8 Reasons to Move to Santa Monica

Los Angeles doesn’t lack desirable places to live. Beachfront living and perfect weather are the staples of SoCal life, and Los Angeles offers plenty of both. But it’s easy to forget there is much more to LA’s top neighborhoods than just the beaches and limitless blue sky. 

From luxurious condos overlooking the Pacific Coast Highway and the blue waters beyond to the endless restaurants and bars that rank among the highest in the state, Santa Monica is a dream location for anyone looking to move out West.

Below, the Prevu team put together the top reasons you should consider making Santa Monica your home.

Unique neighborhoods

Mention Santa Monica and the image of its famous pier is the first thing that usually comes to mind. But one of LA’s most desirable cities to live in has a lot more to offer than its beachfront paradise. Eight distinct neighborhoods make up Santa Monica and each has a unique vibe that caters to whatever atmosphere you prefer.

Downtown Santa Monica is the epicenter of all the action. It is one of the busiest areas in the city and offers everything from nightlife to entertainment. Downtown is where you’ll find Ocean Avenue, arguably the main thoroughfare of the area.

Ocean Park, on the other hand, provides beach lovers their fill of SoCal sun, without the noise of tourists and crowds. Whatever your style of life is, there is most likely a neighborhood in Santa Monica that will satisfy your needs. 

Santa Monica Neighborhoods

• North of Montana
• Wilshire Montana
• Northeast Santa Monica
• Downtown Santa Monica
• Mid-City Santa Monica
• Pico District
• Ocean Park
• Sunset Park

Nearly year-round perfect weather

Singing the praises of California’s weather is like preaching to the choir. It is no secret to anyone and one of the top reasons aspiring homebuyers begin considering moving to Los Angeles. While residents may be taking it for granted, it is a priceless amenity, especially with some of Los Angeles’s best beaches a stone’s throw away.

Santa Monica rests on the Pacific Coast and enjoys a coastal Mediterranean climate that keeps temperatures near-perfect. It averages around 310 days of sunshine throughout the year, with temperatures rarely falling below the mid-fifties. So while wintertime may have you donning a warm sweater for a walk down the beach, the rest of the year is fair game for enjoying the open California sky.

Booming tech scene

Tech runs in California’s DNA. The iconic Silicon Valley serves as the primary hub for the leading tech giants in the nation. But San Francisco isn’t the only city that gets a slice of the action. Santa Monica and its neighboring beach towns are known as Silicon Beach, harboring some of the biggest names in the LA tech scene today.

Snapchat, ZipRecruiter, Bird, and Hulu have established headquarters in Santa Monica, making it a top destination for tech professionals. This, in turn, has spurned a lucrative job market and a rich housing stock catering to wealthy tech workers looking to stay close to the office but within reach of the best Santa Monica has to offer. 

Commuting is a breeze

Los Angeles is famous for its traffic jams. Ideally, you will avoid highways at all costs during rush hours, but in a state where driving is essential, few have the option to escape the hour-long traffic. Santa Monica takes the spotlight as a city with an accessible public transportation system and a wealth of local roads that don’t require drivers to head on the highway.

Although a car might be essential to get around, those who choose to spend most of their time in Santa Monica can use the city’s public transit system, including the Big Blue Bus, which can get you pretty much anywhere. At the same time, the Expo Line rail connects Santa Monica to Downtown Los Angeles within an hour.

Beachfront living at its finest

Santa Monica State Beach may be the quintessential image of the heart and soul of SoCal life. The iconic Santa Monica Pier splits the beach into north and south, with a total stretch of 3.5 miles of sand. Along the beach runs a bike trail and a promenade for residents to enjoy the sights of the Pacific while marveling at the towering bluffs to the east and the luxurious condos perched nearby.

Santa Monica is the most coveted place in town for the lucky few in the hunt for a beachfront mansion. Boutique-like mansions line Santa Monica Beach and showcase some of California’s most prime real estate.

While Santa Monica Beach may be the more famous, it is also crowded and draws hordes of tourists. For a more intimate experience, residents head over to the Will Rogers Beach, just north of Santa Monica.

A plethora of parks and recreation

Pockets of sandy paradise aren’t the only calling card of Santa Monica’s recreational scene. There are many local parks and reserves that satisfy anyone’s need for the great outdoors.

The Will Rogers Park offers 186 acres to explore along with two top-notch hiking trails, a 2-mile path to Inspiration Point, and the Backbone Trail, which is a bit longer. For a more relaxed day, the Tongva Park on Ocean Avenue offers climbing structures and a scenic overview of the Santa Monica Pier and is a short distance from the beach. 

Some of LA’s best shopping and dining

Santa Monica’s two main thoroughfares are the Third Street Promenade in Downtown Santa Monica and Main Street. The more sprawling of the two is the Promenade, which is essentially the open-air mall of Santa Monica, replete with over 80 retailers and various farmers markets.

Main Street is where you will find some of the best restaurants Santa Monica offers. Of course, no beachfront living is complete without a go-to seafood restaurant, and Crudo E Nudo delivers some of the best in Santa Monica. All the seafood is sustainably sourced, and menu highlights include a full raw bar and an immaculate tuna tartare.

The sushi restaurants also take advantage of the farm-to-table ethos that governs many restaurants in the area and delivers some of the best seafood in the area. Noma Sushi offers some of the most innovative and delicious specialty rolls, while Kappo Osen specializes in sushi omakase and other classic sushi offerings.

Homes for sale in Santa Monica

Interested in buying a house in Santa Monica? Browse listings and see how much you can save with Prevu’s commission rebate.