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==Understand==
==Understand==
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Santa Monica [http://www.santamonica.com] was originally developed as a seaside retreat at the turn of the 20th century. The railroad owners built the first version of the amusement park on Santa Monica pier as an attraction to fill empty train seats on weekends. Santa Monica grew into an urban, eclectic, and prosperous beach city whose real estate values are amongst the most pricey in the world. Santa Monica is a very desirable city whose people are drawn to its accessibility and its progressiveness as a community. Today, Santa Monica is a mixture of very affluent, single-family neighborhoods, renters drawn by the high quality of life, lifelong surfers, young professionals and students.
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Santa Monica was originally developed as a seaside retreat at the turn of the 20th century. The railroad owners built the first version of the amusement park on Santa Monica pier as an attraction to fill empty train seats on weekends. Santa Monica grew into an urban, eclectic, and prosperous beach city whose real estate values are amongst the most pricey in the world. Santa Monica is a very desirable city whose people are drawn to its accessibility and its progressiveness as a community. Today, Santa Monica is a mixture of very affluent, single-family neighborhoods, renters drawn by the high quality of life, lifelong surfers, young professionals and students.
Tourists visiting the Los Angeles region will find Santa Monica as one of the best situated locations to base their trip. There are plenty of hotel, restaurant and entertainment options, as well as close accessibility to major sights like Venice Beach, Malibu and Beverly Hills. Visitors will also note the beach cities' moderate climate; during the summer and fall, as the mercury soars to 100 in the San Fernando Valley and 90 downtown, Santa Monica usually remains at a very comfortable 75 degrees.
Tourists visiting the Los Angeles region will find Santa Monica as one of the best situated locations to base their trip. There are plenty of hotel, restaurant and entertainment options, as well as close accessibility to major sights like Venice Beach, Malibu and Beverly Hills. Visitors will also note the beach cities' moderate climate; during the summer and fall, as the mercury soars to 100 in the San Fernando Valley and 90 downtown, Santa Monica usually remains at a very comfortable 75 degrees.
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Santa Monica has three Visitor Information Centers [http://www.santamonica.com/visitors/plan-your-trip/visitor-information] that feature experienced Travel Counselors, foreign language line, tickets to area attractions and free visitor information on attractions, hotels, dining, museums, galleries and entertainment.
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Santa Monica has three [http://www.santamonica.com/visitors/plan-your-trip/visitor-information Visitor Information Centers] that feature experienced Travel Counselors, foreign language line, tickets to area attractions and free visitor information on attractions, hotels, dining, museums, galleries and entertainment.
==Get in==
==Get in==
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===By bus===
===By bus===
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Santa Monica is accessible by bus [http://www.metro.net] from throughout the Los Angeles region. Take 720 (night owl line 20) from downtown LA or 704 (night owl Line 04) from Union Station. The fare is $1.50; buses run every two to ten minutes during rush hour, every ten to twenty minutes otherwise. Lines 720/20 travel via Wilshire Boulevard between downtown LA and Santa Monica, and Lines 704/04 travel via Sunset Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard between downtown LA and Santa Monica. Lines 720 and 704 are faster than Lines 20 and 04. Lines 720/20 connect to the LA Metro Red Line at Union Station and at the Vermont/Santa Monica station; Lines 704/04 connect to the LA Metro Red Line at the 7th Street Metro Center and at the Vermont/Wilshire station.
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Santa Monica is accessible by [http://www.metro.net bus] from throughout the Los Angeles region. Take 720 (night owl line 20) from downtown LA or 704 (night owl Line 04) from Union Station. The fare is $1.50; buses run every two to ten minutes during rush hour, every ten to twenty minutes otherwise. Lines 720/20 travel via Wilshire Boulevard between downtown LA and Santa Monica, and Lines 704/04 travel via Sunset Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard between downtown LA and Santa Monica. Lines 720 and 704 are faster than Lines 20 and 04. Lines 720/20 connect to the LA Metro Red Line at Union Station and at the Vermont/Santa Monica station; Lines 704/04 connect to the LA Metro Red Line at the 7th Street Metro Center and at the Vermont/Wilshire station.
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A Rapid 10 Big Blue Bus, the downtown LA express 10, runs between Union Station/downtown LA and Santa Monica [http://www.bigbluebus.com]. Big Blue Bus express fare is $2. Also, the Rapid 10 Big Blue Bus connects Santa Monica to the Red Line and the Blue Line in Los Angeles subway system. Good for both local and express routes, the day pass for the Big Blue Bus is $4. The Day Pass can be purchased from the Big Blue Bus driver on board the bus. The 13 Rides pass for the Big Blue Bus is also available: add $1 to include the express routes. To purchase the 13 Rides pass, go to the online store, the Transit Store, or an authorized location.
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A Rapid 10 [http://www.bigbluebus.com Big Blue Bus], the downtown LA express 10, runs between Union Station/downtown LA and Santa Monica. Big Blue Bus express fare is $2. Also, the Rapid 10 Big Blue Bus connects Santa Monica to the Red Line and the Blue Line in Los Angeles subway system. Good for both local and express routes, the day pass for the Big Blue Bus is $4. The Day Pass can be purchased from the Big Blue Bus driver on board the bus. The 13 Rides pass for the Big Blue Bus is also available: add $1 to include the express routes. To purchase the 13 Rides pass, go to the online store, the Transit Store, or an authorized location.
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If you are arriving via LAX, you and your luggage can access the Santa Monica Downtown area for $1 by taking airport shuttle C and asking the driver to let you off closest to the stop for Big Blue Bus line 3 [http://www.bigbluebus.com]. Once you step off the shuttle, exit the lot, and turn right, and look for a blue triangular-shaped sign at the corner of the street. Buses arrive every 15-20 minutes on weekdays, and every 15-30 minutes on weekends; this is a regular route, the fare is $1.00. Also, Big Blue Bus line 3 connects Santa Monica to the Los Angeles light rail Green Line at Aviation Station.
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If you are arriving via LAX, you and your luggage can access the Santa Monica Downtown area for $1 by taking airport shuttle C and asking the driver to let you off closest to the stop for Big Blue Bus line 3. Once you step off the shuttle, exit the lot, and turn right, and look for a blue triangular-shaped sign at the corner of the street. Buses arrive every 15-20 minutes on weekdays, and every 15-30 minutes on weekends; this is a regular route, the fare is $1.00. Also, Big Blue Bus line 3 connects Santa Monica to the Los Angeles light rail Green Line at Aviation Station.
===By plane===
===By plane===
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| content=From Pico Blvd to Navy Street, Main Street shopping is similar to Montana Ave in that it celebrates the independent retailer. Main Street also has its fair share of excellent restaurants and bars. Heritage Square on Main Street is home to the widely popular, family-friendly Sunday Farmer's Market [http://www.smgov.net/farmers_market/sunday.htm].
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| content=From Pico Blvd to Navy Street, Main Street shopping is similar to Montana Ave in that it celebrates the independent retailer. Main Street also has its fair share of excellent restaurants and bars. Heritage Square on Main Street is home to the widely popular, family-friendly [http://www.smgov.net/farmers_market/sunday.htm Sunday Farmer's Market].
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==Drink==
==Drink==
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Santa Monica offers over 50 Happy Hour specials [http://www.santamonica.com/happyhour] all over town, from dive bars to the high end hotels.
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Santa Monica offers over 50 [http://www.santamonica.com/happyhour Happy Hour] specials all over town, from dive bars to the high end hotels.
Unfortunately since LA and specifically the west side of LA is famous the world over for its night life going out and drinking in Santa Monica is expensive, normal prices for a domestic beer are $5 and martinis frequently range over $15. To that end the bars listed below are sorted by type and not price:
Unfortunately since LA and specifically the west side of LA is famous the world over for its night life going out and drinking in Santa Monica is expensive, normal prices for a domestic beer are $5 and martinis frequently range over $15. To that end the bars listed below are sorted by type and not price: