Why are there so many empty storefronts in Santa Monica?

Neighborhoods
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I remember these days when the 3rd Street Promenade was so busy that you could barely walk through it. There were bars and little stores everywhere. Business was good, and the vibe was almost a bit chaotic.

Santa Monica Place still feels like the more polished part of downtown, cleaner, newer, and a bit more upscale. It’s nice to walk through and grab a coffee or shop. But even there, you can’t ignore that a lot of storefronts feel underused or just not as lively as they used to be.

The bigger issue is really on the Promenade and the surrounding streets. There is a noticeable number of empty storefronts, and it kind of kills the energy. It feels patchy; one block is active, the next has multiple vacancies.

From what it looks like, it’s a mix of things: super high rents, retail shifting, petty crimes, and the area losing some of its everyday local crowd after COVID. A lot of stores that relied on heavy foot traffic or tourists just didn’t come back, and the replacements haven’t fully filled in yet (if at all). It’s actually kinda sad to see. I was hoping for some changes, but the years are passing by.

Mayor Caroline Torosis said that the city is moving in the right direction on its downtown realignment plan, with improvements in public safety, cleanliness, and addressing homelessness.

If anyone has any ideas on how to improve this, feel free to share your thoughts here over time. I am open to discussions on how to improve things.

Your final thoughts on how long it will take until Santa Monica bounces back?

  • 1-2 years
  • 2-4 years
  • 10+ years
  • Not at all, we have to find different solutions..
0 voters
5 Likes
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I voted “We have to find different solutions”. Not because I don’t believe that it’s possible. There just isn’t enough done yet. One essential part is obviously tourists, another one is safety. I like Santa Monica, and I still go there frequently. I want to admit that it feels a bit safer and cleaner now than it did 2-3 years ago.

That said.. Walking down 3rd Street Promenade is pretty much a waste of time nowadays. That was a completely different world before COVID hit. Without the bars and stores, what’s the point? How do we bring back business owners before tourists and locals come back? This needs to grow hand in hand. I am not sure we are reaching that goal anytime soon.

3 Likes
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The Bungalow is still fun. 3rd street party life is pretty much over now. Why would people go there? Literally nothing to do.

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The Bunglaw isn’t as busy as it used to be. I remember lines around 9-10 pm years ago.

1 Like