Lifeguard tower No 29 in Los Angeles, USA. Photo / Raphael Franks
Lifeguard tower No 29 in Los Angeles, USA. Photo / Raphael Franks
Jim Morrison said it: The west is the best. New Zealand Herald reporter Raphael Franks travels to the land of sand and tan in Santa Monica, California. He’s never been overseas before, and as he loses his mind in the glitz and glamour of L.A., he reviews Santa Monica’s attractions and its premium accommodations - once only afforded by Hollywood stars.
The palm trees. The boulevards. The white sand beach stretching out for miles. The Americana and all its iconography . . . Being in Santa Monica is like living in a movie.
And it’s no wonder. Forrest Gump was filmed here, as was Iron Man, Bean andthe Barbie Movie. Classics like Rebel Without a Cause starring James Dean and The Sting with Robert Redford were famously shot in Santa Monica too. The city’s iconic pier and beachfront was also the set for Baywatch.
It can’t get more Hollywood than this; except it does, as Hollywood itself is a 20-minute drive away by the freeway. Driving along Santa Monica Boulevard and Hollywood Boulevard makes for a half-hour cruise. Malibu, and its celebrity A-list houses, are also a 20-minute drive away along the scenic Pacific Coast Highway.
Santa Monica is the setting for so much of the American pop culture that has spread around the globe. Even seeing yellow school buses, which I had only ever seen on The Simpsons, as I was whisked from Los Angeles International Airport to Santa Monica, was a new and exciting sight. California licence plates, only ever a vague novelty to me, are emblazoned on every giant tank cruising down the road.
But have you ever heard the Dead Kennedy’s California Uber Alles? Telling a story of a dystopian state where fitness, relaxation, and new-aged philosophies are mandated by the penalty of death, I always thought the song was satire. Going to California made me realise that this is indeed how many people live. If you get the opportunity to indulge in the wellness services available in Santa Monica, you’ll be a convert too.
The Santa Monica Pier and the Santa Monica State Beach behind it with Hotel Casa Del Mar visible in the background. Photo / Raphael Franks
On my first afternoon in Santa Monica, I checked into my hotel, Casa Del Mar. It’s a beautiful building. Built in a Renaissance Revival style, it sits right on the beach, which is a 30-second walk from the front door. It opened as a private beach club in 1926 and hosted many a celebrity until it was taken over by the US Navy in the Second World War.
A sunset is the view from the balcony of the Hotel Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica, Los Angeles. Photo / Raphael Franks
I had never been waited on by doormen or porters until I came to the Casa Del Mar, all dressed in salmon-pink polo shirts and black trousers. The decor was refined but relaxing. The lounge in the lobby is well-appointed with elegant tables and chairs and plays host to live musicians every night. Within the same grand space, but set upon its own small mezzanine overlooking the Pacific is Terrazza, where I ate caviar toast on breads from around the world and feasted upon meat and fish on my first evening.
Immediately after checking into the hotel though, it was time for a tour of the Santa Monica Pier, a 10-minute walk from my accommodation. I was disappointed my flight was delayed and US customs was so time-consuming, as I couldn’t get the full tour of the pier. It’s an imposing site on the horizon, being half a kilometre long and almost 100m wide. It has a varied history, with its origins in the first pier built there in 1909. The Pacific Park amusement park on the pier has several rides and plenty of fair games to entertain at no admission cost.
The Ferris wheel about a third of the way down the pier stands out at night as it glows different colours and shows moving pictures, creating a kaleidoscope of patterns oscillating against the darkness of the sky and ocean as the screams of thrill seekers echo onto the beach. I was touring through the Casa Del Mar during sunset, and as I was shown the swimming pool and terrace, I looked from the balcony at the sun setting upon the ocean and shooting deep colours into the sky, with towering palm trees standing ahead silhouetted by the velvet backdrop.
I was about ready to get some sleep.
The room and view of the Pacific View Suite at the Hotel Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica, Los Angeles. Photo / Raphael Franks
The first appointment on my first morning in Santa Monica was at the spa. Was I apprehensive? Sure. But I was in the city that invented mellowing out, so I was going with the flow. And the treatment I received at Tikkun Holistic Spa was so relaxing and peaceful that it left me speechless. It seemed the kind of thing a Hollywood star would do to unwind - and here I was enjoying it too. The Korean body scrub was rough . . . but gee did it leave me feeling smooth.
The Hotel Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica opened as a private beach club in 1926. Photo / Raphael Franks
Later that day, I checked out Santa Monica’s art scene at Bergamot Station Arts Centre and the 18th Street Arts Centre, both about a 10-minute drive away from the beach. With each having a number of different galleries, studios, artists’ residency programs, and physical performance venues, some of Los Angeles’ pre-eminent artists have been featured here. Craig Krull’s gallery, and in particular the Chicano movement art he didn’t have displayed and hidden in the back, was a favourite, showcasing an art style totally unique to Los Angeles and the Mexican Americans who call it home.
Santa Monica was originally home to the Tongva, the indigenous peoples of the Los Angeles Basin. The first Spaniard came in 1769. When it was part of Mexico, ranches were set up around the area. It became part of the United States of America in 1848. In the early 20th century, Santa Monica became home to a large community of Asian Americans. The ethnically diverse history is still evident in Santa Monica today.
There is an exhaustive number of options for dining, with the cuisine a reflection of the city’s cultural diversity. Cafes and restaurants pepper every corner and cater to different preferences in atmosphere and ambience. I had my first breakfast burrito at Blueys Santa Monica - I was told this is a very California meal - a Hainanese chicken confit at Cassia and even some New Zealand King Salmon at Marelle, the restaurant in the second hotel I stayed at, the Sandbourne Santa Monica.
But it was some New Zealand coffee I was really after. Unfortunately, there was nothing that came close, aside from the latte from Dogtown Coffee on Santa Monica’s Main Street.
Spending time on Main Street makes you realise that you went to spend time on Main Street. It’s the first big shopping hub only a block away from the beach and as it stretches south towards Venice Beach, the boutiques give way to tattoo parlors and pubs.
Streets lined with palm trees are a common sight in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, USA. Photo / Raphael Franks
With a population of 90,000 people, and being part of Los Angeles County and the wider Los Angeles metropolitan area, Santa Monica is a big place and there is so much more to see. Although it does have the advantage of being close to so many other key tourist destinations, like Malibu and Hollywood, Santa Monica offers more than enough as a destination in its own right.
Checklist
Santa Monica, Los Angeles, USA
GETTING THERE
Air New Zealand flies direct from Auckland to Los Angeles in approx. 11 hours.
Santa Monica is roughly a 20-minute drive from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Airport transfers, taxicabs and rideshare services make getting between LAX and Santa Monica seamless (traffic dependant - and having now experienced the city’s infamous gridlock, I can attest to the fact it’s excruciating and can delay your drive by up to an hour, so bear this in mind when heading to their airport).
In most of Los Angeles, you’ll need a car to get around - but not Santa Monica.
Premier shopping destinations, boutiques, thriving and groovy nightlife spots, family restaurants, fine dining, fitness and beauty centres and a massive beachfront are all within a relatively easy walking distance. It is hot, though, and too much walking can be tiring.
Taxicabs and rideshare cabs are ubiquitous in Santa Monica and can get you between destinations within 10 minutes. People in Santa Monica seemed very proud of their “Big Blue Bus” too, but I never had the opportunity to ride it.
Santa Monica State Beach stretches beyond the horizon for miles. Photo / Raphael Franks
Driverless taxis are on the road, mixing with traffic. The Waymo cars are a sight to behold when they drive past. They work like Lyft or Uber and can be booked through a mobile phone application.
There is also a complimentary car that can take you within a three-mile (4.8-kilometer) radius of your hotel if you are staying at either the Casa del Mar or Shutters of the Beach. The three-mile radius means you can get just about anywhere in Santa Monica City itself and can just make it to Venice Beach. It makes for an extremely convenient way of getting about but this service is first-in-first-served.
E-bikes and pushbikes are available to rent and make for an easy and hassle-free way of getting about. Scooters are also available to hire on the footpaths through a mobile phone application. Cycling seems quite safe in Santa Monica, with most streets being relatively low-speed (by Los Angeles standards) and quiet. Cycling along the promenade on the beach, enjoying the sun while speeding past the never-ending column of palm trees was commonplace.
