Santa Monica officially opened its second neighborhood Walk Loop on Saturday, October 24, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community walk celebrating the new one-mile route through the Pico neighborhood. The free event, held from 10 a.m. to noon, began at Virginia Avenue Park, 2200 Virginia Avenue, and brought neighbors together to explore the route developed by the City of Santa Monica and nonprofit Adopt-A-Walk.
The Pico Walk Loop is designed to make walking more accessible and enjoyable while encouraging residents to get outside, stay active and connect with their neighbors. The one-mile route begins and ends at Virginia Avenue Park and includes designated wayfinding features to help walkers follow the path through the neighborhood.
The Walk Loop program is intended for residents of all ages and fitness levels. Families, children, seniors and casual walkers can use the route to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines while discovering more of the community around them.
The project includes a permanently marked walking route with a start-and-finish information sign, distance markers, inspirational quotes and leaning rails. These features are intended to make the route easy to navigate and create opportunities for neighbors to meet and walk together.
The opening marks the expansion of a program that began in Santa Monica’s Wilmont neighborhood. The first Walk Loop opened in 2019.
The city’s Walk Loop program began in Santa Monica’s Wilmont neighborhood, where the city’s first one-mile Walk Loop opened in 2019. The project followed discussions with city commissions, including the Disabilities Commission and Commission on the Senior Community, in 2018.
The Pico route builds on that model, using permanent markers and wayfinding features to make walking accessible and inviting. Adopt-A-Walk also encourages community volunteers to organize group walks, helping turn the routes into opportunities for neighbors to connect.
