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Tags: Santa Monica Pier / Attraction / Animals / → All Tags
Ferris Wheels, Burgers, and Mischievous Octopi at the Santa Monica Pier
For years the Santa Monica Pier was the place where locals got drugs and tourists got robbed (technically locals also got robbed too but that screws up the balance of the sentence).
It's always been a recognizable part of LA history: opened in 1909, emerged as an iconic landmark featured in TV and film, became a celebrated beatnik destination, and so on. It's just it hasn't always been a safe recognizable part of LA history. In the past few years, though, gentrification has slowly worked its wonderful magic. Today it's brimming with activity and people-watching potential, populated by this weird mix of beach rats, hipsters, and tourists.
The pier has a permanent bevy of restaurants, shops, and amusements plus a bunch of rotating shows and events - dance lessons, high school recitals, and circus performances. For instance next month they're putting on Sideshow at the Pier, "an eclectic and fast-paced show featuring jugglers, fire-eaters, tap dancers, singers, clowns, puppeteers, mimes and comedy teams."
An outing can easily consume a lackadaisical afternoon. It's a pier with a gigantic Ferris wheel on a Southern California beach framed by a crystal blue sky. Tough to screw that up.
