Santa Monica Was Dying. Then The Block Parties Started

I am here to officially eat my words.

Many months ago, I poo-pooed this idea of Santa Monica bringing back tourism with open container entertainment zones.

I didn't think it would work.

And I am happy to say that I was wrong.

And that's okay.

So how did we get here? Santa Monica has been in the news for all the wrong reasons for many years now.

And you talk about just a decade ago how much of a destination Santa Monica has been forever and ever and ever.

But especially, like, I remember the early days of the relaunch of the 3rd Street Promenade.

It was the destination.

I mean, back in those days, the biggest complaint about Santa Monica was obviously the parking, but didn't matter.

You were going to have a really good night if you got down there.

And honestly, with the parking garages that they had near the third street promenade, it was expensive, but it wasn't insane.

You know, I remember, gosh, one time this guy invited me out for a night on the town.

On the 3rd Street Promenade.

And we went to Harvell's, which is the first time I ever went there.

Wandered all up and down the area over there.

And it's like, wow, this is super fun.

And now as an older person that really enjoys walking around in lively downtown areas that are safe, that era of the 3rd Street Promenade, I would have gone to all the time.

But Santa Monica has had a few really bad years.

And while correlation does not necessarily equal causation, you can definitely track where Santa Monica went downhill with the completion of the Expo lines.

The subway to the sea, as they called it.

You could go from downtown L.A. to downtown Santa Monica without having to sit in just awful, awful traffic.

It also connected areas like Culver City.

We have an Expo Line station right next to the radio station.

Connects USC and the Coliseum.

I am here to officially eat my words.

Many months ago, I poo-pooed this idea of Santa Monica bringing back tourism with open container entertainment zones.

I didn't think it would work.

And I am happy to say that I was wrong.

And that's okay.

So how did we get here? Santa Monica has been in the news for all the wrong reasons for many years now.

And you talk about just a decade ago how much of a destination Santa Monica has been forever and ever and ever.

But especially, like, I remember the early days of the relaunch of the 3rd Street Promenade.

It was the destination.

I mean, back in those days, the biggest complaint about Santa Monica was obviously the parking, but didn't matter.

You were going to have a really good night if you got down there.

And honestly, with the parking garages that they had near the third street promenade, it was expensive, but it wasn't insane.

You know, I remember, gosh, one time this guy invited me out for a night on the town.

On the 3rd Street Promenade.

And we went to Harvell's, which is the first time I ever went there.

Wandered all up and down the area over there.

And it's like, wow, this is super fun.

And now as an older person that really enjoys walking around in lively downtown areas that are safe, that era of the 3rd Street Promenade, I would have gone to all the time.

But Santa Monica has had a few really bad years.

And while correlation does not necessarily equal causation, you can definitely track where Santa Monica went downhill with the completion of the Expo lines.

The subway to the sea, as they called it.

You could go from downtown L.A. to downtown Santa Monica without having to sit in just awful, awful traffic.

It also connected areas like Culver City.

We have an Expo Line station right next to the radio station.

Connects USC and the Coliseum.