Third Street Promenade facts for kids
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A picture taken in the heart of the Promenade in 2017
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| Location | Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
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| Opening date | November 8, 1965 |
| Developer | The Hahn Company and The Rouse Company |
| Management | Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. |
| Owner | Multiple owners, including Federal Realty Investment Trust, and KLM Equities |
| Parking | Structured |
| Website | Third Street Promenade and Downtown Santa Monica |
The Third Street Promenade is a super fun outdoor area in Santa Monica, California. It's a special street where only people can walk, not cars! You can find lots of shops, restaurants, and entertainment here. It first opened a long time ago, on November 8, 1965, and was called the Santa Monica Mall back then.
It's known as one of the best places to shop and eat on the west side of Los Angeles. Many people from all over the Greater Los Angeles area come to visit. It's also easy to get to from places like Downtown Los Angeles using buses or the E Line train. Plus, it's close to famous spots like the Santa Monica Pier and the Pacific Ocean. The sunny weather in Los Angeles makes it a great place for tourists too!
Contents
History of the Promenade
Third Street has been an important business area in Santa Monica since the late 1800s. The idea for the Promenade started on November 8, 1965. That's when three blocks of Third Street were changed into a street just for people walking.
Even though it was popular, the Santa Monica Mall needed some updates by the late 1970s. A new shopping center called Santa Monica Place was added in 1980. It was designed by a famous architect named Frank Gehry. The city decided to redesign the mall, and it reopened as the Third Street Promenade on September 16, 1989. This was part of a bigger plan to improve downtown Santa Monica.
Later, Santa Monica Place was updated again. It became an open-air shopping and dining spot, reopening on August 6, 2010. Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. helps manage the Third Street Promenade and the surrounding downtown area. They work to keep the area lively and help businesses grow.
What You Can See and Do
Cool Public Art
One of the coolest things about the Third Street Promenade is the public art. You'll see amazing plant sculptures of dinosaurs called The Dinosaurs of Santa Monica. These were made by a French art team called Les Lalanne. These dinosaur topiaries are along three blocks of the Promenade. They even "spit" streams of water from their mouths!
Around the Promenade, there are also multi-level parking garages. These garages have awesome sculptures and murals on their outside walls and inside. Artists like Gilbert Luján and Peter Shire created these artworks.
Fun Entertainment
When the Promenade was being planned, people really wanted a place to gather and enjoy the outdoors. So, it was designed to be a lively spot for shopping and entertainment. You'll often see street performers here. On a busy Saturday night in the summer, you might find singers, musicians, magicians, clowns, and dancers. They line up along Third Street, ready to entertain everyone!
The Third Street Promenade is also home to many popular shops. You can explore stores like Patagonia, Lululemon, and Urban Outfitters. There are also fancy designer stores such as Coach and Tiffany & Co.
Beyond shopping, the Promenade is famous for another reason. Its beautiful setting has been used in many movies! You might recognize it from films like Heat, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, and Freaky Friday. It has also appeared in TV shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This makes it a real landmark in entertainment history.
Photo gallery
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Trees along Third Street lit up for the Holidays.
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Broadway Theatre on Third Street.
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Businesses on Third Street, between Utah and Oregon (now Santa Monica Blvd.), 1880.
