"Santa Monica is a city that would seem to have everything. A glorious, wide sandy beach. A fabled pier framed by palm trees and views of the southern California mountains. An aura of Hollywood magic, with a native honor roll that runs from Shirley Temple to Sean Penn. Streets that smell like the Mediterranean, filled with restaurants, cafes and interesting one-off shops."
"These days, Santa Monica is struggling with an uptick in petty crime and unprecedented numbers of empty storefronts and offices. Community services, including a well-regarded library system, have dwindled; housing prices have soared beyond the reach of most middle-class families; tourist numbers are half of what they used to be, and the budget is in such a hole that the city council recently declared a state of financial distress."
"Even Santa Monica's top public employee, city manager Oliver Chi, agrees that the trajectory is unsustainable. The city's landmark pedestrian street, the Third Street Promenade, no longer attracts throngs of shoppers and movie-goers, or the buskers and variety acts who used to entertain them. An adjacent outdoor mall, Santa Monica Place, has lost two big department stores and a multi-screen cinema."
Santa Monica combines a wide sandy beach, a fabled pier, mountain views, Hollywood history, Mediterranean-like streets, and diverse restaurants, cafes and shops. Over recent years progress has stalled as petty crime has increased and empty storefronts and offices have proliferated. Community services, including the library system, have diminished while housing prices have risen beyond most middle-class reach and tourist numbers have fallen by half. The city budget is deeply troubled and the council declared a state of financial distress. The Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica Place have lost major attractions, and many beloved restaurants have closed, with little new business interest.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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