Santa Monica was originally developed as a seaside retreat at the turn of the last century.  The railroad owners built the first version of the amusement park on the 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 among the priciest in the world.  Santa Monica is a very desirable city whose residents 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, surfers, young professionals and students. There are many of the older generation who remain and are witness to all the growth and changes that have occurred over the years.

Santa Monica offers tourists a variety of high-end hotels such as Casa del Mar, The Fairmont, Loews and Shutters at the Beach.  There are fine food options at world renowned restaurants such as Michael’s, Melisse, Ocean Avenue Seafood, Drago’s, Rustic Canyon, Wilshire and Josie’s.  For more informal cuisine, try strolling along Montana Avenue visiting the trendy shops and dining at Café Montana or Father’s Office.  There is indeed something for every palate.

Other tourist attractions include Main Street, the Pier with its Ferris Wheel, Carousel and Aquarium, Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica Place, Ocean Avenue with its majestic  and swaying Palm Trees, biking trails,  the world’s most inviting sandy beaches, beautiful sunsets, and fresh, clean ocean air.

Santa Monica offers beautiful residential areas north of Montana Avenue including the prestigious Gillette Regent Square and most elite streets of Woodacres Road and La Mesa Drive. This city offers one of the most outstanding school systems, autonomous from Los Angeles Unified School District, where many people move expressly so children can receive a fine public school education while still remaining within the neighborhoods where they reside.