I was born in Maine but, in 1959 Dad brought us to Santa Monica. Pacific Place across from the beach near Venice and SM Pier. I played with my friends at age 8 (No parents in sight) and rode our Bikes all day, then surfing, playing on the Pier and just having fun as Beach bums. Attended all the schools, Will Rogers Elementary, SAMOHI, SM College and UCLA after US Army using my G.I. Bill. Thank God for that! I really have great memories of Santa Monica. Living in SM Canyon on East Rustic and more. Like 21507 PCH in Malibu when my grandmother told my dad she'd give him a down payment for that home. `1964 it sold for$50,000' and today, My Inheritance would be worth $3 million. lol damn dad, why? He died at age 61 of Alcoholism. RIP. Yes, we all loved Santa Monica. How could we not. Blesss you all, thank you for this video. James & Family 59-2022
@@donmc1526 I worked at Cheerio Restaurant, S Monica while attending SAMOHI. Also worked for my Stepmother Nellie Escobar, Casa Escobar Restaurant Wilshire. Years later 1985 I sold food to ALL Casa Escobars. Great account. Dad worked for RATNER BROS MEATS Santa Monica, Broadway Ave. I left for US Army Europe 1972 after High school. Worked for General Al Haig, HQ's NATO. 75-79. 9th Infantry, 82nd, 2nd mechanized. Investigator with Polizei Germany, MP's, Italian Carabinieri. I should have stayed in as LIFER 30 years. Gone to OCS. Had that great Pension! Damn. Nice to know you. We live in Encino, CA these days 8 miles from S Monica. City is just too expensive and crowded. It changed. Not small Beach town anymore. It is a greedy, over populated, traffic screwn rat race! Sadly. Ocean is polluted badly with raw sewage so surfing, swimming is impossible unless you like being sick. I grew up at 1020 6th St. and East Rustic SM Canyon. God I miss those days!!! Bless you brother
I lived on 6th, 14th and 21st streets, N of Wilshire. I miss the old days of Zucky's, Friars restaurant, Swensen's and the theater on 26th and Wilshire!!
Renée oh sweet!! before my parents met my mom lived on cal avenue! haha i went to lincoln middle school, and i used to walk past saint monicas to get to the promenade all the time! i also went to roosevelt elementary
This Millennial agree with you, since mid-late 2000s-current years, especially when the city demolish and remodeled the Santa Monica Place. I miss Sears and the Old Mall, those were the 90s Santa Monica I remembered. I've heard the the 60s and 70s were amazing at Samo my father recalls.
Alfredo Becerra i grew up with the old mall i miss the food court i still remeber the whole set up. photo booth, the seating. and the promenade is nothing like it used to be. the clothing store where they had the Freaky Friday movie scene is gone and so is Barnes an d noble so many others. the food hall was rebuilt baja buds and all the restaraunts there the best places r gone. i also miss the criterian now its victorias secret whihc didnt even need 2 move there its just contractors making deals with corrupt city council. the chief of Sm police is satanic...now its only in our memory and hearts
Alfredo Becerra i miss sears as well!!! i totally recall going up the stairs past the paint color cards and reaching the blanket section every winter!!
Changed a lot over the last 20 or 30 years. Now, Skid Row sleeps in Ocean Park. Poo on the sidewalks. Gangs on the streets after dark. It is too dangerous to live there. Same goes for Koreatown. K’town and Santa Monica were my last two neighborhoods in California. I moved out permanently very recently. Won’t go back to live. The price of housing outweights the perceived ‘luxury’ of living there any more. A person in retirement can live better in Dubai for about the same amount of money without being bothered by criminal sorts.
I used to go there all the time to the beach, and walked to Venice Beach and back all the time. I even worked on the pier for 2 summers operating the rides.
one of my favorite places ever, wish I could've been there in its prime. however I do feel bad going there as a tourist because the place seems so much nicer without us there
I was born in Santa Monica in 1946 and I spent my summers and weekends at the beach between POP and Santa Monica pier A great place in area to grow up in
I played there in the early 90s. The pier was still OK. Muscle beach was ok. Fun to walk or run there. I lived in Redondo beach and ran more down that way but did hit Santa Monica now and then, rode the ferris wheel on the pier as lat as 2004.
Always very pleasant. The promenade is entertaining yet peaceful. It’s been a special plane for a long time. I’ve got to see the old Vita- movie studio next time! Peace all.
My Great Great grandparents owned a Saloon , a boarding house and a market on 3rd street back in the 1870's and beyond. there Boarding house was next door to what was called Del Mar Ice Creams, and they owned the property were the Broadway theater sets today.
I am proud to be from one of Santa Monica's Founding families. I am the last to move out , and could not imagen what life was like in Santa Monica when it's population was only 400. my great, great grand parent's Owen a butcher shop, and a Saloon on 3rd street, back in the 1870's. and a Boarding house at 1777 2nd street. I think the old house is still there only converted into an apartment building now.
So sad what’s happened to it with the invasion of homeless encampments. Temporary and affordable housing needs to be made available so we can get our community back to what it was.
I dont know why they say it is the last amusement pier to be built? That makes no sense to not have them. The east coast had tons of boardwalks and rides especially New Jersey, and the weather was only warm to swim from June to beginning of Oct. In LA the beach is good for swimming from early April till about mid Oct, sometimes a little later, even in the winter it is not so cold, like 40-65 degrees, you can still go down and hang out there in a sweatshirt, no jacket needed, no snow etc..the weather in southern CA is much better for boardwalks and amusement piers.
@@willoughby1888 Yes but the rail system (that is never enforced) brought many more. I saw the spike in crime after 2014 and politicians looked the other way. Blind eye hypocrites.
Straight up, California was in its prime in the 1950s. It was like being in a dream.
Sure seems like it. The counter culture of the 1960s destroyed all of that. Hasn’t been the same since.
I always thought the entire USA was at it's zenith in the late 1960s.
I was born in Maine but, in 1959 Dad brought us to Santa Monica. Pacific Place across from the beach near Venice and SM Pier. I played with my friends at age 8 (No parents in sight) and rode our Bikes all day, then surfing, playing on the Pier and just having fun as Beach bums. Attended all the schools, Will Rogers Elementary, SAMOHI, SM College and UCLA after US Army using my G.I. Bill. Thank God for that! I really have great memories of Santa Monica. Living in SM Canyon on East Rustic and more. Like 21507 PCH in Malibu when my grandmother told my dad she'd give him a down payment for that home. `1964 it sold for$50,000' and today, My Inheritance would be worth $3 million. lol damn dad, why? He died at age 61 of Alcoholism. RIP. Yes, we all loved Santa Monica. How could we not. Blesss you all, thank you for this video. James & Family 59-2022
I loved growing up in Santa Monica, was born there in 1955. Use to love the Swedish Inn resturant. Had the best meatballs!
@@donmc1526 I worked at Cheerio Restaurant, S Monica while attending SAMOHI. Also worked for my Stepmother Nellie Escobar, Casa Escobar Restaurant Wilshire. Years later 1985 I sold food to ALL Casa Escobars. Great account. Dad worked for RATNER BROS MEATS Santa Monica, Broadway Ave. I left for US Army Europe 1972 after High school. Worked for General Al Haig, HQ's NATO. 75-79. 9th Infantry, 82nd, 2nd mechanized. Investigator with Polizei Germany, MP's, Italian Carabinieri. I should have stayed in as LIFER 30 years. Gone to OCS. Had that great Pension! Damn. Nice to know you. We live in Encino, CA these days 8 miles from S Monica. City is just too expensive and crowded. It changed. Not small Beach town anymore. It is a greedy, over populated, traffic screwn rat race! Sadly. Ocean is polluted badly with raw sewage so surfing, swimming is impossible unless you like being sick. I grew up at 1020 6th St. and East Rustic SM Canyon. God I miss those days!!! Bless you brother
Miss the 90s Santa Monica
That was the best So was the eighties. I work at the Broadway department store I worked at Robinson's department store those were some good times
I lived on 6th, 14th and 21st streets, N of Wilshire. I miss the old days of Zucky's, Friars restaurant, Swensen's and the theater on 26th and Wilshire!!
Renée i lived on 14th too!! after growing up on 11th street i got an apt on 14th for a minute
Renée at least they kept the zuckys sign up on wilshire
@@mazzystar5342 How cool! My best friend lived on 11th and California ave! Going to Saint Monica's I'd walk home most of the time!
@@mazzystar5342 Yeah that's a classic! I went to kindergarten on 5th (I don't remember much but it was on the same side of the street as Zucky's)!😀
Renée oh sweet!! before my parents met my mom lived on cal avenue! haha
i went to lincoln middle school, and i used to walk past saint monicas to get to the promenade all the time! i also went to roosevelt elementary
miss the old SM.
This Millennial agree with you, since mid-late 2000s-current years, especially when the city demolish and remodeled the Santa Monica Place. I miss Sears and the Old Mall, those were the 90s Santa Monica I remembered. I've heard the the 60s and 70s were amazing at Samo my father recalls.
Alfredo Becerra i grew up with the old mall i miss the food court i still remeber the whole set up. photo booth, the seating. and the promenade is nothing like it used to be. the clothing store where they had the Freaky Friday movie scene is gone and so is Barnes an d noble so many others. the food hall was rebuilt baja buds and all the restaraunts there the best places r gone. i also miss the criterian now its victorias secret whihc didnt even need 2 move there its just contractors making deals with corrupt city council. the chief of Sm police is satanic...now its only in our memory and hearts
Alfredo Becerra i miss sears as well!!! i totally recall going up the stairs past the paint color cards and reaching the blanket section every winter!!
@@mazzystar5342 Yeah it looked like another typical mall filled with typical national brands just outside LOL
Changed a lot over the last 20 or 30 years. Now, Skid Row sleeps in Ocean Park. Poo on the sidewalks. Gangs on the streets after dark. It is too dangerous to live there. Same goes for Koreatown. K’town and Santa Monica were my last two neighborhoods in California. I moved out permanently very recently. Won’t go back to live. The price of housing outweights the perceived ‘luxury’ of living there any more.
A person in retirement can live better in Dubai for about the same amount of money without being bothered by criminal sorts.
Love Santa Monica
I used to go there all the time to the beach, and walked to Venice Beach and back all the time. I even worked on the pier for 2 summers operating the rides.
Did you leave California ?
one of my favorite places ever, wish I could've been there in its prime. however I do feel bad going there as a tourist because the place seems so much nicer without us there
It is lol
I was born in Santa Monica in 1946 and I spent my summers and weekends at the beach between POP and Santa Monica pier A great place in area to grow up in
and keeping the city somewhat peaceful like it used to be when I was growing up.
That was wonderful. Kay Pattison as star was terrific.
I played there in the early 90s. The pier was still OK. Muscle beach was ok. Fun to walk or run there. I lived in Redondo beach and ran more down that way but did hit Santa Monica now and then, rode the ferris wheel on the pier as lat as 2004.
Always very pleasant. The promenade is entertaining yet peaceful. It’s been a special plane for a long time. I’ve got to see the old Vita- movie studio next time! Peace all.
My Great Great grandparents owned a Saloon , a boarding house and a market on 3rd street back in the 1870's and beyond. there Boarding house was next door to what was called Del Mar Ice Creams, and they owned the property were the Broadway theater sets today.
I am proud to be from one of Santa Monica's Founding families. I am the last to move out , and could not imagen what life was like in Santa Monica when it's population was only 400. my great, great grand parent's Owen a butcher shop, and a Saloon on 3rd street, back in the 1870's. and a Boarding house at 1777 2nd street. I think the old house is still there only converted into an apartment building now.
I loved visiting there when I lived in the LA area back in 2000 - 2001 but the high cost of low living is a real turn off.
They tried that outdoor mall idea here in Texas too. Ruined downtown, took decades for them to admit the mistake and try to fix it.
The one here looked beautiful and convenient. Is that a bad thing?
So sad what’s happened to it with the invasion of homeless encampments. Temporary and affordable housing needs to be made available so we can get our community back to what it was.
I dont know why they say it is the last amusement pier to be built? That makes no sense to not have them. The east coast had tons of boardwalks and rides especially New Jersey, and the weather was only warm to swim from June to beginning of Oct. In LA the beach is good for swimming from early April till about mid Oct, sometimes a little later, even in the winter it is not so cold, like 40-65 degrees, you can still go down and hang out there in a sweatshirt, no jacket needed, no snow etc..the weather in southern CA is much better for boardwalks and amusement piers.
It's the last amusement pier remaining on the West coast.
Santa Monica, a city where they are tough on taxpayers but easy on criminals
Santa Monica is not for minimum wage peasants like yourself. It's for those who can afford it.
Let's extend the metro into Santa Monica and bring all the dregs of society into our city. there's an idea council members
@@willoughby1888 Yes but the rail system (that is never enforced) brought many more. I saw the spike in crime after 2014 and politicians looked the other way. Blind eye hypocrites.
The city has NO bizzazz
No- this is not an accurate history. Please retract.
And then the homeless moved in...
1:15 okay so .. in 1896 y'all had ELECTRIC public transport!? ... what the bleep happened to the country ? definitely lost the cold war ...