| Ocean Park Social Club Cookbook Club on Monday: A Cookbook Club is when a group of people choose 1 cookbook and each make a different recipe, and then enjoy the meal together. Our first one will Monday, June 1, 6-8pm at the Meditation Center (237 Hill Street). Our first cookbook will be: Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman. If you would like to participate or have questions, email me at samosocialclub@gmail.com. |
| OPA’s Make Music Day Looking for Bands / Musicians: On Sunday, June 21, Make Music Santa Monica is joining more than 150 U.S. communities in a global, summer solstice celebration of free, citywide music-making. Building on Santa Monica’s participation in Make Music Los Angeles since 2012, OPA will be hosting an event again this year featuring a variety of music. If you are interested in playing and/or helping organize the event, email contact@opa-sm.org and/or Dave Tann (dogtowndave@yahoo.com). |
| Massilia Restaurant to Open on Main St.: The former Aureal / World Cafe space at 2820 Main St. was previously linked to Casalena, but I have personally confirmed that this was a mistake and that the team behind Massilia and Zinque are planning to open there this Fall. Massilia used to have a Downtown SaMo spot and has a couple other locations around LAThe all-day restaurant draws on Dossetti’s own experiences growing up in Marseille. intertwining elements of French, Spanish, Italian and North African cuisine. Highlights include couscous, steak-frites with béarnaise, seafood, pastas and vegetable-focused dishes. The pizza menu features options such as the Moitié Moitié, which is half four cheese and half marinara with Cantabrian anchovies, and Lablabi and Niçoise Olives, a pizza with chickpeas, harissa, herbs and goat cheese. Massilia also offers a full bar with a craft cocktail program and a wine list featuring bottles from France, Italy and Spain. More details here. |
| Former Budget Market at 4th St. & Hollister is now for sale as a residence: Here’s the listing highlighting the new HVAC, roof, location, etc. for 2331 4th St. |
| Venice Beach’s ‘Ballerina Clown’ CVS is Closing: The store located beneath the towering Ballerina Clown statue at the corner of Rose Avenue and Main Street will close on July 1. More details here. |
| The Street Seen: Speedway (Hollister Ave to Marine St): Established in the early 1900’s, Speedway is a 20-ft wide city alley from Hollister Ave to the City south border, through Venice, and beyond. The alley provides a continuous north-south thoroughfare along the beach. However, traffic congestion soon makes the name ironic, and blind intersections make it a death trap. As part of the 1960s Ocean Park Redevelopment Project, Speedway is widened and renamed Barnard Way. More details here. |
| The Infatuation’s 2026 Best Santa Monica Restaurant List: This updated list has 21 spots, including lots of Main St. spots, including the Not No Bar, Cobi’s, Pasjoli, and Seline. |
| Apply now to be appointed by City Council to a Board or Commission: Appointments scheduled for the June 23 Council meeting. Here is a list of expected openings and requirements. Click here to apply on-line. Applications are due by noon on June 16. |
| Big Blue Bus Launches Direct Service from Santa Monica to SoFi Stadium for World Cup Matches: This city post details the direct service offered to all eight World Cup matches from Downtown Santa Monica to SoFi Stadium. |
| Santa Monica Events During the World Cup: This city post highlights many of the events scheduled during the World Cup, including a huge pier activation, a Kick Off Celebration, Fan Fest & Watch Party at Santa Monica Place, and much more. And here is an SMDP article about happenings scheduled in Venice Beach. |
| Santa Monica Budget Proposal Signals Shift From Deficits to Investment: This SaMoNext report based on Caroline Torosis’ Instagram (here) details “On Tuesday night, the council was presented with an update on the city’s financial picture and proposed adjustments to the fiscal ’26-’27 operating budget. But also a centerpiece of the presentation and discussion was the city’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP), particularly given that for the better part of the last decade – and certainly through the pandemic period – “the CIP budget had functioned less like a true capital budget and more like a second operating account, absorbing recurring maintenance, fleet replacement, and technology costs that crowded out the delivery of meaningful public improvements,” according to a staff report. Now, the city will be activating “a strategic evolution from reactive maintenance toward true capital reinvestment,” stated the report.” |
| Councilmember Dan Hall Newsletter: Here is his weekly newsletter, with his thoughts on The City of Santa Monica releasing a public-facing tool tracking indicators across the Realignment Plan’s five priority areas, the new SMPD Downtown Substation at Santa Monica Place, SaMo Bridge concluding its first year of operations with 462 SMPD referrals against an original annual projection of approximately 260, and much more. |
| Councilmember Lana Negrete Newsletter: Here is her weekly newsletter with updates on Public Safety, Economic Development, Education, Around Town & Community Highlights, Election & Voting, and more. |
