Santa Monica Area Guide: Things to Do, Coffee and Food
Santa Monica is a coastal city on Santa Monica Bay, bordered by the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades, Brentwood and Venice, and it is where the Santa Monica Freeway meets Pacific Coast Highway. The 1909 pier, the palm-lined bluff of Palisades Park and the Third Street Promenade anchor downtown, while Main Street and Montana Avenue hold long blocks of shops and restaurants. Houses range from Craftsman bungalows and Spanish Revival homes to modern designs such as Frank Gehry's remodel of his own house, and the city marks the western end of Route 66.
Getting around
The Metro E Line runs from downtown Los Angeles to three Santa Monica stations: 26th Street/Bergamot, 17th Street/SMC and Downtown Santa Monica at Colorado Avenue and 4th Street, and Big Blue Bus routes cover the rest of the city. The Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) ends at Pacific Coast Highway, and the Marvin Braude Bike Trail runs along the sand past the pier.
Neighborhoods to know
Downtown. The three car-free blocks of the Third Street Promenade, hotels along Ocean Avenue facing Palisades Park, and mid-rise apartments and offices around the E Line terminus at Colorado Avenue and 4th Street.
Main Street and Ocean Park. Main Street runs south from Pico Boulevard with cafes, restaurants and boutiques, Victorian-era houses at Heritage Square and Frank Gehry's Edgemar complex, while the side streets hold beach cottages and small apartment buildings.
Montana Avenue. A ten-block shopping street from 7th to 17th Street with boutiques, salons, cafes and restaurants in low-rise storefronts, set between tree-lined residential blocks.
Mid-City and Bergamot. Wilshire Boulevard and Broadway carry restaurants and cafes east of downtown, Santa Monica College sits near the 17th Street/SMC station, and the Bergamot Station galleries sit beside the 26th Street/Bergamot stop.
Things to do in Santa Monica
Santa Monica Pier, 200 Santa Monica Pier, at Ocean Avenue and Colorado Avenue. The 1909 pier holds Pacific Park's Ferris wheel and roller coaster, carnival games, restaurants and guided history walks. While the city rebuilds the 1939 Pier Bridge (completion expected December 2027), a temporary pedestrian bridge connects Ocean Avenue to the deck and the pier stays open.
Palisades Park, Ocean Avenue, north of Colorado Avenue. About 26 acres of lawns, palms, a rose garden, public art and walking paths on the bluff above the beach, plus the Camera Obscura Art Lab. Open daily from 5 a.m. to midnight.
Tongva Park, 1615 Ocean Ave. A six-acre park near City Hall with walking paths, a grassy hill for picnics, a playground, public art and a splash pad that runs from Memorial Day through summer. Open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Third Street Promenade, Third Street between Broadway and Wilshire Boulevard. Three pedestrian blocks of shops, restaurants and street performers that opened as the Santa Monica Mall in 1965, with topiary dinosaur sculptures along the way.
Annenberg Community Beach House, 415 Pacific Coast Highway. A public beach facility with a historic pool that opens Memorial Day weekend and runs through summer and on September weekends, plus courts, a playground, a cafe and tours of the restored Marion Davies Guest House (Friday to Monday, noon to 2 p.m.).
Bergamot Station Arts Center, 2525 Michigan Ave. A complex of more than 20 galleries and creative businesses beside the E Line's 26th Street/Bergamot stop, including the Santa Monica City Gallery, the city's first municipal gallery, which opened in 2026 (Wednesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
Marvin Braude Bike Trail, Santa Monica State Beach, from the north city line south past the pier toward Venice. A 22-mile paved path along the sand from Will Rogers State Beach to Torrance Beach. In Santa Monica it runs the length of the city's beach, past the pier and the rings and bars of Original Muscle Beach.
Events and markets
Downtown Farmers Market. When: Wednesdays and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., year-round (rain or shine, with some holiday closures) Where: Arizona Avenue between 2nd and 4th streets (155 to 199 Arizona Ave.) The city's downtown farmers market, with fruit and vegetables from local growers, set up beside the Third Street Promenade.
Main Street Farmers Market. When: Sundays, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., year-round (rain or shine, with some holiday closures) Where: Heritage Square, 2640 Main St. A Sunday farmers market with produce stands at Heritage Square on Main Street.
A Walk Through Pier History. When: Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m.; sunset tour Mondays at 7 p.m. Where: Santa Monica Pier. Guided walking tours covering the pier's history.
Pier 360 Beach Festival. When: Usually the last weekend of June. Where: Santa Monica Pier deck and the beach beside it. A free two-day festival with paddleboard races, ocean swims, beach volleyball, lifeguard competitions, skating and live music, rooted in the paddleboard races held at the pier in the 1930s.
Ocean Way Festival. When: Fall. It debuted in late September 2026, and the City Council approved it to return each fall through 2028. Where: On the sand next to the Santa Monica Pier. A beach music festival produced by Goldenvoice, the promoter behind Coachella.
Coffee in Santa Monica
Caffe Luxxe, 925 Montana Ave. The first cafe of a small-batch roaster founded in 2006, serving espresso drinks and drip coffee from its own roasts.
Goodboybob Coffee, 2058 Broadway. Cafe of a local roaster serving espresso drinks and pour-overs and selling whole-bean blends; it also hosts car-themed evening events.
Groundwork Coffee, 2908 Main St. Organic, fair trade coffee bar with a kitchen serving breakfast and lunch.
Dogtown Coffee, 2003 Main St. Main Street cafe serving coffee, tea, nitro cold brew and smoothies, plus breakfast burritos, bowls and sandwiches.
Bread + Butter, 2645 Main St. Bakery making croissants, pastries and sandwiches alongside specialty coffee.
Places to eat
Huckleberry Bakery & Cafe, 1014 Wilshire Blvd. ($$). Bakery and cafe with pastries, coffee and a breakfast and lunch menu, open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Father's Office, 1018 Montana Ave. ($$). Chef Sang Yoon's gastropub, pairing about three dozen rotating craft beers on tap with its burger and bar plates; no substitutions.
Lula Cocina Mexicana, 2720 Main St. ($$). Mexican restaurant on Main Street since 1991, cooking Mexico City style dishes with California produce, with a brunch menu and margaritas.
Crudo e Nudo, 2724 Main St. ($$). Seafood restaurant serving crudo and other raw and cooked seafood, salads and wine, with a daily 3 to 5 p.m. happy hour.
Chinois on Main, 2709 Main St. ($$$). Wolfgang Puck's restaurant, open since 1983, combining Chinese flavors and California ingredients with French technique; dinner Wednesday through Sunday.
Sugarfish, 1345 2nd St. ($$). Sushi restaurant with set menus and a la carte orders; seating is first come, first served.
The Lobster, 1602 Ocean Ave. ($$$). Seafood restaurant and bar at the top of the pier, on a site that began as a small seafood shack in 1923.
Triple Beam Pizza, 2905 Main St. ($). Roman-style pizza cut into rectangular pieces, plus beer and wine, from chefs Nancy Silverton and Matt Molina.
Hours, prices and event details checked October 2026.
Santa Monica questions
Is the Santa Monica Pier open during the bridge construction?
Yes. The city is replacing the 1939 Pier Bridge from Ocean Avenue, with completion expected in December 2027. A temporary pedestrian bridge connects Ocean Avenue to the pier, and the pier's restaurants, shops and rides stay open during the work.
Where does Route 66 end in Santa Monica?
The highway's official western end was the intersection of Lincoln and Olympic boulevards, where Route 66 was extended in the mid-1930s. A Route 66 End of the Trail sign on the Santa Monica Pier marks the symbolic finish, and 2026 is the route's centennial year.
How do you get to Santa Monica on Metro?
Take the Metro E Line west from downtown Los Angeles to its last stop, Downtown Santa Monica, at Colorado Avenue and 4th Street, a few blocks from the pier and the Third Street Promenade. The line also stops at 26th Street/Bergamot and 17th Street/SMC.
Escrow notes for Santa Monica
Transfer tax. Santa Monica adds its own tax on top of the Los Angeles County documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 ($0.55 per $500). City tiers, in effect since March 1, 2023: $3.00 per $1,000 of value for transfers under $5 million; $6.00 per $1,000 from $5 million to $7,999,999.99; and $56.00 per $1,000 (5.6 percent) for $8 million or more, the top tier added by Measure GS. Each rate applies to the full value (the city's example: an $8 million transfer owes $448,000 city tax plus $8,800 county tax). Certain affordable housing transfers by nonprofit corporations and community land trusts may be exempt from the second and third tiers under Municipal Code section 6.96.51. City questions: Treasury@santamonica.gov, (310) 458-8741. Source: official page.
Our transfer tax calculator runs the county and city tax for any Los Angeles County price, and the free 2026-27 LA Transfer Tax and Measure ULA Cheat Sheet has every city rate on one page.
Buying or selling in Santa Monica? Send Iris the fully executed contract at iris@calwestescrow.com or call (323) 300-6122.
About this guide. Cal West Escrow wrote this guide to share general local information. No business paid to be included, and we do not accept free goods or services for mentions. A mention is not an endorsement, and hours, prices and events change, so check with each business before you go. Business names and trademarks belong to their owners. Transfer tax and other escrow notes are general information as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice. Cal West Escrow is committed to fair housing: this guide describes places, not people, and is not meant to suggest who should live anywhere.