At Pico Blvd and 16th is Santa Monica College and hidden behind that wall facing 16th is the Santa Monica Swim Center where for 2 bucks (if you’re a resident) you can enjoy two different pools that are usually teeming with kids during the summer months.  (It’s 5 bucks if you live anywhere other than Santa Monica).

When you enter, the lanes are off to the left for those more serious swimmers who can do more than 10 laps – yes, I usually head to the right pool where the kids are – the splash pool.  Or the folks doing water physical therapy.  A quick shower and yer in – you can do laps or just watch the kids do their thing.

Water’s a funky medium.  Whenever my kids were young and cranky, I would throw them in the bath.  The medium of water is so akin to the water makeup in our own bodies, that it has a natural reaction that can be very calming to most.  And it always seemed to do the trick on my kids – it still does.

Now, we throw them into the Santa Monica pool and they have a blast.  There’s usually other kids to play with, the temperature is just about right, and there’s always something to do.

If you would like to take advantage of the swim classes they have, they’re cheap and I would suggest getting on it early – since the classes fill up super fast.  You can do it online at 6am and be one of the first to register, thereby regulating your SuperMom or SuperDad status.

See you in the neighborhood!  And in the pool!

I (like most people) enjoy the fruits of our labor by having a day off.  Actually, I don’t really need a good excuse.  I can come up with one fabricated out of thin air.  That being said, I can appreciate an “official” day off – Labor Day is an excellent excuse to BBQ with friends, enjoy the last days of summer and perhaps have some quality family time before the school year starts.

If shopping is your thing, then you can find all sorts of incentives to be parted with your hard earned money by visiting Santa Monica businesses and merchants who would love to relieve you of your greenbacks in exchange for some item of value.

If you’re looking for something to do, here are a few suggestions:

Malibu Chili Cookoff & Carnival with rides and fun for family.

LACMA is Free today! Los Angeles County of Modern Art is hosting a free event for everyone including live performances by the group Cambalache at 12:30 and 2:45 pm

Maybe I’ll see you at a BBQ later today – I hope so!  Enjoy your last opportunity to wear white!

The Santa Monica Pier is iconic to the City of Santa Monica and is where, I like to say, “It’s where all the tourists end up”.  It’s where Colorado Ave dead ends into Ocean Ave.

View Larger Map

Where all the tourists end up

View of the Pier from the Ferris Wheel

It’s the oldest pier on the West Coast of the US and was featured in Forrest Gump and countless movies.  Year round you can head down, grab a fishing pole and try your hand at what’s in the water – and you don’t need a fishing license when you fish off of a California pier.  You can rent poles and bait for pretty cheap at the end of the pier as well.  If you want to actually see what’s in the water below you, head down to the Aquarium under the Pier run by Heal the Bay.  It’s open to the public and an exceptional place to learn about our oceans and where we live – next to the Big Blue. Taking a stroll down the pier usually means braving the crowds, passing by Bubba Gump’s fish house, the name on rice vendor, maybe the guy with his bubble blowing machine, and countless tourists and vendors.  You can spend some time (and quarters) at the arcade, or stop by the fish house and see the live crab and fish in the tanks.  Then you pick out one to eat!

Kids will enjoy the famous ferris wheel and the mini-theme park with roller coaster and bumper cars.  Yup, usually you can find Kettle Corn, sugary snacks, cotton candy – you know the drill.  Of course, there’s UNDER the pier too.  I don’t think you’re supposed to go there, but I’ve been known to break a few rules now and again.  And again.  And again.  There’s some life rafts tied up vertically to the supporting pylons in case you get caught in high surf (yes, its been known to happen to the best of us) so remember they are there.  And remember weird things happen under the Pier when no one’s looking.  Expect a vagrant or two, or just a young couple necking.  And if you see a middle aged guy running around with his two young kids and it happens to be a Thursday Night at the Pier during the summer Twilight Dance Series, be sure to say hi – It’s probably me with my kids running amok, breaking the rules again.

FREE ELECTRONIC WASTE COLLECTION

Recycle your unwanted electronic waste in an environmentally sound way.

Mt Olive Lutheran Church

in partnership with

California Recycles, Inc. will be offering

FREE ELECTRONIC WASTE COLLECTION

On

Sunday, August 15, 2010

You may drop off as early as Friday, August 13th

at:

1343 Ocean Park Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405

Items Accepted:

Computer Monitors, Televisions Sets, Computers, Printers, Laptops, Copiers, Scanners, Fax Machines, Toner Cartridges, UPS, Cellular Phones, PDA’s, Power Supplies, Circuit Boards, VCR/CD/DVD Players, Home Entertainment Systems, Phone Sets, Microwaves, and other Electronics.

• Household Batteries, Fluorescent Light Bulbs, DVD, CD and VHS tapes, and large appliances will not be accepted.

For more information contact the church office at

310.452.1116 or mtoliveoffice@earthlink.net

It’s easy to be green

Spring at the Beach House

Spring is here! Celebrate the warmer weather and longer days by spending the day at the pool, or by jumping into a dance workshop with our Artist in Residence choreographer Holly Rothschild.

Spring Break Splash!
The pool will be open
Friday, Saturday and Sunday April 2, 3, 4 from 11am-3pm
Friday, Saturday and Sunday April 8, 9, 10 from 11am-3pm
Admission prices: $10 for Adults
$5 for Seniors, aged 60+
$4 for Youth age 1-17
$24 Family Pass (two Adults and
two Youths)
All members of your party must be present when purchasing pool passes. Passes are not available for advance purchase.
Dates and times may change due to weather conditions.

Check out more information at http://www.annenbergbeachhouse.com

And be sure to read my blog post about how fun Annenberg can be with the kids.

Santa Monica Welcomes the LA Marathon!

Santa Monica Welcomes the LA Marathon

This Sunday, March 21, approximately 25,000 runners will race on the world-premiere course through four cities and past dozens of  Los Angeles landmarks before finally heading through Santa Monica on the way to a finish line that’s just steps from the Santa Monica Pier and beach.  The new “Stadium to the Sea” course enters Santa Monica at San Vicente Blvd. and 26th Street. The course will continue west on San Vicente Blvd. and turn south on Ocean Avenue, heading for the finish line at Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Blvd.

The wheelchair/hand crank race will come through Santa Monica around 8:15 a.m., and the first runners are expected to cross into Santa Monica around 8:30 a.m.

During and after the race, residents and fans are welcome to enjoy the festivities planned in the parking lot north of the Santa Monica Pier.  The Finish Line Beach Party will feature live music, food and beverage, exhibitors and other interactive exhibits. Fans are welcome to come early to watch the race on the big screen video board.

Spectators are strongly encouraged to walk, bike or take public transportation to view the race. With family and friends of 25,000 runners plus spectators joining regular Sunday crowds, parking in the Downtown area will be extremely challenging at different points during the day. Use the city’s live parking information website www.smgov.net/parkingspacenow to monitor parking space availability.

FREE!  Bike Valet parking will be available in the 1550 Beach Lot (north of the Pier) and on Arizona Avenue just east of Ocean Avenue from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For the safety of race participants, residents and visitors, the race course is sealed from vehicles. Street closures will be in effect in Santa Monica and throughout Los Angeles along the length of the course. The City website, www.smgov.net/lamarathon, CityTV cable channel 16 and Radio KRSM-AM 1680 will be providing continuous information and updates on street closures starting at midnight on Sunday, March 21.  KTLA-TV 5 will carry the live broadcast of the race beginning at 7:00 a.m.

What streets will be closed and when?

Street closures will begin between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on March 21 and are expected to begin reopening at the east end of the city at 1:00 p.m. and be completely reopened by 3:00 p.m., at the sole discretion of the Santa Monica Police Department.

Ocean Avenue may be closed near the finish line until 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

The westbound lanes of San Vicente Blvd. will be OPEN.  The eastbound lanes of San Vicente Blvd. will be CLOSED.

Ocean Avenue will be CLOSED to all vehicle travel between San Vicente Blvd. and Colorado Avenue; advanced signage will be installed to notify motorists of the roadway closure at Colorado Avenue.

Main Street will be closed between Pico Blvd. and Colorado Avenue during the morning pre-event loading period and until Santa Monica Police authorize a re-opening.  After that, the west side of Main Street between City Hall and the RAND building is a designated runner pick-up area – no parking or standing at any time will be allowed.

The California Incline will be CLOSED.

To access points SOUTH of San Vicente Blvd. from the north, we recommend using 7th Street or Ocean Avenue (northbound) to access the Pacific Coast Highway to travel southbound and access points south of San Vicente Blvd.  Remember, the WESTBOUND lanes of San Vicente Blvd. will be open.

To access points NORTH of San Vicente Blvd. from the south, the I-405 or Pacific Coast Highway is recommended as a means of crossing the race course.

If you have a Marathon-related issue on the day of the race, contact Ginger Williams, Director of Community Relations for the LA MARATHON at ginger@lamarathon.com, 310.271.7200 x103.

Normal service requests or complaints, including blocked driveways, noise or other non-life threatening safety issues, should be directed to the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-458-8491.

As always, call 9-1-1 in the event of a life-threatening emergency.  Also, please be aware that several news and public safety helicopters will be tracking the race and will be present in Santa Monica between approximately 8:45 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.  Please do not be alarmed by them – it just means the race is here!

The LA Marathon is a total community effort.  Hosting the finish line of the 25th annual LA Marathon is a great honor for the city, and we truly appreciate your cooperation and support.  We’d like to know how we can improve residents’ experience with this exciting event should we be asked to host it in future years.  Please send your comments to manager@smgov.net and ginger@lamarathon.com.

Much more marathon information is available at www.smgov.net/lamarathon!

A good friend of mine has been working with this organization for awhile now.  Its a perfect opportunity to learn more about how you can be connected to your community as well as be a part of family wellness.  Check it out and tell them DB sent ya!

Will we see you down on Main St this Saturday at 5pm?  Rumor is that Santa will be there.  Let us know if you are going and we’ll see you there!  Look out for the shopping cart Christmas tree – candlelight walk at 6pm for daring souls.   Raffles, sidewalk sales, and holiday parties abound!

http://www.mainstreetsm.com/holiday-09/

Before I became a Santa Monica real estate agent, I was a stay at home dad for four glorious years with an infant and a toddler and was always looking for fun things to do that didn’t cost anything, or at the very least a minimal amount of money.  And given the nature of the economy at present, I thought it would be great to share these cool things to do.

Santa Monica has some amazing people and places to check out.  Here’s my list, please feel free to add in the comments if you think of something.

1.  Santa Monica farmer’s markets – always a great way to teach your kids about food and where it comes from.

2.  The library – the new library downtown on 6th is a green LEED certified building, so you can feel better about that!  Plus there’s a free story time!

3.  Santa Monica airport – there’s a viewing station you can watch the planes take off and land.  If you get lucky, a pilot might let you check out the inside of a cockpit.

4.  The BEACH! – Always a hit.  Although parking may cost you a buck.

Free Fun in the Sun

5.  Parks – Santa Monica has some excellent parks great for walking, exercising, having a birthday party and more!

Virginia Park

6.  Sledding in Southern California – in the winter they create huge piles of sand to deter beach erosion.

7.  Open Houses – if you are looking for homes for sale in Santa Monica, then come and visit one of my open houses – I usually have treats and kids are always welcome.  Contact me to find out where I’ll be on Sunday in Santa Monica.

Add yours to the comment section below!

Oh My We Are Blessed

I visit the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market almost every Wednesday morning, preferably early since the best stuff goes quick (kind of like everything in life)

And every time I visit, I try something new – today was this incredible creature – an organic tropical dragon fruit.  Made me think I was visiting Kauai again with the amazing fruits at the farmers markets there.

This was a treat to be certain.  And I must admit, my two kids and I loved chopping up such a beautiful thing and eating it, chins dripping.  Like a kiwi, but more beautiful, daring, and enticing.

As we say sometimes at dinner – “I’d like to thank the farmers who grew our food, and the people who brought it to us”  So, thanks to you guys, once again.  We eat for another week.

See you next week on another culinary adventure!

Come on down to Santa Monica’s very own Pico Blvd and check out some great art, cool cars, workshops, studios, grub, and businesses this Saturday the 17th from 10am – 5pm. There’s even free parking at SMC with a free shuttle on a double decker bus from Starline Tours.

For more information, please visit the picopassport.com folks.

We hope to see you there!

Here is the calendar of events happening in Santa Monica from our friends over at FOSP:

October 6 – SMC Board of Trustees - Business Building – 1900 Pico Blvd. – 7 PM -
agenda: www.smc.edu <http://www.smc.edu/>

October 7 – SMC 2009 Master Plan Update - Community Meeting - 7 PM - Academy of
Entertainment & Technology, Rm. 235, 1660 Stewart St., SM 90404

October 7 & 21 – Planning Commission – City Hall – 7 PM – agenda: www.smgov.net <http://www.smgov.net/>

October 8 - FOSP Board/Membership meeting - Mt. Olive Church - 7 PM – www.FriendsofSunsetPark.org <http://www.friendsofsunsetpark.org/>

October 8 – Special LA Opera Concert – “The Elixir of Love” by Donizetti – 7 PM -
Main Library – 601 Santa Monica Blvd.

October 10 – Fairview Library Literature Book Group – 11 AM – Ocean Park Blvd. at 21st -
James Baldwin’s novel Go Tell It on the Mountain

October 13 & 27 – City Council - City Hall - 6:45 PM – agenda: www.smgov.net <http://www.smgov.net/>

October 14 – SMC 2009 Master Plan Update – 7 PM – Scoping meeting to solicit public comments with
regard to potential environmental impacts that may occur as a result of the proposed project -
SMC Main Campus, Business Building Rm. 111, 1900 Pico Blvd.

October 14 - Expo Light Rail Phase 2 - Update on the FEIR (Final Environmental Impact Report) -
6 to 8:30 PM - Civic Auditorium East Wing – 1855 Main Street – www.BuildExpo.org <http://www.buildexpo.org/>

October 15 - The Great California ShakeOut – 10:15 AM - An annual statewide drill to practice how to
protect ourselves during an earthquake – “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” – www.shakeout.org <http://www.shakeout.org/>

October 15 – SMMUSD Board of Education - District Office, 1651 16th St. – 5:30 PM -
agenda: www.smmusd.org <http://www.smmusd.org/>

October 16 - Observing Jupiter and the moon through an array of telescopes – SMC’s Drescher
Planetarium – 1900 Pico Blvd. – www.smc.edu/planetarium <http://www.smc.edu/planetarium>

October 17 – Neighborhood Council - Ken Edwards Center, 1527 4th St. - 10 AM

October 26 – Social Service Commission - Ken Edwards Center, 1527 4th St. - 7 PM

October 26 – Airport Commission - City Hall - 7:30 PM - agenda: http://www01.smgov.net/airport/

The window where the money goes

I had the distinct pleasure to stay home with the kids today since they were feeling a little under the weather the night previous.  A romp at the Santa Monica beach, and then a block straight up Pico Blvd for some free parking at Cha Cha Chicken to soothe the hungry beasts.

Slurping Canteloupe Aqua Fresca

I haven’t been here in awhile, but I must say, they always do it right.  If you are looking for some Caribbean flavor with a price that is fairly easy on the pocketbook, hit this place up.  Everyone is friendly, there’s a downright slow beachy vibe happening and the kids will love it.

Cha Cha Ching!

We opted to share the Cha Cha chicken plate with dirty rice and beans complete with plaintains and a Canteloupe aqua fresca.  Needless to say, kids were happy – which is the reason for everything these days.  If the kids are happy, so will you be.

An A Rating! And they're helping the Bay too!

They also are a certified Clean Bay Restaurant with Santa Monica which always goes a good long way in my book.  And to boot, they’ve got an A rating.  Good times in my book.  Check em out and let me know what you think.  I’ll meet you there for lunch!

The Secret is, at Back on the Beach you can enjoy company and a good meal while watching your young kids play on the playground.  Then when the meal finally comes and they are tuckered out, everyone can enjoy a meal together.  And the best part?  They eat and then go out and play again!  I love the new Back on the Beach!

I love having my very own private beach club at Annenberg.  Two kids, two adults = $24 bucks and tons of fun.  After a long swim, we strolled over to the revamped Back on the Beach for some burgers, salad and french fries.

We sat with some amazing friends and just watched the kids romp around on the outdoor playground in the sand.  Being a parent of two kids under the age of 5, I am always happy when they are happy, playing with friends and getting exercise.

God bless the beach!

Check out another article about the beach house here.

For Sale By Owner

This incredibly well done home for sale in Santa Monica is going to make someone very happy.  The owners have painstakingly redone this place with 14′ vaulted ceilings, double paned windows with urban views, blue-jean insulation, and incredible custom woodwork throughout.  At 1700 sq ft, on a 5000 ft lot, 3 bedroom, 2 bath and extra office space and a guest cottage, this place has it all.

You can check out the web link here: http://web.mac.com/landscapebybeth/iWeb/Site%202/812%20Ashland%20Ave.html

If you are interested in getting comps for this home or any other for that matter, click here.  We’ll hook you up.

While we are keen to be creating content, now and again in starting something new, especially when we are asking YOU to be a part of it, we need to do some maintenance.  Hence, this post is really about nothing in particular.  But if you find yourself reading it, you must be someone we want to speak with.  Sign up and be a part of the discussion.

DB