What Locals Know About Santa Monica
Think you really know Santa Monica? It's a city with a pier rollercoaster that could shake loose your fillings, farmers market that’ll ruin grocery store produce for life, and beach sunsets that are so cinematic they need end credits. Let's run through the facts, stats, and seagull heists that showcase what makes Santa Monica's pier to Palisades surprise reel.
Jessica, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Jessica is a born and raised Angeleno who has spent 30 years bouncing between East LA, the Westside, and the Valley, usually with a trunk full of boxes and a strong opinion about neighborhoods. She moved eight times between 2013 and 2023 and genuinely loves it, especially the decluttering part and the chance to reinvent herself with each new move. A former teacher of eight years, she has taught everyone from pre K kids learning their ABCs to high schoolers stressing over college essays. She loves California for the beaches, sunshine, hidden lakes, and hikes that feel like they belong in another state entirely. Her guilty pleasure is the Custard Front Drive donut from Donut Friend, she road trips whenever possible, and she is slowly working through a bucket list of every national park. She lives with two bonded cats, Marty the black cat and Jelly the tabby. At Snappy Scout, Jessica edits California guides with deep local instincts built over decades of real CA living.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What Makes Santa Monica Santa Monica?
The weird, useful, and surprisingly relevant facts that shape everyday life here.
Common nicknames for Santa Monica
SaMo, Silicon Beach, Santa Monica by the Sea, Dogtown
Local reality check
Perpetual beach tan vs. marine layer mornings and a hoodie until noon.
You're most likely moving from
New York, San Francisco, and the Valley fleeing heat and commutes.
Strangely large concentration of
Pilates studios and venture backed startups along Colorado Avenue and Broadway.
Music scene
McCabe's Guitar Shop legends, KCRW sessions, Twilight on the Pier summer shows.
You'll have to see it to believe it
Aerialists and slackliners flying above the sand at Muscle Beach.
Unique geography
Ocean bluffs at Palisades Park dropping to wide beaches and the Pier.
Santa Monica is home to
Annenberg Community Beach House, Marion Davies' former estate turned public.
Well known for its
Third Street Promenade street performers and splash-happy dinosaur fountains.
Fun history fact
Route 66 ends at Santa Monica, with 'End of the Trail' sign on the Pier.
Celebrity sightings
Arizona Ave Farmers Market, Montana Avenue boutiques, Ivy at the Shore patio.
Noteworthy census stat
Roughly 70 percent of households are renter occupied.
Most interesting sub-culture within Santa Monica
Dawn ocean swimmers at Tower 26.
Population
Around 80th largest in CA, not top 200 nationwide.
Santa Monica is roughly the same geographic size as
Key West, Florida.
A Local Event Worth Experiencing Once
The Pier hosts Local’s night on the third Thursday from September to May. There’s a different music genre featured each month (my past favs are jazz and reggae nights) and sometimes they’ll have local vendors selling art. Plus, it’s free to attend. I watched Borns perform there a couple years back.
— Jessica Montes
California Local Expert
Ready to See If Santa Monica Fits You?
Compare cities, check the routes, or head back to the full Santa Monica guide for the bigger picture.