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This beach is one of the most accessible and one of the most fulfilling in terms of different activities it has to offer. Just take the Santa Monica (10) Freeway west to the ocean but good luck looking for parking. This is the destination of choice for many beach-goers from the vast central, inland and northern portions of Los Angeles County, including the San Fernando Valley, so you can expect a crowd. In fact, from here south along Santa Monica Bay, with the exception of Dockweiler, are the county's most heavily used beaches.

Santa Monica has the beach you may have seen in some old movies. It has a Hollywood kind of image. For a postcard picture of your own, go along Ocean Avenue atop the bluff where there are rows of stately palms, park benches, joggers and bums to silhouette in the foreground of sunset shots.

This is a snazzy beach town with rotten parking. The sand is wide, flat and reasonably clean, with a kiddie playground area. Swimming conditions are good. Surfing is so-so. Water cleanliness varies but can get nasty. Be wary of the area at the foot of Pico Boulevard, a few blocks south of the pier. The storm drain there was notorious for pollution and was singled out in a comprehensive water analysis released in 1990 by Heal the Bay. Since then, the polluted runoff during the dry season is diverted to the Hyperion sewage plant for treatment. But during the wet season, beware.

The single biggest attraction in Santa Monica is the pier with restaurants, souvenir shops, an amusement arcade, game booths, rides and other diversions. One of the best attractions on the pier is an old-fashioned carrousel with music from a puffing calliope, something no other pier has. Fishing platforms are on a lower level to help save other visitors from getting hooked. There is nightlife too, with live music and dancing on certain summer evenings.

Just south of the pier are some gymnastic rings and parallel bars. The beach bike path crosses under the pier between the pilings, connecting with points far south and near north. Just north of the pier, branching from the edge of a parking lot, is a paved ramp across the sand toward the water, a great idea to make the beach accessible for people in wheelchairs. -- Los Angeles Times

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Bay Street Surf Spot
Bay Street is a stretch of shifting sandbar peaks in front of a large storm drain just south of Pico Boulevard. It holds summer and winter swells up to 6 feet and is well-trafficked by Old Town Santa Monica residents. The lineup is full of established regulars, some of whom harken back to the break's '60s heyday. Bay Steet has a playful, family atmosphere in the summer, when you can find groms and grandpas alike enjoying evening glass-off. Unless the sand has set up, surf it at high tide. It is sometimes hollow, but generally slow-moving and crumbly. On sunny summer afternoons with a mild swell, the vibe is groovy and festive like a public picnic area on the Fourth of July.

To get there, take Lincoln Boulevard south and turn right on Bay Street. Follow Bay Street down to the Promenade and the beach. -- Van Weyden

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