa Monica Pier CarouselĪ National Historic Landmark at the beginning of the pier, the classic carousel dating from 1922, features 44 hand-carved animals 42 horses, one rabbit and one goat – that race around and around to the tune of Calliope under a classic Hippodrome. This is family fun at its most wholesome. The cost is a fraction of what you’d pay at Disneyland and Universal studios, and the views of the city and sea from the tops of the rides are unparalleled. Kids and kids at heart will get their kicks on Santa Monica Pier at this small, classic Americana amusement park, with a solar-powered Ferris wheel, tame roller coaster, family-friendly rides, midway games and food stands. Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier is classic Americana family-fun ©meeyak/500px What to do on Santa Monica Pier Pacific Park
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