Today is the third of our annual Year in Review features. The next four editions of the print paper will contain the Year in Review and while the newspapers will be filled with end of year coverage, you can find the regular features such as columns, breaking news and calendar listings every day on our website at smdp.com.
July
Murals of Santa Monica receive national acclaim and more are coming: The city’s iconic murals received recognition as the rest of the nation is reminded of what we all already know: the giant paintings that adorn the sides, fronts and backs of many buildings in Santa Monica are among the best and the most beautiful in the country.
July 5 is the dirtiest beach day of the year: The day after Independence Day is when the beaches up and down the Southern Californian coast suffer the most litter, garbage and plastic pollution, according to non-profit environmental organization, the Surfrider Foundation.
50-year-old, family-run izakaya from Tokyo opens first US eatery in Santa Monica: A Japanese, family-run restaurant company called the Roku Corporation, with 13 outlets across Tokyo, opened its first location in the US and it’s in Santa Monica. Called Shirubē and located at 424 Wilshire Blvd, the izakaya operated by brothers and owners Kodai and Yudai Uno offers grilled meats and seafood, together with fresh vegetables from Southern California farmers markets.
Jewish Family Service: Jewish Family Service LA (JFSLA) was honored as a 2023 California Non-profit of the Year by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur.
It’s time for the Parade!: Santa Monica’s only parade took to the streets again on July 4, returning to its traditional route along Main Street. The 16th iteration of the Independence Day event was themed “A Sign of Better Days to Come” and organizers brought the town out to experience the City’s flagship gatherings.
Police get more officers and tech upgrades in new budget: The City Council approved its $745 million budget. As proposed to Council already included the addition of six police officers and one police sergeant to expand the Homeless Liaison Program team, investing in technology to enhance community safety, enhanced patrol and security services at the Pier, Beach, and Downtown, a new transit safety officer program for Big Blue Bus (BBB) and the restoration of staff to the Santa Monica Animal Shelter.
Shoppers express concern, but also hope, over homelessness downtown: With homelessness top of mind for residents across Los Angeles, visitors to the Promenade had mixed opinions about the impact homelessness has on their daily lives. The Daily Press asked visitors on the Promenade about their experience with homelessness and if it deterred them from returning. The overall consensus was mixed, as out of 25 people questioned, 13 people said the homeless population won’t affect their decision to return, while 12 people said that it would deter them from returning.
Girl Scout Award: 13 rising 6th grade Junior Girl Scouts (Troop 765) completed their Bronze award with over 260 (troop total) service hours, in support of Santa Monica Animal Shelter.
$27.4 million project for Third Street offers much needed boost to Promenade morale: Beverly Hills-based real estate investment banking firm Sonnenblick-Eichner Company announced it secured a $27.4-million development loan for a new 25,000-sq-ft retail and office building located at 1404-1408 Third Street.
New budget increases fees and fines: A host of fees and fines increased with the adoption of the city’s $745 million budget. The bulk of increases, including most fees and parking rates, increased by 4 percent to keep up with inflation concerns. However, about 140 fees were added, altered beyond the standard increase or had their services clarified.
Police and fire rescue man from bluffs after multi-hour standoff: Traffic was closed in both directors along the California Incline and a sizable section of Palisades Park was taped off by the city’s police and fire departments as officers responded to a potential suicide attempt.
Santa Monica celebrates a safe July 4 amid national trend towards violence: The Independence Day holiday brought some welcome sunshine and jovial crowds to Santa Monica but in contrast to the national trends, the day was relatively calm and free of serious incidents.
Haque’s Bodega set to beef up security following shock burglary at Lincoln Fine Wines: Following a heinous break-in at Lincoln Fine Wines, the store’s owner, Nazmul Haque, felt like he had little choice but to bolster security at his sister store, Haque’s Bodega, on 4th Street, Santa Monica. Security cameras inside the Venice store recorded an unidentified individual wearing a mask, a dark hoodie and red-billed baseball cap carefully selecting and stealing more than 600 bottles of fine wines worth over $700,000.
Vice President Harris pays a visit to Alfalfa’s Santa Monica location to promote small businesses: Vice President Kamala Harris paid a visit to the popular Alfalfa salad restaurant on Main Street this week as part of a mission to highlight how small businesses have fared under the so-called “Bidenomics” program.
As summer hits, tourism still lags from pre-pandemic highs: As Santa Monica entered the height of the summer seasons the city’s tourist industry had yet to recover from its pandemic slump, however, visitor numbers were increasing and there were signs the area continued to be attractive to tourists.
More people are working for less money: A raft of economic data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in July was best described as two steps forward and one step back, with more business openings and more people finding work, but those new employees making less money.
Climate crisis of high concern to locals and tourists alike: In July, the Daily Press asked shoppers along the Promenade about climate change, their concern over the environment and what more they’d like to be done about the crisis. The overwhelming consensus was that people are indeed very disturbed by the latest environmental catastrophes and they are making changes to their lifestyle. Out of the 21 surveyed, 13 stated that they were very concerned, four were mildly concerned and only four had little to no regard to the topic.
Eagle Scout Project: Local Scout Barry Moore presented his Eagle Scout project to New Roads School. Moore helped build eight colorful planters with Troop 50 over several weekends in June as part of a project promoting biodiversity.
Extreme inland heat may drive many to the coast: Santa Monica’s weather remained slightly cooler than normal for much of the year and while temperatures increased a little in early July, local conditions were vastly more comfortable than neighboring communities that braced for a full-fledged summer heatwave.
Santa Monica police respond to beach shooting and motel standoff over the weekend: Two young women were shot on the beach during a large party on the beach and in the adjacent lot. The victims were transported to local hospitals for treatment. In a second incident a woman with a gun prompted a five-hour standoff with police at a downtown motel. Eventually, the female suspect surrendered to SMPD without further incident.
One-wheeled fundraiser: Lukas Oakley, an Air Force veteran, took his electric unicycle for a 3,000 mile journey across the country to bring awareness to the Wounded Warrior Project and ended his trip at the Santa Monica beach.
Inflation marches upward, but at a slower pace: Prices for almost everything in the Los Angeles region continued to increase but the rate of growth is slowed dramatically, offering glimmers of hope to price-strapped consumers.
Barnes & Noble announce new Santa Monica store: Book lovers rejoiced as Barnes & Noble announced it would reopen a store on the Promenade. The opening had been rumored and hinted at with cryptic window signs and social media posts but the news became official with a large banner outside the location on the 1300 block of the Promenade.
Opinions on the future of retail are as varied as who you ask: The Daily Press asked shoppers downtown what they thought of the city’s overall retail environment. Shoppers had mixed opinions about the current state of retail and businesses, with detractors saying the reason for the Promenade’s downfall is due to the population of homeless people, while others pointed to high rents. Several shoppers familiar with the Santa Monica area said the Montana Ave. shopping area is thriving in comparison to the Downtown shopping scene. There was little consensus on what would make the Promenade more appealing with some shoppers wanting more big brands, some wanting more independent options, some cited more diversity in food options as a draw and others said they wanted different kinds of clothing options.
The summer brings a multitude of new business to the city of Santa Monica: The summer in Santa Monica bought the opening of Restore Hyper Wellness to 1031 Montana Ave. The opening comes alongside the openings of Gogo Ya, Ms. Clucks Deluxe and Mr Roni Cups to the Kitchen United Mix on the Promenade, and the opening of Spanish tapas restaurant Xuntos at 516 Santa Monica Blvd.
Credit: Scott Snowden
Interplay of residency and race drive discussions over Santa Monica traffic stops: A Public Safety Reform and Oversight commission meeting was dominated by the discussion surrounding the interplay of who is pulled over in Santa Monica for traffic violation and why those stops occur in the first place. The debate surrounding “pretextual” traffic stops grew with the commission eventually recommending SMPD discontinue the practice.
71% of schools not in “good repair”: The vast majority of Santa Monica schools were in need of repair according to data provided to state regulators, but the reality on the ground may not be as dire as the paperwork suggests. Officials said with the top score essentially amounting to perfection, the rankings do not reflect much of the improvement that has happened at various campuses recently, and that district staff are working their way through work orders associated with facility problems with an eye toward better scores next year.
New nursery blooms in the northeast: The small-but-beloved nursery Leaf & Petal Co that operated out of a quirky location at 302 Colorado Ave. permanently closed, but the daughter of the owner opened a brand new nursery called Staghorn at 2923 Wilshire Blvd.
Councilmember Phil Brock harassed and pelted on Third Street Promenade: Councilmember Phil Brock, together with his partner Kathryn Boole, were involved in an altercation on the Third Street Promenade when Brock approached a homeless man only to be pelted with soda and have his hat stolen. A tussle ensued as the councilman struggled to keep a grip on his hat. The suspect was arrested. In the same weekend police officers responded to the intersection of 4th Street and Santa Monica Blvd for a stabbing at a bus stop and a body was found in the street at Wilshire and 14th.
Hotel union wants to raise the minimum wage to $30 per hour: The union representing local hotel workers filed paperwork to raise Santa Monica’s minimum wage to $30 an hour for the hospitality industry. Unite Here Local 11 filed a notice of intent and if approved by voters, the new $30 per hour wage would be the highest in the nation.
Santa Monica is the second least affordable city in the country for new homebuyers: A ranking by WalletHub listed Santa Monica as the second worst city in the country for new homebuyers. The city came in at 299 out of 300 cities ranked on a variety of metrics across affordability, the real estate market and quality of life.
Retail continues to rebound with new outlets opening on Main Street: New openings include DMN8, an already-popular outdoor gym that opened a new indoor gym at 3101 Main Street. Other openings included a piercing and fine jewelry store, Aesthetic Ambition, at 2502 Main Street, and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Experience at 1247 3rd Street Promenade to promote a new movie opening.
Barbie paints the town pink with successful DTSM residency: Barbie-mania boosted Downtown Santa Monica in 2023 through the World of Barbie exhibit at Santa Monica Place. World of Barbie, which ran from May to September, was an immersive experience akin to an interactive museum that offered guests a chance to become part of the Barbie World.
Emergency freeway closure announced to stabilize parts of the bluffs: Emergency repairs were needed to repair an unstable portion of the Santa Monica Bluffs and City Hall announced an overnight closure of the I-10 freeway and northbound Pacific Coast highway to address the problem.
Elks donation to food bank: Santa Monica Elks 906 awarded $4,000 to the Westside Food Bank. The money will help feed 16,000 local citizens, according to the food bank.
New gym helps you work out after partaking in the new restaurant surge: The Auld Fella announced a second location at 11831 Wilshire Blvd, bringing contemporary Irish cuisine and craft cocktails to the Westside. Another opening was Katsu Bar at 3032 Wilshire Blvd.
Commission wants rent controlled tenants to be able to buy their units: In a report presented to Council, the Housing Commission outlined a variety of ideas for encouraging homeownership, specifically shifting incentives from building rental units to encouraging construction of units that will be for sale and at the same time and exploring ways to convert existing rental units to owner-occupied units.
Elks donation to local club: Santa Monica Elks 906 awarded $3,500 to the Santa Monica Breakfast Club. The money will help underprivileged children in the Santa Monica area with needed dental care.
Lyft sued after woman leaps from moving car: A Los Angeles County woman, Lal Finci, filed a lawsuit against ride-hailing company Lyft, Inc., and its driver, Christian Denis Cooper, alleging she suffered physical and emotional injuries after having to jump out of the window of a moving car during a Santa Monica originated Lyft ride in 2021.
Santa Monica PONY Baseball 16U Colt National Team advances to 2023 International World Series: The Santa Monica PONY Baseball (SMPB) 16U National Team was named West Zone Tournament Champions after a thrilling come-from-behind win against Azusa in Covina, California.
County launches anti-hate beaches: Los Angeles County’s anti-hate system, LA vs Hate, launched new anti-hate lifeguard towers across the County’s beaches. 40 different lifeguard towers from Malibu all the way south to Torrance featured billboards with the slogan “Keep Our Beaches Hate Free,” informing the public that victims and witnesses of hate should report to 211 or LAvsHate.org to receive support.
New pop-up pickleball court comes to the Promenade: The former site of the Adidas store, 1231 3rd Street, reopened as an indoor pickleball club, PicklePop, complete with a bar and chill out areas. The opening was one of several targeting the massively popular sport including Pickletown on Lincoln and the Pickleball Center on Wilshire.
Several trees to be removed for mold project at Muir/SMASH: Seven trees were cut down on the John Muir Elementary and Santa Monica Alternative School House (SMASH) campus to facilitate repair of mold and water damage that has emptied the location of students.
Curtain may fall on 50-year music business: The Santa Monica Music Center said it was facing closure. The historic music store operated by Mayor Pro Tempore Lana Negrete and her family began looking for other locations, both inside and outside the city, due to high rents, persistent theft and a challenging business climate.
10th time’s a charm for Planning Commission appointments: It took Council 10 rounds of voting to pick three individuals for the Planning Commission with multiple rounds of identical repeat voting highlighting stubborn differences in council factions. A total of seven residents applied for the three open positions, with Jim Ries, Josh D. Hamilton and Nina Fresco earning the spots after contentious voting splits within Council.
Statewide expansion of rent control qualifies for 2024 ballot for the third time: The Secretary of State announced that supporters of a measure that would let cities put new restrictions on how much landlords can hike the rent had gathered enough signatures to put it on the November 2024 ballot.
Rooftop cinema, Promenade vending cart program and kiosks approved by Council: Facing a vacancy rate of about 28 percent, DTSM pitched several ideas for revitalizing the Promenade including rooftop cinema, expanded vending cart programs and new information kiosks.
National Night Out returns to City Hall: Santa Monica celebrated National Night Out with events and activities at City Hall.
Elks fund LA Food donations: Westchester Elks Lodge #2050’s Exalted Ruler Diane Phillips, along with First Gentleman Willie Phillips, presented a check for $2,500 to the Food Pantry LAX after the Lodge was awarded the amount from the Elks National Foundation’s (ENF) Gratitude Grant.