(bikini top & bottom from target)
If there is one place I would live right now, Santa Monica would be it. I love it here. From everything to the beaches, the pier, thrift stores, shopping, restaurants, people... I could go on and on and rave about all the reasons why I love it.
It is home to Third Street Promenade, my favorite shopping destination in Los Angeles. It's a similar feeling I had when I was on Granville Road in Hong Kong because the moment I set foot on this outdoor pedestrian-oriented shopping district, I literally was in awe how it holds a lot of my favorite stores in one street!
There's Aldo, Anthropologie, Barne's & Noble, bebe, Crossroads, Forever21, French Connection, Goodwill, H&M, MAC, Mango, Miss Sixty, Sephora, Steve Madden, Urban Outfitters, Victoria's Secret, Wasteland, Zara, Z-Gallerie.
Not only does that make it a breeze to walk through, but the actual stores carried everything I wanted- making my shopping experience that much better. It's the convenience of all the stores you like in one strip like a shopping mall but the outdoor experience and feel of shopping in an open air environment like in downtown, minus the trek to get to point A to B. And to add to this shopper's paradise, the thrift stores that fill around this town make this place heaven.
And there's a ton of restaurants to choose from but my favorite spot is Buddha Belly located right on Broadway at the heart of Santa Monica. It's an eclectic and wholesome Pan-Asian menu that offers one of the best Pad That's I've had and an amazing zucchni dish and garlic fried rice.
Then there's the world famous Santa Monica Pier that offers a variety of entertainment, dining, and shopping experiences including a thrill of rides, a historic carousel, and an interactive aquarium. You can enjoy the performers across the planks of the Pier, watch the best sunsets along the California Coast, or hop down underneath the boardwalk and lay out to catch some sun on the Santa Monica Beach.