Santa Monica, California, lies just 14 miles from Los Angeles city center. Yet its beaches and well-known Third Street Promenade are somehow set apart from the LA giant that surrounds it on three sides. Before it was the chic suburb of Los Angeles County, it was a town founded by the Spanish and inhabited by the Californians. Much of the city was originally one of two rancheros that eventually became part of the town. In 1871, for instance, some 875 acres were purchased for the tidy sum of $11,000 in area where an acre is now worth millions.
The Mediterranean Climate of the area is a big attraction. There are 310 sunny days and temperatures rarely exceed the 80s or drop below the 60s. The special beach biking and skating path is one of the recognizable features of the beach, especially with its prominence in films and tv shows such as the modern hit Psych and the 1970’s hit, Three’s Company.
A Nevada senator created the Los Angeles & Independence Railroad linking Santa Monica in the 1870s. Soon visitors flocked to its beautiful beaches. By 1890, the town was busy with area commerce not just the tourism trade. A 4700-foot railroad wharf became a memorable sight on the horizon. Ships stopped at the train line there to unload, but it did not become the major port that its investors had hoped to create.
The early 1900s saw the creation of amusement piers. The five in Santa Monica offered roller coasters, casinos, theaters, restaurants and other amusements. The area grew, expanding with the addition of new ranches such as the one bought by Will Rogers, famous writer and Vaudeville star. He entertained such well-known visitors as movie mogul Walt Disney and movie star Spencer Tracy.
The mid-1900s saw the gradual change of the city into its current form. The Douglas aircraft manufacturer employed thousands in its heyday. The Rand Corporation was founded there. The Santa Monica Freeway allowed car traffic to move freely between the beach town and the ever-expanding Los Angeles. The area was home to the 1960s counterculture, which took over just as the last amusement piers failed. For years the city was divided between a more bohemian southern area and a wealthier northern one. Now the entire town is home to Hollywood executives and stars, but it still retains much of its relaxed beach charm.