Fun Places to Get Caught Reading in Santa Monica this Summer
July 15, 2019 9:12 AM
by Casey Cambridge
There’s nothing quite like hiding behind a pair of sunglasses and a good book on a summer day, and in Santa Monica, we have no shortage of places to savor this simple pleasure. After you’ve consulted your stack of unrequired seasonal reading, slip on your sandals and follow me…
Ideal for both people watching and page turning, the public parklets on Main Street might become your new haunt to enjoy an ice-cold beverage and a well-loved paperback.
Looking for a traditional park where you can get lost in your book? There are 32 to choose from within Santa Monica’s 8.3 square miles.
It's best to let someone else navigate while you finish Chapter 12. Careful, though. Don’t miss your stop! (Ask me how I know.)
Route 45 serves Santa Monica Pier and Beach, Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica Place, and the Santa Monica Station Expo Line until September 2.
There’s still a chance to visit Southern California's only pop-up beach library. Relax in the Surfside Reading Lounge with your own book, or browse a curated collection for something new. Check it out on Friday, August 16 from 10am-3pm at the Annenberg Community Beach House or you’ll have to wait until next summer!
I know what you’re probably thinking. The pier? The Santa Monica Pier? The same pier that houses arcade games and carnival rides, hosts a well-attended summer concert series, and is visited by six million people annually?
While it may be an unlikely venue for quality time with your book, there’s an opportunity every day to beat the summer crowds. Set an alarm, pound the planks, and spy one of several empty benches with an ocean view. Long before that iconic wheel starts its daily rotations, there’s no one to catch you reading besides the anglers, avid exercisers, and a handful of ambitious tourists.
Authored By
Casey Cambridge
Library Assistant II