Santa Monica, on foot
We keep 42 apartments here. This is the version of the city we’d describe to a friend who asked where to stay.
The part of town worth staying in
Santa Monica is bigger than the postcard. The stretch that makes a stay easy is the grid between Ocean Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard, roughly from Wilshire down to Pico — flat, walkable, and close enough to the water that you can be on the sand in the time it takes to find parking somewhere else.
Nearly all of our buildings sit inside that grid. It means the beach, the Promenade, the farmers market and a long list of restaurants are a walk rather than a drive.
Getting around without a car
Every apartment includes parking, and our honest advice is to use it once — on arrival — and then leave the car alone. The Expo Line runs from Downtown Santa Monica to Downtown LA. The beach bike path runs 22 miles from Pacific Palisades to Torrance. LAX is about half an hour away outside of rush hour.
What to actually do
When to come
June gloom is real: mornings in early summer are often overcast until midday. September and October are the local secret — warm water, clear skies, thinner crowds. Winter is mild and quiet, and it is when longer stays make the most sense.
See apartments in Santa Monica