Long beaches, tons of restaurants and shopping, great schools. Santa Monica has it all.
Santa Monica is a beach city (like Culver City and Beverly Hills it's not part of the City of Los Angeles) with a vibrant business and social scene. It's got many distinct parts with their own characteristics.
For example, in the southwest corner of Santa Monica is hip Main Street, which is lined with boutiques, ice cream shops, restaurants, and bars. Around this area and heading east you'll find small apartment buildings and single-family homes in a variety of styles, including beautiful Victorian and Craftsman style houses set back from the beach.
Downtown Santa Monica is home to office towers full of startups, large technology and media companies like Demand Media, Yahoo!, and Riot Games, venture capitalists, and many other businesses. It's also home to the commercial tourist trap of the Third Street Promenade, which is lined with chain stores and mediocre dining.
Just north of downtown is the upscale shopping on Montana Avenue and the largest and most expensive homes here. Dotted throughout Santa Monica are small shopping plazas and pockets of business and homes.
Santa Monica attracts a lot of tourists, so the beach and its famous pier can be extremely crowded. Restaurants and bars near the water can also be packed.
There are a number of terrific elementary, middle, and high schools here.
If you live and work in Santa Monica you can get around with public transportation or a bike. A light rail station in Downtown Santa Monica is an easy way to get into Downtown Los Angeles for work or cultural events.
Santa Monica is bordered on the north by Pacific Palisades and Brentwood, on the east by Sawtelle, on the south by Venice and Mar Vista, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.
Commute:
Burbank: 23.1 miles / 35-75 minutes by car / 110-125 minutes by transit
Century City: 7.4 miles / 15-35 minutes by car / 35 minutes by transit
Downtown LA: 15.7 miles / 30-55 minutes by car / 65-75 minutes by transit
Santa Monica LOCAL schools
Santa Monica Local Flavor 
Santa Monica's most iconic landmark, the pier has been popular with residents and visitors for over 100 years.
This is a one-stop shop for freshly made Italian food and groceries. People really come here for the incredible hoagies they make.
Bergamot Station has become a hub for dozens of art galleries. Spend an afternoon strolling between them and take a lunch break at the local cafe.
This place keeps it simple with great burgers and a rotating selection of 36 craft beers on tap.
Palisades Park occupies a privileged spot overlooking the Pacific Ocean and offers the best sunset watching around.
Full service-coffee bar with exceptionally friendly staff and delicious coffee.
Photo Credits: Thanks to @santamonicadna, @santamonicaliving, @santamonicapier, @santamonica_pier, @santamonica_local, @mikekasem, @derekmaxday, @drlannyjuniarti, @plutusdesignslab, @ge_choo, @lindsaylombardo, @rossschoeman, @heatherhgx, @keelycomparan, @TrailDogs for your great photos of this neighborhood!
