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Third Street Promenade
This is undoubtedly the most popular beachside spot in Los Angeles County.  The Promenade (as it's more simply known) is the weekend getaway of choice for thousands of Southern Californians during the long, hot summer months. Even off-season a crowd is easily found along this three-block-long strip of restaurants, specialty shops, bookstores, movie theaters and street performers. The city of Santa Monica, long considered the most eclectic and progressive of Los Angeles' immediate neighbors, struck gold in the early 1990s when the city council voted in favor of closing a portion of commercial property to all automobiles; thus doing the impossible - encouraging people to walk in LA. With this bold idea came beautiful new public spaces dedicated to making an hour or a whole day a pleasurable, festive experience. Broadway cuts the southernmost end of the Promenade. Though just across the street, on Broadway's south side, the gigantic indoor mall, Santa Monica Place, seems worlds away from the more relaxed, easygoing feel of the Promenade.
Heading north there are many fine restaurants and clothing shops.  There is also one of two large-chain bookstores to be found here. Crossing Santa Monica Boulevard, however, will bring you to Midnight Special, one of the finest independent booksellers in the LA region. Specializing in political and historical works, you can still find a good, trashy novel for a great beach read. This seems to be the spot to pick up a fashionable pair of shoes. Several stores compete for your feet in this location. Women's clothing, too, seems to be most popular here. Once you cross Arizona there are several furniture stores for your perusal. Of course, the hip Z Gallerie has a spot further south, too. You'll also find several coffee shops and a great cosmopolitan newsstand offering magazines and newspapers from all over the world. If you want to easily kill a couple of hours there are three movie theaters here (each with multiple screens). To top that, turn the corner to 2nd street and you'll find Laemmle's Monica, a venerable art-house movie complex showing foreign and independent films. What's more, there's even a live theatre stage here performing, on average, a new show each month. For the sheer number of things to do, as well as the quality of the surroundings, it's hard to beat the Promenade. A million people can't all be wrong!
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Writer: Lee Z.
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[Must Visit]
Nearby Spots: Venice Boardwalk · Catalina Island ···
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Foder's Upclose Los Angeles
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