What an awesome park right by the water!…read more Coming here one random night to chill take in the cold night by the water with the occasional plane flying over like you really can't go wrong! This was a mellow place we just chilled played some guitar and sang old songs for a few hours like you really can't go wrong with a cool place like this that's perfect for everyone as there is a playground and plenty of parking! Overall cool park I Hope to visit again at some point as it was just an awesome time!

Wait I didn't review this yet how dare I. You won't find this park except by driving past it. It's…read morea park across from the beach and funnily enough it works. You can swing and watch the ocean or have a picnic and divert your sand plans if you don't like that stuff all in your mouth. It's by Palisades del Rey which is a little known ghost community in LA so take a gander at the wasteland behind you, they used to be multimillion dollar mansions up there but because of sound pollution the entire community got mauled. Some LA history for ya.

This tidal salt marsh is the last piece of open space along Via Marina. Less than an acre in size,…read morethe restored habitat supports wetlands plant species as well as egrets, herons, ducks, geese, and other birds. You cannot enter the wetland itself but can view it from behind a low fence. We walk here from our condo and enjoy seeing the seasonal and daily changes. There is no parking here, but spaces are available at the nearby Courtyard ... as are restrooms.

This is a great gated-in pocket park for 5 and under, if you are walking distance. There is a small…read moreplay structure that is manageable for a 2-year-old, two baby swings that can go really high, a few activity walls, and a bridge in the style of the canal bridges. Plus there is a little duck refuge pond with high success rates of duckling spotting. We played here, acted out Billy Goats Gruff on the canal bridges on the walk back, and had a lovely peaceful time.

It's not a bad park if you have toddler age kids and are local to the area. Nothing that I would…read moretravel out of my way to go to but my friend and I stumbled past it while we were walking through the Venice Canals neighborhoods to get back to our street parking. It's next to one of the bridges where cars can drive through, so keep an eye on your little ones. There's a small bridge there, mimicking the street one, a small slide under a hut, sand, a couple of swings, not much. But I do like how unique it is since at the side there's a small section that's only for ducks that's fenced off with a little entrance for them, watering hole, and a duck statue. The only issue is that since it's the dead of summer, it's dark green/brown standing water with lots of feathers, duck turds, algae, and debris. Can't be too healthy for the ducks and is kinda gross to look at and smell too. Wish they just made it a filtered pond or fountain to mitigate this and the prospect of mosquitos too.

I passed by this community garden when I was walking down Abbot Kinney. Luck was on my side when I…read moresaw two ladies tending to their respective gardens. Having two people inside meant that the gate was unlocked so with their permission I went inside. I walked around and saw so many flowering plants in many varieties and various colors. They all look so pretty. Each plot had their own unique characteristics. Others even have trellis, arbors, and furnitures. I could sit here all day surrounded by these beautiful flowers. Even though I loved this place so much I took off a star cuz I was hoping to see more vegetables in the garden. I only saw a few of them.

There are now 3 Community Gardens locations in SaMo: The…read moreoriginal Main Street location, with 65 plots, between Strand & Hollister. The Park Drive location, with 38 plots, between Santa Monica Blvd. & Broadway. The newest location and the smallest, Euclid park, with 10 plots, on Euclid between Broadway & Colorado. I already reviewed the Main Street location, and last weekend I discovered the Park Drive gardens on a perfect autumn day. It's divided into two sections, with a pocket park in the middle. The north section was open, so I walked through with my camera. A couple with a child were in the process of picking some of their veggies, the autumn harvest. They offered me, a stranger, one of their beautiful eggplants! How sweet, made my day. Although the Main Street gardens are almost twice the size of Park Drive, I kinda liked Park Drive even better. The pocket park contains big shade trees, and the space defines the term "urban oasis". My parents always had a garden, In Chicago, when I was a kid. We grew veggies (tomatoes, cukes, Spanish onions), flowers (hollyhocks and zinnias), and strawberries. I loved working in the garden, which was in a community garden space, with my Dad, & eating strawberries off the vine. Gardening is a very good thing for a kid, and I'm so happy even the White House has a garden now, thanks to our First Lady's wisdom. A garden is a place of serenity, discovery, and joy.

Very popular park accessible from 3 different streets. I would advise against trying to find…read moreparking by going down Wade. There are a few parking lot spots at the end of the cul de sac where the park is located, but those spots seem to always be full and taken. The playground has two 2 sections. A gated section is for the littlest kids 2 yrs and under to play. The ungated section was definitely where my 3 and 5 yr olds wanted to spend their time. There's a small zip line, but the handles are so high up that a parent would need to lift even a tall 5 year old up so that they can grab the bar. Plenty of grass surrounds the playground. There are 6 picnic tables right next to the playground. Best to reserve those with the city if you're thinking to throw a birthday party there. The weekend we went, there were 3 birthday parties simultaneously. One party had the 6 tables reserved. The other 2 parties brought their own set up and set up on the grass around.

Such a nice Remodel with new structures for older and younger kids. The new sand area is great and…read morethe shade is fantastic. There is a little bit for everyone to play and enjoy. From new swings, and zip line structure for the older ones just great! In the 2-5 area there are small areas that can be used for music and being creative. The slides are age appropriate in the designated areas. The bigger play section really lets the kids do their thing and climb and slide and really use their imagination but of course with supervision as well. There are so many sections that you can have a picnic or even parties. Looks like they painted the benches and picnic tables and gave them a nice re-vamp. The parking can be a bit tricky but there are different side streets you can access the park in and only a few parking spots right across from it including handicap. I feel the bathrooms could have been a nice remodel as well some of the doors don't close as well and they are a bit rundown. If you have to go they will do but could be a bit more kid friendly and more modern to really add to the park. There are basketball courts and other fun things around for the bigger adults as well over all it's a great park to being the family and friends. My little one enjoyed playing here and meeting some new friends.

Amazing park with Summer Concerts. This is a really nice…read morevenue and if you're in the area, such as going to Chez Jay Restaurant or the Santa Monica pier you should definitely check it out. Excellent . If you're in the area, I definitely would check this out. It's very close to the Santa Monica pier

Tongva Park is new and one of the nicest parks in LA county. The design and landscaping is…read moreexcellent. I enjoyed walking around and there's also bathrooms on the premises with an attendant. I subtract one star because I heard patrons have been attacked there at night and have never seen SMPD patrol the park(not ok and City Hall/police HQ is right across the street). I did witness a transient hit another transient hard in the jaw there once in full view of city hall. I view homeless as humans like anyone else. The issue is behavior and violence/crime not a guy sleeping on a bench. Patrols should be done on bikes regularly.

A Santa Monica institution that has regaled several generations…read more Our daughter enjoys the duck ponds and saying quack quack. There's a mini skate board rink, 2 tennis courts, a well maintained children's closed play area for kids 5-12, several duck ponds, restrooms, free 2 hour parking across the street, lots of benches and walkways. Overall a decent park for kids with enough activities that will keep them coming back for more.

One of the nicest park I've been to. Well taken care of. Playground is super nice. Lots of…read morevarieties. The only down fall is so many people. I've never seen so many people at a park like this. It was crazy. Specially the playground area. My son could barely run around without hitting other kids. Pond are was beautiful. A super nice and chill place to have a picnic and sit around for hours.

It is always SUPER fun for us older folks at least. Every Thursday night a different theme, band…read moreand music. And it can all be free - including parking for the first 2 hours. Or you can dine and get cocktails and drinks if you wish. Awesome initiative by Beverly Hills. Dance your heart out too if you wish - or you get dragged on to the floor ;)

Beverly Canon Gardens is one of my favorite places to visit when I'm walking around Beverly Hills…read more I always stop by here -- the area is beautiful, very well maintained, and has a calm, relaxing atmosphere. There is a café where you can sit down, enjoy a coffee, and take a break. On weekends it can be quite busy, but it still feels pleasant and welcoming. During the summer, free concerts are held here on Thursdays, which makes the place even more special. The hotel architecture nearby is stunning, and this garden is also a great spot for photoshoots. Overall, it's a perfect place to relax, enjoy the surroundings, and spend some quiet time in the heart of Beverly Hills.

Such an incredible hidden gem. Brought my little one here and it was a great space to explore,…read morewander and explore. As you enter it's very clean and well taken care of. There is a neat area that they have raised gardens, their own compost area and some fun stuff growing there. Their walkways lead you to different areas and live there a lot of tree's were blooming with beautiful flowers and fruit tree's as well. They host different events and activities during summer you just have to look at their website for when they will be. When you go inside the little facility there is a lot of fun facts, history and little area to read books and ask for information. One of our favorite parts of this area was the Quail land area.. such a cute spot and the kids love it. There are many great opportunities for kids to really take in nature and bringing snacks and water is a great idea. There are many spots to sit and relax. Bathrooms were very clean and I loved that they had a water refillable station near bathrooms. Can't wait to be back. Great spot & had access to a hike trial as well.

This little nature center is a wonderful, free community resource. It's garden and nature center…read morealways has activities being programmed and even if nothing is on the books, a walk through the garden is delightful. Visit the quail. Work out on the equipment. Even bring your compost! Stoneview has a substack with all its programming being listed as well as current stories of the garden. Bonus, parking includes shade from the solar panels. So very smart and climate friendly

Such a neat park & pretty big and filled with lots of activities for everyone even the dogs have…read moretheir own area to play. Their sand area is really neat with a huge whale right in the middle, love the ocean theme and extra little area that's filled with sand that the littles can play while being supervised. There is a swings area with a good amount of them so you don't have to wait for a turn and appreciated that. There are some swings that look like a chair really wish they had a strap for the little ones cause if you were to swing fast they can go forward and really get hurt so this one need to be supervised. The play structure has slides and tunnels and different musical items you can be creative like the drums, rain stick and even a flip the musical note and make a sound very neat. There are many open areas that you have to be careful if you have little ones but still fun. There is a huge area if you wanted to bring scooters or kids cars that they can ride around in a big circle. Love that they have bathrooms and a changing table they are a bit on the smelly side but in an emergency they are good. Very well kept and clean. Love that's it's gated that way littles don't go running off but over all this park is great for all age groups can't wait to be back.

Cute mid-sized park in Marina Del Rey with ample street parking. The park has 3 areas: outside the…read moremain gate there is a workout area with several workout equipment and water fountains, larger area inside the gate is the playground with a cute climbing wall/several slides/swings/large sandbox with a HUGE whale! The kiddos love this area. The final part to the park is split into a dog park and adult recreational area.