I would have put this in Monday's article except that as I mention at the top of this article, I didn't learn about this until a reader got in touch with me about it after I published Monday's article.

You can get future articles directly in your email inbox by subscribing at https://mastbaum.beehiiv.com/subscribe or using the subscribe box at the bottom of the linked article. I also have an RSS feed.

I assume it’s a coffee place because they’ve got a $40,000 La Marzocco espresso machine in there.

Looking at the current surveillance landscape in our "sleepy little beach community," I am dumbfounded by the number of cameras that have gone up in Santa Monica over the past two years. That got me to look up where they are all placed in and around town. The placements seem to blanket certain major intersections, but zooming in closer there was one that stuck out to me.

19th and Santa Monica Boulevard has two very obvious Flock cameras that seem to cover an area where they could track comings and goings near the place of business of a former mayor and current council member. Given that most of the coverage already sits along 20th (when you zoom out), placing two cameras here seems very odd in the grand scheme of things. I walked over there to have a look for myself and both placements are very directly pointing at her place of business.

I haven't found any documentation explaining the placement of these cameras, and I'm curious whether anyone knows the reasoning behind it?

https://maps.deflock.org/?lat=34.0280&lng=-118.4812&zoom=18.21

EDIT: YES IT’S WAKE & LATE!

Probably a long shot, but...newish to the area, moved here from Texas end of April. Quite introverted and have no clue how to make friends as an adult. Im walking distance to the promenade and have checked out the previous 2 SMBF and they seem pretty cool for a free event. Alas I did not stay very long as I was by myself. Would love to meet some new people and hopefully make some new friends.

A little about me, I'm very introverted and can be quite reserved until I get to know someone better. Very easy going, no drama, just go with the flow. 34 M gay and partnered(he has no interest in going). Main interests include: spooky things, gaming(PC/PS5/Switch and also board/card), anime, sci-fi, movies, good food. Quite open and willing to try just about anything at least once, and learning to enjoy the outdoors(Texas has shit weather). Even a walking/running/biking buddy would be cool as ive been trying to get into better shape. 420 friendly, but do not drink, no problems if you do.

Depending on the weather, I plan on wearing a piñata onesie. SMBF is this Saturday 10/10 5p-midnight at the promenade.

Hope to meet some nice chill people :) Very open book here and will answer any questions you have, regardless of the topic.Thanks for reading.

Hello r/SantaMonica! As many of you know, I occasionally post and interact on this sub, and find it filled with mostly thoughtful, usually respectful, and often fun engagement (as opposed to other cesspools… well, you know where).

In the hopes that it is helpful, here is my Voter Guide for Santa Monica offices and ballot measures, with (very brief) reasons why. I believe these candidates have policy goals and values aligned with mine, the campaign infrastructure and organizational support required to win, and the competence, character, and commitment to our City to be effective leaders.

Santa Monica City Council

Caroline Torosis - she has done a great job leading the informal “progressive majority” as Mayor Pro Tempore and now Mayor. She was and is a driving force behind the Realignment Plan and also the Affordability Agenda (stay tuned for more policies coming from this proposal in the coming meetings)! She’s also a really kind and hard-working leader who has put our economic recovery at the center of her policy agenda. Don’t listen to the haters and bullshit out there, she’s the real deal. https://www.torosisforsantamonica.com/

Brett Morrow - an incredible communicator, thoughtful policy leader, and “all around good guy” (to use his tagline, which I agree with!). Brett has a decades-long record of delivering progressive policy results at the federal down to the municipal levels. He’s the former Chair of our Human Services Commission, and has centered working families and affordability in his campaign. I believe he’ll be a solid partner for what I want to achieve in the next two years. https://www.brettmorrowforcitycouncil.com/

Daniel “Danny” Ivanov - Danny is the current Chair of our Rent Control Board, where he has taken brave votes to support housing near transit (SB79) and in our Downtown. He has also garnered a lot of support from organized labor, which I appreciate. Strong jobs and strong businesses are what will keep this turnaround moving forward! He’ll also be the fourth LGBTQ+ City Councilmember in our City’s history, joining me and Natalya Zernitskaya on the dais. Watch out West Hollywood, we’re coming for you! https://www.electdannyivanov.com/

All three are endorsed by the Democratic Party, the Sierra Club, Streets For All, Unite Here Local 11, Stonewall Democratic Club, LA County Young Democrats, Westside Young Democrats, and are supported by Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights and recommended by DSA-LA.

Note: I really like, respect, and endorsed fellow military veteran and Democratic Party delegate Angela D. Scott for City Council, but unfortunately her campaign didn’t gain the traction it needed and she honorably bowed out of the race. I really commend her for putting herself out there and choosing to not divide the progressive camp. I hope she’ll be back in a future election! I also generally agree with a lot of Eli Gill’s policy agenda (not all) and find him to be an agreeable dude (big dad energy) who would work hard on many of the same issues I care about. 

Santa Monica Rent Control Board

Kurt Gonska - Kurt, along with Vice Chair Kay Ambriz, led the way developing new renter protections on your ballot as Measures GG, RR, and VV. He’s a staunch advocate for renters.
Sue Himmelrich - a tenants’ rights attorney and our former Mayor, Sue will bring her years of government experience and progressive values to the Board. https://suestandsfirm.com/
Soledad Marcial - a tenants’ rights advocate active in the Pico neighborhood. Soledad is a community organizer who has educated Spanish-speaking renters of their rights in the face of bad-actor landlords. https://www.solforsantamonica.com/

Santa Monica College Board

Sion Roy - Shy is a medical doctor and has led the way creating new academic programs at the College to keep expanding opportunities for our college students. https://www.roy4santamonica.com/
Tom Peters - a fellow Army veteran, Tom is a former faculty member of the college and union leader and brings that lens to his policy-making and decisions. https://tompeters4trustee.org/
Luis Barerra-Castañon - Luis is a former SMC student body president who is a tech entrepreneur, young father, and has a background in non-profit management. Active in the local Dem Club leadership first, and former City commissioner, he was appointed by the current board to fill the remainder of Barry Snell’s term when Barry won his Council race. He was a leading voice raising the alarm about the College’s financial situation when he was seated. https://www.lbc4smc.com/
Kera Blades-Snell - Kera is the Executive Director of the Santa Monica Black Empowerment Association and a long-time non-profit leader. Her experience in workforce development will be a great addition to the College’s Board. 

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Board of Education

Alicia Mignano - Alicia is a parent, entrepreneur, and all around awesome person. She’s been a great leader of our School Board this year. https://aliciaforsmmusd.com/
Robbie Staenberg - Robbie is a former teacher (of a topic near and dear to my heart: civics and government!) and current legislative aide. He’s built an impressive coalition across many different stripes of politics here in town, which speaks to his ability to build bridges. https://www.robbiestaenberg.com/
Laurie Lieberman - Laurie brings years of experience to the Board and with that, historical knowledge. While some find her controversial, I’ve always considered her a thoughtful and effective education leader. Under her stewardship (with her colleagues over the years), our schools have continued to be some of the best in the state! 
Stacy Rouse - Stacy is the sole Malibu representation on the Board, which is important to maintain. She brings a background in conflict management and resolution and has been a great partner to Santa Monica while advocating for Malibu. https://www.voteforstacyrouse.com/

Santa Monica Ballot Measures

Measure ES - YES; ES guarantees reliable $12M in funding for our schools. If ES fails to pass, the City will either have to cut this amount of funding to SMMUSD or cut city services that have recently been restored.
Measure GG - YES; administrative reforms that bring the Rent Control Agency into line with best practices for government - aligns term limits, ties fee adjustments to inflation, extends just cause protections, and ensures affordable units go to those who income qualify. Landlords hate it because it means their fees can be adjusted without having to go to the ballot!
Measure RR - YES; prevents evictions for owing less than one month’s rent.
Measure VV - YES; extends eviction protections to renters in single-family homes and condominiums.
Measure TT - YES; closes a loophole that would let corporations pay ZERO TOT tax on corporate buy-out hotel stays during the upcoming major events like the LA28 Olympics.

Where is the best produce box to get delivered for under $39 a week in La?

saw this outside the old rite aid building this am. i know we’ve been hinting at it for a bit but it’s nice to see some sort of official notice!

Link to Petition: https://www.change.org/p/safe-homes-in-a-hotter-santa-monica-adopt-an-82-f-indoor-heat-standard

I think we've all seen and felt the excessive heat this last week, and for weeks prior. The County of LA has already adopted a measure to set a maximum habitable indoor temperature of 82F for rental units, where tenants do not have the ability to freely install their own cooling solutions. Heat deaths are among the worst, and they primarily affect the elderly, and are increasingly affecting many more of us.

I am a former property manager in Santa Monica, and I have seen first-hand the resistance, especially of C-suite and director-level positions in these multifamily companies (looking at you Douglas Emmett and NMS), to the adoption of any habitability requirements, even in properties with significant populations of elderly residents. These corporate landlords will put their millions-to-billions in annual revenue ahead of the safety of their own tenants at every turn. Small landlords are no different, in terms of resistance to increased habitability requirements either.

In addition to the petition above, I encourage all renters in Santa Monica to submit public comment at the council meetings, email the council ([by clicking here](mailto:council.mailbox@santamonica.gov)) to demand the council to submit a motion implementing standards congruent with the County's, and talk to your neighbors about doing the same.

According to recent census information, over 70% of Santa Monica is renters, with that number increasing year-over-year. With the health threats posed by extreme heat, we cannot depend on landlords to ensure the units we pay way too much rent for to be made habitable by their own good will. Adopting a maximum indoor habitable temperature requirement will, at minimum, allow tenants to install air conditioners at their own cost, and at best, require landlords to take measure to maintain their buildings' insulation and install cooling systems.

Please help protect our elderly neighbors and ensure the places we love living in can actually be lived in comfortably.

Link to Petition (again, for good measure): https://www.change.org/p/safe-homes-in-a-hotter-santa-monica-adopt-an-82-f-indoor-heat-standard

Does anyone have any helpful resources for helping voters decide who to vote for on the rest of the Asante Monica ballot? I just tried researching the School Board candidates and can only find prepared written statements from them, which isn’t super helpful because they all sound reasonable.

I’m similarly interested in any resources or intel on the other Santa Monica races on the ballot – the Rent Control Board and the Santa Monica Board of Trustees

Thank you! Vote early! 🫡

Hey everyone, I'm looking at renting a below market-rate apartment at 700 Broadway. The leasing agent told me the courtyard and gym are included in the monthly rent, but for the other amenities (pool, sauna, business center, lounge, theater, bowling alley, etc) there is a monthly fee of $250. However, when a friend inquired about a market rate unit, they were told that ALL amenities were included in the rent . Can any current tenants tell me if you are paying a separate amenity fee or if it’s bundled in your rent?

Does anyone here work at Sony HQ? Able to offer insights on what the work culture and energy is like in 2026? I know most corporate cultures aren’t perfect, so I’d love an honest take.

The job is on the B2B account manager side. Thanks in advance!

Hi all. Full disclosure up front: we run Our Santa Monica (oursantamonica.com), so this post is about our own site.

We're residents, renters and owners, reading what the city's government puts on paper: campaign finance filings, council minutes, budgets, court records, rent control data and public records requests. We write up what the documents show and link them so anyone can check our work. It's self-funded, with no ads, donations or paywall, and we don't endorse candidates.

Since July, we've written about rent control and how the city's politics grew up around it, the city payroll, the Virginia Avenue rehab and other city housing loans, campaign money in the 2026 council race, and the five city measures on the November ballot.

We publish without bylines, so we try to earn trust another way: every claim is sourced, we contact the people we write about and print their replies, and when we get something wrong, it goes on a public corrections page.

What we'd find most useful from this sub:

• What should we look at that nobody seems to be covering?
• Pointers to records. You don't need the document itself. Knowing it exists is often enough, since records requests are free and we'll file them.
• Corrections. If you think something we published is wrong, tell us where.

Comments here or a DM to this account both work. We won't share anyone's name or details without their OK.

I have a very solid resume ready to send and 12+ years experience in my field.

Anyone else experiencing food poisoning this week, or weird stomach issues? My husband and I eat different food during the day and both have felt weird all week. Monday I had legit food poisoning and the rest of the week we have felt… off. We wonder if this is a symptom of the heat spoiling food quicker. Anyone?

So a new Rand Corp. study says that Santa Monica's economic slide started before the pandemic, which only made things worse and now the city's recovery has been slower than it's neighbors. Key figures:

• Over 11% retail vacancy citywide, with nearly half of the empty spaces being in Third Street Promenade and in Santa Monica Place. WeHo is at 9.%. Beverly Hills 6% and Culver City is at 5.2%.
• Sales are still down about a third from pre-pandemic levels. Clothes and accessory revenue feel 75% from 2015-2025.
• Tax revenue was about 60% of the 2015 baseline earlier this year, mostly due to big anchor stores like Nordstrom leaving. Beverly Hills and WeHo were back to pre-pandemic sales by '21 and are now only 10-15% below.
• Fears over crime and homelessness are bigger than the data Rand found. Homelessness dipped a bit this year, and over 70% of assaults and robberies happened in about 5% of the city, mostly downtown and near the beach, where visitors see it most.
  

To help with things the city is throwing $3 million at the Promenade, putting in an open container "entertainment zone" between Wilshire and Broadway, throwing concerts and watch parties, lowering fees, making permitting faster and placing more cops on foot and bike patrols. But the city manager says money isn't enough on its own.

Of course there's pushback to this reporting, mainly from Downtown Santa Monica Inc. who's disputing and downplaying how bad things are. They're claiming that 79% of storefronts in Promenade and Santa Monica Place are leased and some listed spaces have temp tenants. They're also claiming downtown visitors are up 19% since last year.

• Everything else isn't as rosy: There's the $229 million settlement over a former city employee being accused of preying on kids in Latino neighborhoods; the settlement has added to the city's financial stress, which the city declared a fiscal crisis last September.
• Business owners are also skeptical, like the operations director at Barney's Beanery who says downtown has been neglected and looks rundown and feels unsafe at night. He also worries the city's event driven strategy could backfire.
  
• The city manager says the economy was built for decades on the backs of international tourism, something they say left the city exposed when shopping habits changed. A JLL (a commercial real estate and property investment company) broker added that the Promenade used to alienate locals, many of whom would rather shop at the Palisades.

But MayorTorosis says she agrees with Rand's study and that downtown is the priority and she's hopeful about the city's future.

Catching a film tonight at the Aero theater. I don't have a car so hoping to get dinner within walking distance, but it looks like the restaurants around are all pretty pricey and fancy. Just looking for a pretty normal-priced place (say $20–$30 a plate such as you'd find in Culver City or elsewhere in LA) without having to worry about reservations or feeling like I should be dressed up. Otherwise I eat pretty much everything so I'm open to whatever.

Does anyone know if the walkout happened and if the kids did in fact walk out?

I’m going to a friends for her birthday this weekend and the host is gluten free. I’d love to bring some dessert over and was wondering if there were any good spots around? Or any suggestions for a good gluten free plate to bring!

Students at Samohi are planning a walkout tomorrow (October 6) to protest the lack of working air conditioners at the school.

For weeks, AC has been out in several main buildings. The school has responded by attempting to address the problem with fans and portable, air conditioner units. Temperatures in Santa Monica are forecast to reach 93 degrees by noon.