By Sarah Pye
Living Editor
For many Pepperdine students, it is an inevitable weekend destination. Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade offers a wide range of entertainment activities to capture students’ attention, offering multiple dining and shopping options, six movie theatres, and, of course, a wide array of street performers displaying talents that range from break dancing to fortune telling.
The Promenade was developed in the late 1980s to help revitalize the downtown area of Santa Monica, which wasn’t always the hoppin’ hot-spot that it has come to be. Formerly the 25-year-old Santa Monica outdoor mall, the Promenade opened in 1989 as pedestrians-only street, just minutes from the beach and Santa SARAH PYE/LIVING EDITOR
Monica Pier, capped at
one end by an indoor mall,
called Santa Monica Place.
Now, the Promenade has become a tourist destination for visitors from around the world. And local Pepperdine students say it’s one of their favorite places to go, too.
“I like going there because it not only has your typical mall, but also the outside promenade which is so much fun,” junior Marie Simpson said. “I just love the atmosphere of it all.”
Simpson spent Saturday afternoon shopping on the Promenade, accompanied by a friend from out of town. She said that downtown Santa Monica is a great place to entertain friends who come to visit.
Aside from the shops and restaurants that are open seven days a week, businesses on the Promenade often offer special events.
At Sur la Table, located at 301 Wilshire Blvd., there are often chefs on hand to offer cooking demonstrations for interested patrons. Next Monday and Thursday, chefs from L.A.’s JiRaffe and Union restaurants will demonstrate cooking techniques from their holiday menus.
On Nov. 15 at 10 a.m., Sur la Table’s chef Shani Verchick will demonstrate easy cooking recipes that can turn into sweet holiday gifts, including chocolate chip macaroons, old-fashioned oatmeal cookies and butter vanilla brownies.
Call (866) 328-5412 for reservations and more information on all Sur la Table events.
Also, at the Barnes & Noble Books on the Promenade, authors are often present for book signings and readings. On Sunday at 9 p.m., author Peter Levitt will discuss his latest book, “Fingerpainting on the Moon: Writing & Creativity as a Path to Freedom.”
The holiday lights will come out on the Promenade on Friday, Nov. 28, with a day full of activities to kick off the Christmas season. A breakfast beginning at 9 a.m. will benefit the Westside Food Bank. KOST 103.5 will broadcast live from the Promenade beginning at 2 p.m., and at 5 p.m., a surprise celebrity guest will host the Grand Lighting Ceremony.
Information on these and other special events is available at www.downtownsm.com.
So for a fun bite to eat, a bit of avante garde entertainment or even a shopping spree, Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade might just have what you’re looking for.
November 06, 2003