A Local’s Guide to Santa Monica, California
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Santa Monica, California, is renowned for its sprawling sandy beaches, shopping, and of course the iconic Santa Monica pier. This guide will point out the under-the-radar pockets that are worth a visit.
Main Street is a buzzy area of Santa Monica but much less chaotic than Third Street Promenade.
Walkable and tree-lined, it’s the perfect place to hang out for an afternoon, lunching and browsing trendy boutiques. Urth Caffe is a California classic, renowned for its boba teas, pizzas, and drool-worthy pastry case. Blue Bottle is a close-by coffee shop that is popular with coffee aficionados. Don’t miss trendy thrift shop Buffalo Exchange and chic sustainable fashion storefront Reformation for two eco-friendly shopping options at each end of the price spectrum.
Montana Avenue serves as the backbone of another great Santa Monica neighborhood.
The road is lined with upscale eateries, spas, furniture shops, and other stores. My top stops include a matcha latte with coconut foam from La La Land Kind Cafe, a slice of triple berry cake from Sweet Lady Jane, and a poke around Goodies, which sells a curated collection of home goods all under $25.
For the best beach walk, park somewhere around the intersection of Montana and Ocean, cross the footbridge over Pacific Coast Highway to the beach and head right to walk in the direction of Pacific Palisades. I find that this section of the iconic Santa Monica boardwalk is more peaceful and less congested than the touristy sections near the pier.
Abbot Kinney is another can’t-miss section of Santa Monica.
It’s known for its laid-back yet refined vibe and vegan and artisanal flavors. Make sure to get the country’s best ice cream at Salt and Straw (sample as many of their unique flavors as you like!) and a plant-based dinner at Butcher’s Daughter. Nearby, Gjusta offers amazing breads and bagels to go, or a lovely sit-down brunch in their outdoor patio space.
Ocean Park Avenue is an underrated stretch of locally owned shops and boutiques.
Love Coffee has an amazing honey lavender latte and a cozy outdoor section out back perfect for working, reading, or chatting with friends. Thyme Market is a neighborhood gem with pastry cases full of delicious cakes, cookies as well as salads. The breakfast sandwich on the pretzel croissant is my personal favorite.
