Lights
shimmer and reflect on finely-laid mosaic tiles, the aromas of foods blend
into an intoxicating fragrance and people come to life in the cool night
air of West Side Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade. Day or night, it
is a place for people to enjoy themselves without the encumbrances of car
traffic, auto alarms and crazy drivers. The streets are blocked off
in this fantasy land where pedestrians rule and dinosaurs guard the entrances,
disguised as topiary-shaped plants overlooking fountains.
The best of the best might describe dining,
shopping and people gazing down the street from the Pacific Ocean and a
few miles away from L.A. Celebrities are a dime a dozen here, though
money is needed for everything beyond just watching stars. A unique
shopping and dining district stretches along 3rd Street for 3 blocks between
Wilshire and Broadway with Santa Monica Place mall on the south end and
Wilshire Blvd on the north. Movie theatres, boutiques and sidewalk cafés
provide chain store / restaurant opportunities, mixed with one-of-a-kind
specialties.
There's magic in the air at 3rd Street. From street performers
to professionals featured at Magicopolis club with its magic shows, the
place is alive with colorful pushcarts, kiosks and lots of people. Almost
always bustling and busy, don't be surprised to see the likes of
Meryl Streep, Jane Fonda, Cher, Kobe Bryant, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kevin
Sorbo, Jackie Collins and Harry Connick Jr. They are only a few of the
hundreds of famous people who have visited the Promenade. You never know
which actors or sports figures you might see in Southern California but
your chances of seeing them are much higher in Santa Monica.
If you are a star gazer and don't notice someone famous
while visiting, there are over a dozen movie showings along the Promenade
where you can watch these actors and actresses ply their trade in the latest
film releases. While taking in a movie, complete the afternoon or evening
by dining at some of L.A.'s finest restaurants. Bob Burns, Fama, Mesa Grill,
Monsoon's and Border Grill are but a few of the many eateries from outstanding
chefs who are celebrities in their own right.
Take for instance, the Border Grill owners, Mary Sue Milliken
and Susan Feniger. The dynamic cooking duo are 
hands-on
chefs and owners of the popular and critically-acclaimed Border Grill restaurants
in Santa Monica and Las Vegas, as well as Ciudad in Downtown Los Angeles.
They appeared in nearly 400 episodes “Too Hot Tamales” and “Tamales World
Tour” series during a 4-year stint with Food Network from 1995 to 1999.
Featured on several radio programs, as well, the chefs recently launched
a line of pepper mills, custom dinnerware and glassware, are consultants
for United Airlines, who serves their dishes on flights to Mexico, Central
and South America and are spokespeople for Whole Foods Market, the largest
retailer of organic foods in the world. With all that on their plate,
they have a new series with PBS called “Border Girls”.
Santa Monica's 3rd Street Promenade is located between
Wilshire and Broadway. Information 310-393-8355
