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October OPA Monthly Meeting Next Monday (Oct. 12): The meeting is at the Ocean Park Library @ 2601 Main St. starting with food and mingling at 6:00pm. We will also be hybrid on Zoom. Click here to add the OPA monthly meeting and Zoom link to your calendar. Here's the zoom link.
Ocean Park Social Club: Cookbook Club Returns October 19:
What's a Cookbook Club: Cookbook club returns this fall! If you are not familiar, a Cookbook Club is when a group of people choose 1 cookbook or 1 author and each make a different recipe, and then enjoy the meal together, potluck style.
What: This quarter we will be cooking from any of Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbooks! Check out his broad base of books HERE. I personally have Plenty More, but have never made anything from it so Cookbook Club seems like a great way to break it open and give it a try!
When: Monday, October 19th from 6:30-8pm
Where: The Meditation Center at 237 Hill Street
Now what: RSVP HERE and sign up for a recipe that you will cook and bring to our Cookbook Club potluck.
Fact Check: Santa Monica Has Not Approved 557 Apartments on Main Street Parking Lots: This SaMoNext story does a deep dive on the "flyer circulating in Ocean Park by an anonymous group called “Save Main Street” warning residents that Santa Monica is planning to 557 apartments on the city-owned parking lots along Main Street." "Like any good misinformation, there’s enough truth to make this seem like an urgent issue, but there is no proposal on the table anywhere to privatize the lands these lots sit on or build housing on them." In this Instgram video, Councilmember Negrete has also “debunked the flyer’s central premise” and "pointed out that the image used on the flyer is not an official City rendering."
RAND Studies Take a Deep Dive Into Santa Monica: The City commissioned the SaMo based thinktank to take a data-driven look at some of Santa Monica’s biggest challenges, comparing the city with nearby communities and examining trends in the economy, retail, office space, tourism, crime, homelessness and housing. The resulting research paints a mixed picture: Santa Monica has clearly fallen behind several neighboring cities economically, while some commonly held perceptions about crime and homelessness are more complicated when the data is examined citywide. RAND also identifies a number of opportunities for the City to improve its economic and quality-of-life trajectory. Among the key findings:
Economy: Santa Monica’s economy has underperformed Beverly Hills, Culver City and West Hollywood over the past decade. Inflation-adjusted taxable sales fell about 33% from 2015 to 2025, while clothing and accessory sales dropped 75% and restaurant and bar sales fell nearly 24%. RAND points to declining visitor numbers, commercial vacancies and changes in commuting and consumer behavior as contributing factors.
Retail & Office: Retail vacancies are among the highest in the region, with the Third Street Promenade vacancy rate reaching 31% in August 2026. RAND estimates that at least 45% of the city’s retail vacancy is concentrated at the Promenade and Santa Monica Place. Office vacancy was also above 20% in June. The report recommends attracting new businesses, encouraging pop-ups and events, and considering additional conversion of underused commercial space to housing.
Crime & Homelessness: The picture is more nuanced than citywide perceptions might suggest. RAND found that aggravated assaults and robberies have increased substantially over the past decade, but the increase is overwhelmingly concentrated downtown. Most other violent and property crime has remained relatively stable over the past 20 years, with some areas of the city experiencing crime levels as low as they have been in two decades. Homelessness has also remained relatively stable citywide and actually declined from 812 people in 2025 to 718 in 2026, although it remains heavily concentrated downtown and along the beach.
Tourism: Santa Monica hotels are actually filling rooms better than their regional competitors, reaching 76% occupancy in March 2026, but they are earning less per room. Visitor numbers remain well below pre-pandemic levels, with 2025 visitors at roughly 58% of the pre-pandemic peak. RAND recommends more festivals and events, temporary retail pop-ups, redevelopment of major underused properties and continued efforts to attract businesses and employers that can generate additional foot traffic.
What happens next? The study notes that City Hall's new leadership has already begun implementing policy reforms—such as a recent economic development package, elimination of restaurant wastewater fees, and new downtown policing strategies—to shift our trajectory. However, closing the gap with regional peers will require ongoing collaboration between the city, business owners, and residents. RAND’s recommendations include expanding the City’s business concierge program, reducing unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles for businesses, focusing public-safety resources on downtown hotspots, improving measurement of homelessness and accelerating efforts to bring more housing and activity to underused properties. The studies are descriptive rather than predictive—they identify trends and potential strategies but do not establish that any particular policy caused those trends.
SMART Center Cameras Lead to Narcotics Arrest, Two Citations in Santa Monica: SaMo police used SMART Center camera resources to identify suspected drug sales near a train platform, an operation that ended with one arrest and two citations, the department said. The department’s Community Impact Team launched the operation in the 1500 block of Fourth Street after reports of drug activity and growing livability concerns in the area. More details here.
Bringing the Promenade Forward: DTSM Reports Visitor Boost, Elects New Leadership: Here is the SMDP recap of the Sept. DTSM board meeting, which included reports on increased visitors both during the World Cup and the month following it: "There were 3.3 million visits downtown during the period of World Cup events, from June 11 to July 19, which represents a 26% increase over the same time period in 2025. The precise correlation with the sports events wasn’t clear, since the data wasn’t very specific. There was also a 20% increase in visits in August, when the World Cup was long over."
Bike It! Walk It! Bus It! Week (Oct. 5 - 9):
K-12 students attending school in Santa Monica can ride Big Blue Bus for free during Bike It, Walk It, Bus It Week, and families are encouraged to forgo driving in favor of eco-friendly modes of transportation such as walking, biking or taking transit. More details here.
BBB Will Offer Free Rides on Clean Air Day (Wednesday, October 7): Multiple transit agencies will offer FREE RIDES for all on Wednesday. The Coalition for Clean Air's statewide initiative highlights how individual actions can positively impact on the health of our communities and environment. By choosing a sustainable transportation option like Big Blue Bus’s zero-emission fleet, you can help reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution.
Try-A-Commute Day Celebration (Wednesday, October 7, 11am - 1pm): Enjoy free gelato, raffle prizes, e-bike test rides, vanpool vehicle tours, and explore public transportation options to make your commute more sustainable. @ SaMo City Hall, 1685 Main St.
Upcoming SaMo Candidate Forums: The City of Santa Monica and the League of Women Voters of Santa Monica (LWVSM) have partnered to host two nights of candidate forums to help residents learn more about the candidates running for the following offices. Forums will take place at live and and some of them will also be watchable on YouTube. my.lwv.org/california/santa-monica
Friday Oct. 9: Santa Monica City Council Candidate Forum & Santa Monica Rent Control Board Candidate Forum; @Santa Monica City Hall, City Council Chambers (1685 Main Street, Santa Monica)
Wednesday Oct. 14: Santa Monica City Council Candidate Forum & Santa Monica Rent Control Board Candidate Forum; @1834 14th St.
No Right on Red at Downtown Scramble Crosswalks: The City posted this info: “If you’ve been to downtown recently, you may have noticed the new No Turn on Red signs installed at intersections with scramble crosswalks. At a scramble crossing, pedestrians and bicyclists can cross in all directions—including diagonally—while vehicles are stopped during the red light. These new signs help make our busy downtown crossings safer by removing the primary point of conflict where a turning driver may not see a person in the crosswalk.”
Newsom Signs SB 1167, Drawing a Clearer Line Between E-Bikes and E-Motos: The new law addresses a growing problem as electric mobility has expanded across California: not every electric two-wheeler being sold as an “e-bike” actually meets the state’s legal definition. California defines an electric bicycle as having fully operable pedals and an electric motor producing no more than 750 watts, with separate speed limits for Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes. But increasingly powerful devices, including e-motorcycles and other high-speed vehicles, have been marketed using the e-bike label. More details here.
The Street Seen: 237 Beach St (W. Hostetter) @ 2nd St: This post is about a late 19th-Century house at 237 Beach St. In 1892, Edwina and William Hostetter acquire a property on 2nd St. In 1923, to make way for new apartments, the (deceased) Hostetters’ house is moved 70 ft to Beach St. The Edwina and William Hostetter House at 237 Beach St is a contributing structure within the Third Street Neighborhood Historic District. More details here.
SOCKtober Sock Drive: Sock it to someone in need! Santa MoniCARES is collecting new, unworn socks throughout October as part of its annual SOCKtober Sock Drive. Socks are among the most requested items at homeless shelters and rehabilitation facilities, and donations of all sizes—including children’s and infants’ socks—are welcome. Drop off your donation at the Santa Monica Travel & Tourism Visitor Information Center throughout October, 2427 Main St., daily from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Curbside pickup is also available by calling or texting 424-443-8830. Learn more at santamonicares.org.
Councilmember Dan Hall Newsletter: Here is his weekly newsletter, with his thoughts on news in and around the city over the past week, upcoming calendar of events, and much more.
Message from OPA Platinum Member Raphael Barragan: His monthly newsletter highlights that while "Rates remain elevated, limited supply are creating opportunities for those who know where to look." "The Los Angeles real estate market is entering the fall with a familiar contradiction: buyers have more negotiating power than they have had in recent years, but there still isn't enough quality inventory to create a broad buyer's market." Read the rest of his analysis here.
Things to Do This Week
Iced Coffee with a Cop Day (Wednesday 1-3pm): Near John Adams Middle School on 16th St. More details here.
Celebrate Banned Books Week (Wednesday, 5:30pm): Celebrate the freedom to read during Banned Books Week with a screening of The Librarians, followed by a panel discussion exploring censorship and intellectual freedom. The event is part of the annual nationwide celebration highlighting the importance of access to books and ideas. @ Santa Monica Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd. Free.
Coucou Launches Apéritif Club (Wednesday 5–7 pm): Looking for an excuse to have a drink before dinner? Coucou is launching its three-week Apéritif Club, bringing a different L.A. bar to its bistros for one night each week. The series kicks off with Bar Next Door at their Main St. spot, with a welcome cocktail plus passed bites including fried olives, zucchini beignets and crudités. I’ll definitely be there! @ 218 Main St., Venice More details here.
Fire Prevention Week Open House (Saturday 11am–1pm): This year’s theme is “Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging Is a Superpower.” Families can meet firefighters, explore fire engines, tour the station, and learn more about lithium-ion battery safety. This Fire Prevention Week, they’re sharing simple tips to help families use and charge these devices safely. Fire Station 1, 1337 7th St.
AJA Vineyards 2nd Anniversary: Raise a glass to OPA supporter AJA Vineyards, which is celebrating its second anniversary with two days of festivities at the tasting room. Stop by for a specialty wine flight, a first taste of the brand-new 2023 Winemaker’s Red Blend and limited-edition anniversary tote bags—available while supplies last. Friday, Oct. 9–Saturday, Oct. 10, 1417 2nd St. ajavineyards.com/events
Ocean Park School House Community Festival: Celebrate the return of Ocean Park School House to its Ocean Park home at the school’s first-ever Community Festival. The free, family-friendly afternoon will feature tacos, crafts, music and more, including a performance by OPSH-parent band Sure Dude, plus a special ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the newly refreshed campus. Bring the kids, bring your neighbors and come see what’s happening at your local school. Saturday, Oct. 10, 1–4 p.m., Los Amigos Field, Ocean Park Blvd. & 5th St. Open to all. smashptsa.org
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OPA & City Meetings
Architectural Review Board Meeting (Monday 7pm): More details here.
Public Safety Reform & Oversight Commission Meeting (Tuesday 5:30pm): More details & agenda here.
Planning Commission Meeting (Wednesday 6pm): More details & agenda here.
OPA Connects Meeting (Wednesday 12pm): Here is the Zoom link.
Rent Control Board Meeting (Thursday 6pm): More details & agenda here.
Fire Prevention Week Open House (Saturday 11am - 1pm @ Fire Station 1, 1337 7th St.): Lithium-ion batteries power many of the devices we use every day, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, e-bikes, e-scooters, toys, and other rechargeable devices. They can pose a fire risk when they are damaged, improperly used, or charged incorrectly. Here are some simple ways to charge and use these devices safely. More details here.
Upcoming Calendar of Events
COOKBOOK CLUB (Oct. 19): Cookbook club returns this fall! If you are not familiar, a Cookbook Club is when a group of people choose 1 cookbook or 1 author and each make a different recipe, and then enjoy the meal together, potluck style. This quarter we will be cooking from any of Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbooks! Check out his broad base of books HERE. I personally have Plenty More, but have never made anything from it so Cookbook Club seems like a great way to break it open and give it a try! If you would like to participate or have questions, email me at [email protected].
OPA Book Club: Next planned dates are 10/7 (The Big Sleep), 11/4 (James), and 12/2 (The Year of Living Danishly). Email [email protected] for more info. All meets are at 6pm at the Ocean Park Library (2601 Main St.).
OPA Monthly Meeting: Monday, Oct. 12, 6pm @ Ocean Park Library
Resources
Police non-emergency Phone #: Call 310-458-8491 or click here for more info.
Santa Monica 311. Submit non-emergency requests to the City.
Santa Monica Alerts. Sign up for emergency text and email alerts.
SaMoNews. Subscribe to the official newsletter of the City of Santa Monica.
Board and Commission Openings. Volunteer to serve the community!
City of Santa Monica Career Opportunities. Get paid to serve the community!
Santa Monica Animal Shelter. Support our municipal Animal Shelter!
Locals Discount Program is Back! OPA has partnered with the SaMo Public Library to launch a Community Discount Program. Local Ocean Park participating businesses include Fitoor and Junior Cookies. Check out the full list here and expect more to come!
