Discover LA – Santa Monica

February 21, 2018

Dear Reader, welcome to my blog!

There are many amazing spots to see and countless activities to do in Los Angeles. I wrote this blog about some of the things to do at one of my favorite spots, Santa Monica.

Santa Monica is easy to get to from USC. You can use (the light blue color indicated) Expo Line from the Jefferson/USC, Expo Park/USC or Expo/Vermont stations located around USC and get off at the Downtown Santa Monica station. If you prefer to go by car, you can ride there in about 20 minutes without traffic.

When you arrive, you can go straight down to the Santa Monica Pier and check out the aquarium, the amusement park and all the other attractions. From here, you can also walk to the north of pier, along the beach to Santa Monica State Beach or walk to south of the pier to the famous Muscle Beach and onto Venice Beach. I usually prefer the south of pier but there are many fun things to do on the north part as well. As an athlete, I love to stop by the Muscle Beach to watch acrobatic moves and cool street workouts. Sometimes I come here for a workout with my friends too. A little further, towards the Ocean Park are the beach volleyball courts; team up with your friends and come out here for a fun match at one of the coolest beaches in the world!

You can surf, windsurf, kite surf, sail, swim and do many other water sports here or you can get a nice tan and enjoy the view. The beach is also a great place to walk, run, skate and bike. There are many other fun activities to do along the beach including shopping, eating and drinking. In addition, you will see many interesting and crazy street performances along your beach walk! When you are heading over to the Venice Beach do not forget to check out the Cove Skate Park to watch some cool flips (I will talk about Venice beach in a future blog).

Throughout the popular streets in Downtown Santa Monica, you will see a great variety of restaurants of different cuisines serving delicious food and desserts, amazing ice cream spots and cafes, lots of shops and cool bars. Be sure to check out the 3rd Street Promenade, a beautiful and lively street with lots of stores, cafes, restaurants and lovely street performances. Santa Monica Place may also appeal to you if you love shopping! Another street that I like a lot is the Main Street where you can find eccentric shops, great cafes and popular bars. I also recommend Ocean Avenue for a scenic walk.

If you want to breathe some fresh air in the green, visit the Palisades Park for a scenic ocean and city view as you are walking between super tall palm trees. Another nice park is Tongva Park, which is a good spot for picnic lovers and for seeing decorative gardens.

There are various concerts, festivals and other events held at the beach and downtown Santa Monica throughout the year so follow the internet for events you like! Below are some links for things to do at Santa Monica, I hope you enjoy your time there!

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g33052-Activities-Santa_Monica_California.html

https://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/things-to-do/santa-monica-attractions

https://www.santamonica.com/things-to-do/must-do-santa-monica-attractions/

Published on February 21st, 2018

Last updated on April 1st, 2021


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