Everyone who has come to Los Angeles more than once claims that this city is literally assembled from various areas and towns, which together create a special and unique atmosphere. But it is impossible to visit here and not see the heart of Los Angeles - Santa Monica. This small town is a favorite of tourists from all over the world and has its own character, which lies in its streets, boulevards and numerous attractions. We will tell you about them and some hotel complexes of the sunny resort today.
Los Angeles, Santa Monica: A Short Description
This amazing city combines antiquity and modernity, expressed in every street and building. Santa Monica is almost completely surrounded by Los Angeles and only one part of it faces the Pacific Ocean. Tourists gladly come here for fresh ocean air and the sun, which generously shines almost three hundred twenty-five days a year. It is not surprising that in winter there are also many travelers who are not at all afraid of the mild and humid winters. After all, you can sunbathe here for almost nine months of the year, but you can swim only in rare summer money in the middle of the season.
Several hundred thousand tourists come to Santa Monica (Los Angeles) every year. They fill the streets of the town, enjoying their special flavor, reminiscent of slender European settlements. Many tourists claim that in the area of Santa Monica (Los Angeles), life is like a carnival, where colors and rhythms with the speed of lightning replace each other.
Town History
Initially, Los Angeles County, which included the city of Santa Monica, belonged to one of the Indian tribes. On this coast in the second half of the eighteenth century the Spaniard Gaspar de Portola landed, who became the discoverer of these wonderful and wild places.
Interestingly, according to the latest census, a large number of emigrants from the UK and Ireland live in the city. With their efforts, they gave Santa Monica (Los Angeles) a special charm with an abundance of European-style pubs and buildings. Due to this, at first glance, many travelers can not even immediately determine that they are in the American city.
Santa Monica, Los Angeles: how to get there
If you plan to go to Santa Monica from Moscow, then keep in mind that there are no direct flights here. You will have to buy a ticket and fly to Los Angeles and from there get to the right place.
It is nice that from the treasured city upon arrival you will be separated by only twenty-three kilometers, which travelers usually overcome by bus. Some particularly economical tourists catch a ride, because on this route there is always a very dense traffic flow.
Keep in mind that in Los Angeles, the time is ten hours different from Moscow. When in our capital, for example, it is three in the afternoon, in Los Angeles it is only five in the morning. This should be taken into account when planning a trip.
The best place to see the sunset over the ocean: Palisades Park
The sights of Santa Monica are many and varied, but this park must be visited. There are many areas equipped for eating in the fresh air, paths and paths for leisurely walks, gazebos, observation platforms, which offer magnificent views of the ocean, and benches twined with roses.
In Palisades Park there is a statue of St. Monica, in whose honor the city is named. This statue, five meters high, was installed in the thirties of the last century. There is also a statue of the most beautiful woman in California made of bronze and many other art objects.
Pier
Santa Monica Pier (Los Angeles) attracts tourists like a magnet. It is here that the sixty-sixth highway ends, abutting directly into the Pacific Ocean. There is also a large amusement park with a forty-meter solar-powered Ferris wheel. If you want to plunge into the underwater world, then the oceanarium located under the park will open its doors to you warmly.
Pedestrianized street
The Third Street Promenade is a small but well-known street for shopaholics in Santa Monica. Here at every step there are fashion boutiques and shops with exclusive goods, and artists and clowns conduct their performances next to cozy street cafes. Many tourists say that on this three-block-long street you can spend the whole day. Of course, provided that you adore shopping.
Shrimp Restaurant
If you watched the famous American film "Forrest Gump", then remember the dream of one of the heroes to open a cute restaurant that sells shrimp. In Santa Monica, this dream has come true, and now any tourist can visit the institution Bubba Gump.
The restaurant is decorated with various items from the film, frames from it are constantly scrolling on the TV screen, and at the entrance you will be greeted by the famous Forrest sneakers, with which every tourist strives to take pictures.
Art Galleries
Art lovers and simply curious tourists will not be able to ignore the resort town of Bergamot Station, which is a collection of art galleries located in an unusual place.
Initially, these buildings belonged to the railway station, named after a fragrant plant that grew in large numbers in the district. Later there were warehouses and production workshops on this territory, and then desolation came here. And only in the early nineties of the last century galleries opened here, which became the most popular in California. About six hundred thousand tourists from all over the world come here every year.
New venice
In the suburbs of Santa Monica, a quaint quarter is located, reminiscent of Italian Venice with all its buildings. The city owes this curiosity to Albert Kinn, who was a thriving tobacco mogul. This entrepreneur at the end of the nineteenth century set out to build a resemblance of Venice in the spa town. According to the plan of Kinna, the workers were to build canals, lagoons, palazzo bridges and even game clubs.
However, the project was never completed, so now tourists can see only four channels and the Mayachny Bridge. This area was chosen by people of creative professions who have been happy to settle here for many years.
Golf clubs in the city
For many tourists it is strange that the golf courses of Santa Monica are among the attractions of the city. But for those who play this game, this seems quite natural.
Interestingly, it’s difficult for a person from the outside, or rather, it is almost impossible to obtain membership in such a club. Neither communication, nor money, nor recognition of services to the American people can help here. For almost two centuries, membership in Santa Monica golf clubs has been inherited from father to son. In the city, everyone knows the story of how actor Sylvester Stallone has been striving for the right to play on the famous fields of the resort town on the Pacific coast for many years.
City Hotels
Santa Monica hotels in Los Angeles are mainly located along the coast. After all, tourists come here to sunbathe and swim in the ocean, and therefore choose places where it is easiest to get to the beach area.
Experienced travelers are advised to stay in four-star hotels. The best reviews tourists leave about the following hotel complexes:
- Shutters on the Beach 4 *.
- Hotel Casa del Mar 4 *.
- The Fairmont Miramar 4 *.
The average cost per room ranges from eighty dollars. This amount includes breakfast. Keep in mind that in high season, Santa Monica hotels are packed to capacity. Many of them are booked six months before the trip.
Tourists should not forget that the hotel is strictly prohibited smoking. The same rules apply to all city beaches.
Most tourists believe that time flows in a special way in Santa Monica (Los Angeles). After all, there is everything for every person to feel at home, that is, relax and enjoy every minute spent here.