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The next two installments in our series will cover the history of Santa Monica and the City of the Arts (S.M.A.C.A.) and the economic importance of the business district and the arts in Santa Monica.
This week, we’ll cover the history of Santa Monica, California – a time when the city was booming and Santa Monica was an elite enclave.
After a long and costly rebuild, the Santa Monica Pier in 1925 had to be abandoned, leaving a gaping hole in the city landscape.
Today, the Santa Monica Pier is not visible and the street just a few feet wide around it is quiet and empty.
The Santa Monica Pier, located in the heart of Santa Monica, was the focus of a lengthy redevelopment process.
It was long before the days of shopping mall chains like Westfield and the original Santa Monica Boulevard.
It was built in the late 1920s and, in a nod to the growing importance of the “silicon” industry in the Los Angeles area, it was the first major shopping center in town.
When the Santa Monica Pier opened in 1923, it was one of the first shopping centers to open a drive-in movie theater to attract families heading to the fair and other outdoor events.
Since it opened, Santa Monica Boulevard has changed a few times in its history. From a quiet, tree-lined lane with an endless stream of residents heading to the beach for their morning swim to a bustling boulevard full of stores selling clothing, electronics, appliances, and even an antiques shop.
In its present form it still has the feel of a pedestrian boulevard with some shopping on both sides.
There are a few small stores that remain on the street and there is still the feeling that Santa Monica Boulevard still has a real shopping atmosphere.
The pier used to be the heart of the city’s culture and business district.
A few years ago, when
