Week 9: walking trip Santa Monica

Santa Monica is an amazing place. Santa Monica is known for being green and at times hipster as well as their fun pier, with the colorful ferris wheel. However I've always gotten different vibes depending on where I am. On the Third Street Promenade it is usually full of tourists and big brand chains like, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters and Old Navy. It even has the big food chains like McDonalds and Chipotle. But when I'm on Main Street I have a whole different vibe. There are local owned stores, boutiques with vintage clothing that I can't afford and one of my favorite places (especially since it's one of the few places open after 10pm) Urth Caffe.

I started this trip from 3rd Street. I roamed around 3rd street. I'm sure the Thursday before, this street was becoming a madhouse. But even this Thursday, it was awfully busy. I parked my car at Santa Monica Place, here they have free 2 hour parking until 5, along with the other public parking structures. There were young locals, many who I might have seen walking around Santa Monica College's campus. There were also many tourists there too. Many white tourists, speaking European languages as well as a some Asian speaking people.

I headed out and started walking onto Broadway and then 4th street. I passed a the 10 freeway and then passed the Santa Monica High School, otherwise known as SaMoHi. As it was a weekday, I saw several students around that area. I saw a variety of white, black, hispanic and probably persian teenagers while walking. Most of them were just outside the school, waiting for a bus or also just walking from one place to another.

As i crossed Pico Blvd, a wider street with many cars, bikes, and busses zooming by, I made my way onto Main St. This is the part of Santa Monica has the characteristics that I associate with Santa Monica. The vibes on this street all of a sudden seem calmer, although you don't usually feel that when you're driving and trying to find parking. While walking through, it seems much more relaxed. As I walk through, I notice that the people are usually white. I see people riding their bikes and dressed more "hipster".

As I keep walking I walk into one vintage boutique. I look at their collection. I wouldn't have worn most of those things, but the few things I pick up, I notice they are way out my price range, definitely more expensive than most things at H&M for example.

I exit and keep walking and when I turn around I see this painted on the side of the store.

I keep walking and get to Urth Caffe. This Caffe has a two other locations. A lot of their food items are organic and they have many vegan and vegetarian options. They also have fair-trade coffees. Overall they are pretty eco-friendly at least more than the options available on the Promenade.

Green Tea Boba with Cocounut- a must have at Urth!

I thought of the quality of the roads here as well as the overall structure. I know that Santa Monica prides itself for being green. Much of this money comes from how Santa Monica allocates its tax dollars. They also have programs in the area to make it more green and eco friendly.

From the lectures and readings of neo-liberalism, it says that the free-market is supposed to fix all problems. In Santa Monica they are using classic neo-liberal tactics as well as non-liberal tactics. They have parts of the city used for big commercial gains, like the pier and Third Street. At the same time they have places that help the local community, like their comment college, locally owned restaurants, bars, and other retail establishments. Together they are using tactics that will help their local as well other members of the Los Angeles community

The route I chose to walk