Looking Back at the News Stories That Defined Santa Monica in 2016
This past year, Santa Monica continued to advance some very progressive policies aimed at sharing the city’s increasing prosperity with as wide a swath of residents, workers, and other members of the community as...
Moving to Santa Monica: A How-To Guide
So, you’re moving to Santa Monica, the eight-square miles of eco-friendly paradise on the western edge of Los Angeles County. Your new home – we’re guessing it’s an apartment since about 70 percent of...
Big Changes Likely In Store for Summer Pier Concert Series, But Will It Be...
The Santa Monica Pier Corporation Board Wednesday night voted to recommend some big changes to the annual summer concert series that has been a mainstay at the Pier for more than three decades.
The decision...
Mapping the Culture of Santa Monica’s Pico Neighborhood
The colorful mural painted on two long concrete walls under the Santa Monica Freeway along the Stewart Street underpass in Santa Monica tells the story of the Pico neighborhood surrounding it.
The mural was created...
Looking back on 3rd Street on the Promenade’s 25th Birthday
Visiting the Third Street Promenade on any given day – let alone on a holiday weekend – it's hard to imagine the three block stretch between Wilshire Boulevard and Broadway in Downtown Santa Monica...
Video: Woodlawn Cemetery’s ‘Living History’ Tour Gives Voice to Its Most Famous Occupants
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsMrBOYf_0Q
Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica held its third annual Living History Tour on Saturday as 14 actors stood by the graves of noted people buried there to deliver monologues highlighting their lives.
The community was...
Zoning for Santa Monica’s Future: Child Care
We've talked a lot about Santa Monica's upcoming zoning ordinance update, the document which will enact the City's award-winning Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE).
While much of the talk has been about housing, height...
The Past Isn’t Quite Dead Here, Either: How Racism Shaped Santa Monica
This piece originally ran on The Healthy City Local.
When Fay Wells went national to write, in the Washington Post, about what happened when a neighbor called 9-1-1 on her, she brought the issue of...
Commission on the Status of Women Invites Santa Monica to Celebrate Women’s History Month
The Santa Monica Commission on the Status of Women announced a line up of community events celebrating Women's History Month all March long. Below is the list of events, starting with the Commission's reception...
Throwback Thursday: When Santa Monica Pier Was Home to the “Acme of Dance Palaces”
Tonight is the inaugural performance of the 2015 Twilight Concert series at the Santa Monica Pier. Every year, the concerts draw thousands to the iconic destination to hear music and mingle with friends amidst the...
SaMo’s Camera Obscura Building Offers a Glimpse into the Past
Often overlooked, Santa Monica’s Camera Obscura is a noteworthy relic of photographic history. Stepping into the attraction’s small, darkened space transports today’s media-saturated visitors to a time when the public viewed the projection of...
Santa Monica Conservancy to be Honored for Reuse of Historic Shotgun House
Before the tiny house craze, there were shotgun houses, small narrow cottages that were once common in Santa Monica during the turn of the last century.
On May 3, the Los Angeles Conservancy will honor...
About Maynard and Sheila Ostrow
The following piece was co-authored by Ernie Powell, former community organizer at the Church in Ocean Park and founding member, Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation and Sharon Gilpin, 26-year former resident, former Santa Monica Planning...
Throwback Thursday: The Last Train from Santa Monica
"END OF THE LINE," the headline screams in all caps from the yellowed newspaper.
The story is buried in the Communities section of the Evening Outlook, announcing a bit of L.A. County rail history.
"The last train...
Infographic: Historic Housing Trends in Santa Monica
Editor's note: The above infographic traces the historical trends of housing in Santa Monica. Data are from existing housing stock. As is clear from the graphic, in the last 30 years, relatively little housing...