The best of Santa Monica
Honest reviews of restaurants, hikes, beaches, and hidden gems written by people who live here.
Featured this week
Staff favorites and community top picks across the city.
Most people start at the lower trailhead and miss the canyon waterfall entirely. Here is the route that actually delivers the view with a side trip to a meadow that feels like a secret.
Caribbean beach shack feeding the neighborhood since 1994. The jerk chicken bowl hits every time.
Skip the midday crowds. Here is why the pier is a completely different experience in the golden hour.
Two beloved spots, one neighborhood. An honest side-by-side from a regular at both.
From the Palisades bluffs to spots that require knowing someone - this is the real list.
Explore by neighborhood
Each part of Santa Monica has its own character.
Who we are
Santa Monica has no shortage of listicles. What it is missing is honest, opinionated, local writing - the kind your neighbor gives you over the fence, not a travel blogger on a one-day visit.
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