A Field of Dreams: Realized
It is finally here, it is beautiful, and it is a testament to tenacity. The new field at the Civic Center is an example of how a number of individuals with no official support, budget, […]
Food Review: Venice’s Newest Burger Stand Sticks to the Basics
Checking in at Adrift Burger Bar By Kerry Slater I, like so many, have fond memories of eating burgers as a child. A Michelin-starred chef’s new Venice restaurant taps into this nostalgia with a burger […]
Mayor Himmelrich Delivers State of the City Speech
The following are the prepared remarks delivered by Santa Monica Mayor Sue Himmelrich at the 2021 State of the City. The virtual event, put on by the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce and the City […]
SMa.r.t. Column: Texas Comes to SMMUSD
Last week Texas suffered a dramatic blow out between the loss of power and the related water system collapse caused by climate change. Just to be clear, climate change includes a relentless increase in average […]
Promenade now – Back to the Future?
Last week, this column reviewed the backstory of the Promenade within the context of Downtown Santa Monica. This week, we discuss ways of looking at the future. The Promenade today resembles the Santa Monica Mall […]
SMa.r.t. Column: The Promenade – Leaving the Past to Reimagine its Future
PART I This week the City Council started discussing the next move for the Santa Monica Promenade, our beleaguered and onetime downtown city jewel. Beset by collapsing sales, contagious vacancies, safety and sanitation issues, the […]
Opinion: Councilmember Davis on Miramar Recusal
By Gleam Davis, Santa Monica City Councilmember Prior to receiving any inquiry from any member of the public, I timely sought an opinion regarding whether I had a potential conflict of interest regarding the Miramar […]
Creating your Own Stimulus in 2021 – How Southern California Residents Can Use Lawsuit Funding to Help with Everyday Bills
Lawsuit funding is an alternative to direct cash payments for immediate help Despite unprecedented government assistance in 2020, many American families are still struggling to make ends meet. Those who are unable to work or […]
Saving a Failed Marriage Part 4 – Looking to Our Zoning Code for Family Counseling!
Santa Monica has spent 20+ years swimming uphill in a partnership with the development community that isn’t working – a bargain with the devil to increase land values and rents in exchange for a handful […]
SMa.r.t. Column: Saving a Failed Marriage – Part 2
Every 8 years, the state requires cities to update their planning code’s “housing element” to reflect the number of dwelling units that SCAG (Southern California Association of Governments) determines each city within their countywide jurisdiction […]
The first protest at René Redzepi’s Noma pop-up at the Paramour Estate (Video)
The protest was organized by Jason Ignacio White and One Fair Wage after the owner and chef of Noma, René...
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Film Review: Oscars Landscape 2026
My Oscar choices and predictions. The 98th Academy Awards, Sunday, March 15th at 4:00 PM, on ABC, and streaming on...
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