I’ve become very enthusiastic about Santa Monica in the recent month. It’s the new it-place on my list, not necessarily for being trendy or hip, but for being (relatively) more laid-back than the rest of Los Angeles.
So like I admitted in one of my first blogs, I hold a special little, well big, spot in my heart for San Francisco. And living in L.A. part-time, while I love it, does make me miss the cool, funky, mellow, welcoming, warm atmosphere of my birth place city (warm, probably not the best word to describe San Francisco, considering that walking along the piers during summer requires a scarf…)

Anyways, LA is faster, the people a little more intense, the freeways a little more snaking, the four-lane streets stretching for miles, skyscraping apartment buildings smushed side-by-side, parks as few and far as possible. Now I don’t accuse LA of anything, and I love this city for everything it has to offer (why else would I be writing about you, LA!). But it’s clear that some aspects of it just aren’t 100% me.

Which explains why I’ve been so thrilled to discover that a little bit of that “me”, that Bay Area-ness, has unearthed itself in Santa Monica. Strolling along 6th street (actually power-walking / half-running… there you go, the super-rushed LA coming out in me- can’t deny it…), I felt all of a sudden a calming sensation, (like on my bathroom break at work today: I attempted to do a Tree pose in the bathroom. A perfect release from pulling espresso shots all day. That is until I almost fell into the paper towel holder. Like I said, a moment of calm.) Anyway, yes, back to the calming sensation. See, you know, as much as I try to be focused and at one with myself and the earth, my train of thoughts diverge like the sprawl of LA freeways.

Okay, so I was explaining my feelings walking in Santa Monica, a total change from Westwood, while they’re no more than 20 minutes away. Santa Monica seemed to move a bit slower, the people smiled a little more, the sun seemed to shine a little brighter, unless it was the contrast against the strikingly green lawns- a new color rarely seen in Los Angeles. It seemed to me just a teensy-bit, slightly, somewhat closer to San Francisco. I emphasize the somewhat, because it’s definitely not similar to the city in many ways, but the fact is, it’s closer to San Francisco than the rest of LA, I think.

I like the outdoors-y feel, the liberal tree-hugging mentality that both the Santa Monica and San Francisco (of course I’m generalizing) offer: the granola-munching, yoga-loving quasi-hippie-ish folk. True, it may be the yuppy uppity version of hippies- organic meals (only from Whole Foods, at course), only the newest and most luxurious yoga studio, Hard Tail yoga pants costing $60, and a Prius instead of a bike- but it’s refreshing, nevertheless.

I feel like I should be spending more time in this city so I can begin to call it a little home away from home. While at the same time, spending more time, in more places in LA, so I can call it my home away from home as well. I don’t want to ignore Los Angeles after all! I just might spend my Sunday afternoons in Santa Monica, but don’t worry LA, the weekdays are devoted to you.

Photo by Oscalito via Flickr

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