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Santa Monica, CA
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Santa Monica is a coastal city in western Los Angeles County, California, USA. Situated on Santa Monica Bay of the Pacific Ocean, it is surrounded by the City of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades and Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles and Mar Vista on the east, and Venice on the south.
The Census Bureau 2006 population estimate for Santa Monica is 88,050, while a 2007 estimate from the California State Department of Finance places the population at 91,124 . Santa Monica is named for Saint Monica of Hippo because the area on which the city is now located was first visited by Spaniards on her feast day. In the skateboard and surfing communities, Santa Monica's Ocean Park neighborhood and adjacent parts of Venice are sometimes called Dogtown. Santa Monica is sometimes referred to with the colloquial abbreviation "SaMo," a precursor to similar terms such as NoHo and WeHo.
Because of its agreeable weather, Santa Monica had become a famed resort town by the early 20th century. The city has experienced a boom since the late 1980s through the revitalization of its downtown core with significant job growth and increased tourism.
The Census Bureau 2006 population estimate for Santa Monica is 88,050, while a 2007 estimate from the California State Department of Finance places the population at 91,124 . Santa Monica is named for Saint Monica of Hippo because the area on which the city is now located was first visited by Spaniards on her feast day. In the skateboard and surfing communities, Santa Monica's Ocean Park neighborhood and adjacent parts of Venice are sometimes called Dogtown. Santa Monica is sometimes referred to with the colloquial abbreviation "SaMo," a precursor to similar terms such as NoHo and WeHo.
Because of its agreeable weather, Santa Monica had become a famed resort town by the early 20th century. The city has experienced a boom since the late 1980s through the revitalization of its downtown core with significant job growth and increased tourism.
Attractions and cultural resourcesThe Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome (carousel) is a National Historic Landmark. It sits on the Santa Monica Pier, which was built in 1909. The La Monica Ballroom on the pier was once the largest ballroom in the US, and the source for many New Year's Eve national network broadcasts.
The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium was an important music venue for several decades and hosted the Academy Awards in the 1960s. McCabe's Guitar Shop is still a leading acoustic performance space, as well as retail outlet. Bergamot Station is a city-owned art gallery compound that includes the Santa Monica Museum of Art. The city is also home to the Santa Monica Heritage Museum.
Santa Monica is also the home of the Third Street Promenade, a major outdoor pedestrian-oriented shopping district that stretches for three blocks between Wilshire Blvd. and Broadway Blvd.
Third Street has been closed for those three blocks and converted to a pedestrians-only stretch to allow people to congregate, shop and enjoy street performers.
Santa Monica hosts the annual Santa Monica Film Festival
The oldest movie theater in the city is the Majestic. Also known as the Mayfair Theatre, the theater which opened in 1912 has been closed since the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The Aero Theater (now operated by the American Cinematheque) and Criterion Theater were built in the 1930s and still show movies. The Santa Monica Promenade alone supports more than a dozen movie screens.
Palisades Park stretches out along the crumbling bluffs overlooking the Pacific and is a favorite walking area to view the ocean. It features a camera obscura. For 48 years local churches and the Police Association assembled a 12-tableau story of Christmas in Palisades Park. The sheds were open on the street side, protected by chain-link fencing (for years there was no fencing because vandalism was not yet a large problem). Inside were dioramas of the Holy Family made from store mannequins; critics argued that many of them did not resemble real people, were damaged, or were otherwise inappropriate. In 2001 the city decided to temporarily end the practice of allowing private groups to place displays in city parks, but in 2004 the Christmas displays returned.
Natives and tourists alike have enjoyed the Santa Monica Rugby Club since 1972. The club has been very successful since its conception, most recently winning back-to-back national championships in 2005 and 2006. Santa Monica defeated the Boston Irish Wolfhounds 57-19 in the Division 1 final, convincingly claiming its second consecutive American title on June 4, 2006, in San Diego. They offer Men's, Women's and a thriving children's programs. The club recently joined the Rugby Super League.
Every fall the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce hosts The Taste of Santa Monica on the Santa Monica Pier. Visitors can sample food and drinks from Santa Monica restaurants.
Santa Monica is an international mecca for skateboarding culture.
Santa Monica has two hospitals: Saint John's Health Center and Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center. Its cemetery is Woodlawn Memorial.
Education Elementary and secondary schoolsThe Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District provides public education at the elementary and secondary levels. Private schools in the city include the Crossroads School, New Roads School, Concord High School, Pacifica Christian Hig, St. Anne Catholic School, Lighthouse Christian Academy and Saint Monica Catholic High School. Notable primary schools include the Carlthorp School and Santa Monica Montessori School.
Post-secondary Santa Monica College (SMC, locally known as "Pico Tech," "Harvard-by-the-Sea" or "UC Santa Monica" (needs citation)) is a junior college founded in 1929. Many SMC graduates transfer to the University of California system. It occupies 35 acres (14 hectares) and enrolls 30,000 students annually. The Frederick S. Pardee RAND Graduate School, associated with the RAND Corporation, is the U.S.'s largest producer of public policy Ph.D.s.
Universities and colleges within a 15-mile radius from Santa Monica include Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles Valley College, Loyola Marymount University, Pepperdine University, UCLA, USC, West Los Angeles College and West Valley Occupational Center.
GeographySanta Monica is situated at 34°1'19" North, 118°28'53" West (34.022059, -118.481336).
The city rests on a mostly flat slope that angles down towards Ocean Avenue and towards the south. High bluffs separate the north side of the city from the beaches.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 41.2 km² (15.9 mi²); 21.4 km² (8.3 mi²) of land. Its borders extend three nautical miles (5.6 km) out to sea, and so 19.8 km² (7.7 mi²) of it is water for a total area that is 48.08% water.
WeatherSanta Monica enjoys an average of 325 days of sunshine a year. Because of its location, nestled on the vast and open Santa Monica Bay, morning fog and haze are a common phenomenon in May, June and early July (caused by ocean temperature variations and currents). Locals have a particular terminology for this phenomenon: the "May Gray" and the "June Gloom". Overcast skies are common for June mornings, but usually the strong sun burns the fog off by noon. Nonetheless, it will sometimes stay cloudy and cool all day during June, even as other parts of the Los Angeles area will enjoy sunny skies and warmer temperatures. At times, the sun shines east of 20th St, while the beach area is overcast.
As a general rule, the beach temperature is from 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (3 to 5.5 degrees Celsius) cooler than it is inland. A typical spring day (Mid-April) is sunny, pleasant and about 68 °F (20 °C). In the summer, which stretches basically from May to late October, temperatures can reach the mid-80's Fahrenheit (about 30 °C) at the beach. The average temperature for August is 71 °F (21 °C). September is the warmest month of the year in Santa Monica, with an average of 73.2 °F (22 °C). It is also in September that high temperature records tend to be broken. In early September 2004, temperatures of 92 °F to 98 °F (33 °C to 37 °C) were recorded.
In early November, it is about 68 °F (20 °C). In late January, temperatures are around 63 °F (17 °C). It is winter, however, when the hot, dry winds of the Santa Anas are most common. In mid-December 2004, temperatures soared to 84 °F (28 °C) in Santa Monica, for a few straight days, with perfectly sunny skies.
The rainy season is from late October through late March. Winter storms usually approach from the north-west and pass quickly through the Southland. There is very little rain during the rest of the year.
Santa Monica usually enjoys a cool breeze blowing in from the ocean, keeping the air fresh and clean. Therefore, smog is less a problem for Santa Monica than elsewhere around Los Angeles. However, in the autumn months of September through November, the Santa Ana winds will sometimes blow from the east, bringing smoggy inland air to the beaches.
EnvironmentThe city is well known as one of the leading sustainable cities in all of the US. Three of every four of the city’s public works vehicles run on alternative fuel, making it among the largest such fleets in the country. All public buildings use renewable energy. In the last 15 years, the city has cut greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 10 per cent, a feat in car-crazy Southern California. City officials and residents have made the ongoing cleanup of the Santa Monica Bay a priority – an urban runoff facility catches 3.5 million gallons of water each week that would otherwise flow into the bay. Add in the miles of beaches, extensive curbside recycling, farmer’s markets, community gardens, the city’s nimble bus system and Santa Monica is clearly more than just another bathing beauty. http://www.citymayors.com/environment/us_greencities.html, http://www.smgov.net/epd/
PoliticsIn the state legislature Santa Monica is located in the 23rd Senate District, represented by Democrat Sheila Kuehl, and in the 41st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Julia Brownley. Federally, Santa Monica is located in California's 30th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +20 and is represented by Democrat Henry Waxman.
IndustrySanta Monica is home to many notable businesses.
Businesses with their headquarters in Santa Monica include; video game companies and studios: Activision, Hydrogen Whiskey Studios, Naughty Dog SCE Santa Monica, Insomniac Games, Experian subsidiary LowerMyBills.com, investment firm Dimensional Fund Advisors, search engine company Business.com, and film / television production company and record label The Playtone Company, headed by actor Tom Hanks and producer Gary Goetzman.
Major companies with branch offices in Santa Monica include Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Universal, MTV and Edmunds.com.
The Design Center California for Volkswagen is located at what once was the Museum Of Flying at the Santa Monica Airport. The DCC moved to its present location from Simi Valley in 2006. Volkswagen's only styling studio in North America has been responsible for many notable automotive designs, including The New Beetle & The Audi Road Jet concept seen at the Detroit Car Show.
The offices for the Comedy Central show South Park are located in Santa Monica.
Former Santa Monica businesses include Douglas Aircraft (now merged with Boeing) and MySpace (now headquartered in Beverly Hills). Supermarine, now Atlantic Aviation at the Santa Monica airport
CrimeSanta Monica passed a measure in 2007 to move marijuana smoking to the bottom of the police priority list.
Gang activityWhile gentrification has transformed the city, some areas of Santa Monica have serious crime problems. The city estimates that there are fewer than 49 gang members in Santa Monica, although community organizers, such as Oscar De La Torre dispute this claim Gang activity has been prevalent for decades in the Pico neighborhood, particularly the portion of the area running roughly from 14th Street to just east of Cloverfield, and between Pico Boulevard and Colorado Ave. This war has sporadically spilled into the halls of Santa Monica High School and impacts daily life for students at Olympic High School (at the corner of Ocean Park Blvd and Lincoln Blvd). These various feuds have claimed dozens of lives over more than two decades. While there are gangs in the Pico neighborhood: Graveyard gangsta crip trays, and the Santa Monica 12th St, and Santa Monica 13 Latino gangs, the grave yard gangster crips and santa monica 17 have been rivals for years
- Culver/Pico feud
One of the most violent feuds was between Latino Santa Monica gangs and the rival Culver City 13 gang. In 1998, five shooting deaths occurred in a two week period between these two gangs.
In October of 1998, alleged Culver City 13 gang member Omar Sevilla, 21, of Culver City was killed
A couple of hours after the shooting of Sevilla, German tourist Horst Fietz was killed by a Culver City gang member.
Several days later Juan Martin Campos, age 23, a Santa Monica City employer and former gang member was shot and killed. Police believe this was a retaliatory killing in response to the death of Omar Sevilla.
Less than twenty-four hours later, Javier Cruz was wounded outside his home on 17th and Michigan, a violence riddled pocket of the Pico area
One of the most eye opening events was the double homicide in the Westside Clothing store on Lincoln Boulevard. During the incident, Culver City gang members David "Puppet" Robles and Jesse "Psycho" Garcia entered the store masked and began opening fire, killing Anthony and Michael Juarez. They then ran outside to a getaway vehicle driven by a third Culver City gang member, who is now also in custody The clothing store was believed to be a local hang out for Santa Monica gang members. The dead included two men from Northern California who had merely been visiting the store's owner, their cousin, to see if they could open a similar store in their area. Police say the incident was in retaliation for a shooting committed by the Santa Monica 13 gang days before the Juarez brothers were gunned down.
Aside from the rivalry with the Culver City gang, Black and Latino Pico gang members also feud with the Venice and West Los Angeles gangs. The main rivals in these regions include Venice 13, and Venice Shoreline Crips gangs located in the Oakwood area of Venice, CA. The Sotel 13 gang located in West Los Angeles has long been the main rival of Santa Monica's Latino gangs.
Twin towns Hamm (GER), since 1969 Mazatlán (MEX), since 1970Notable residentsNicole Scherzinger, singerMelody Thornton, singerAshley Roberts, singerJessica Sutta, singerJay Adams, famous skateboarderTony Alva, famous skateboarderTom Anderson, founder of MySpaceKenneth Anger, film-maker, authorSean Astin, film-actor, director, and producerSteven Blum, voice actorRyan Braun, Major League Baseball player, Milwaukee BrewersEarl Cole, winner, Sole Survivor of Christy Hemme,Professional wrestler for Total Nonstop Action WrestlingScott Davis, former tennis playerBob Dylan, Musician Elonka Dunin, American game developerDwight Evans, former Major League Baseball playerShelley Fabares, actressEd Fallon, Iowa politicianMiguel Ferrer, actorBobbi Fiedler, congresswomanBonnie Franklin, actressLynette Fromme, criminalJohn Frusciante, musician, guitarist Red Hot Chili PeppersFrank Gehry, architectSara Gilbert, actressAdam Goldberg, actorJennifer Grant, actress, writerHelen K. Garber, photographerDan Harrington, poker playerHorace Heidt, '40s bandleaderAnjelica Huston, actressTommy Kendall, NASCAR driverCory Kennedy, It -girl, fashion modelApollonia Kotero, actress, model, dancer, and singerJohn La Gatta, fine artist and Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame recipient in 1984Lorenzo Lamas, actorRebecca Perry, Composer/ArrangerTim Leary, former MLB baseball playerJune Lockhart, actress Mark Loretta, Houston Astros second basemanLorna Luft, entertainerTobey Maguire actorStephen Malkmus, musicianTeena Marie, singer, songwriter, producerKevin Millar, MLB baseball playerChris Masters, professional wrestlerJohn Nash, Nobel prize, arrested when lived here, subject of A Beautiful MindGunnar Nelson, musicianGrant Nordman, Canadian politicianNeil Peart, drummer, lyricist, novelist (Rush)Stacy Peralta, famous skateboarder, film makerRobert Redford, motion picture actor, director, producer, businessman, model, and philanthropistRandy Rhoads, guitaristChristina Ricci, actressMike Scott, former MLB baseball playerBobby Sherman, singer and actorGloria Stuart, actress, artistAmber Tamblyn, actressShirley Temple, diplomat and former film child actressRobert Trujillo, musicianSuzanne Vega, songwriter and singerOwen Wilson, actorSyrus Yarbrough, model and reality TV star of The Real WorldTrifun Zivanovic, figure skaterFilming location and settingThe U.S. sitcom Three's Company was set in Santa Monica.
The 1963 U.S. mega-comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World included several scenes shot in Santa Monica, including those along California Incline, which led to the Big W.
The television series, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, had one of its major sets at the intersection of Stewart and Olympic Blvd, in Santa Monica.
Several scenes of Entourage have been filmed at Urth Cafe on Main Street.
The movie Seventeen was shot at Santa Monica High School.
The television series Pacific Blue was set in Santa Monica.
The 1989 movie Heathers used Santa Monica's John Adams Middle School for many exterior shots.
In musicThe name of the band Linkin Park is a homage to Santa Monica's Lincoln Park.
The modern rock band Theory of a Deadman's song titled "Santa Monica", is a first-person account about a girl leaving her significant other to start a new life in Santa Monica.
The band Everclear released a song titled "Santa Monica" in 1995, which became their first mainstream hit.
The band Savage Garden also released a song titled "Santa Monica" off their 3 US album Savage Garden (1997).
The ska/reggae band, Bedouin Soundclash has a song entitled "Santa Monica".
One of the few songs that musical satirist Tom Lehrer has recorded since the 1970s is a tribute to the holidays of the Jewish calendar entitled "I'm Spending Hanukkah in Santa Monica".
External links City of Santa MonicaSanta Monica Film FestivalSanta Monica Observer Newspaper Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Santa Monica Little League Santa Monica Observer Santa Monica Mirror Los Angeles Times profile of northern Santa Monica
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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By Barbara30
2 days
Enjoy this 2-Day getaway & have fun with your kids.
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By ElaineMoor45
7 days
If you want to hit the premiere spots in a whirlwind week, try this trip! You'll go to Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles, Disneyland, the Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, Laguna Beach and end up exploring Hollywood. And with Los Angeles & Disneyland being Top US Destinations, you've got the makings of a grand, luxury vacation!
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11 people reviewed Santa Monica
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Top
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at 3:40PM December 2, 2008
every time I go to see my dad
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at 4:39AM May 29, 2008
lovely weather, stayed with my aunt just shopping and hanging out, way fun and relaxing
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at 3:10PM May 28, 2008
there is something magical about watching the sunset over the pacific!
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at 6:42AM October 8, 2008
Will defo being going back .. such an amazin place :>)
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at 5:10PM July 14, 2008
In a way... "I'm STILL there." :)
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at 3:50AM June 26, 2008
we gotta pack a good guide and a vocabulary to get through that yankees slang!!!
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at 10:00AM June 8, 2008
Yea! I think we have to start learning that kinda english ;) or maybe I can talk in german and you in japa ;)))
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at 5:46AM May 29, 2008
LOVE the Pier! The "carnival" atmosphere and the ocean, it doesn't get much better :)
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at 6:05PM May 28, 2008
the nicest part of my LA trip... saw Tyra Banks :)
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at 1:51AM May 28, 2008
my favor place for just walk around....at night
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at 1:11AM May 28, 2008
More funky Malibu with homeless people. Third Street Promenade has shops and restaurants and street performers. The pier has rides and video games. If you want to splurge on dinner, I highly recommend The Lobster located at the start of the pier. Great sunsets, good raw tuna appetizer, I miss the bananas betty.
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Santa Monica Things to Do
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