Hometown Santa Monica: The Bay Cities Book

Please, don't call it a guidebook
Because there's so much more to Santa Monica than its hotels and hamburgers, Hometown Santa Monica explores the Bay City and her neighbors like no traditional guidebook can. This new sibling of the bestseller Hometown Pasadena is like having a dyed-in-the-wool local-- four of them, actually-- introducing you to the most interesting people in town, telling you the most fascinating stories, and whispering in your ear where to find the best antiques store, oceanview restaurant, art gallery, quiet bookstore or convivial coffeehouse. Hometown Santa Monica looks deep inside the culture of one of the country's most beautiful and influential cities to reveal a community pulsating with nature, history, intelligence, fashion and fame. Take a neighborhood walk to marvel at the architectural diversity; when you ve had enough of city life, head out for a Santa Monica Mountains hike or a Venice surf session. From Malibu to the Marina and everywhere in between, Hometown Santa Monica will unlock the insider secrets of the Bay Cities.
Of course, there s more
A wealth of intelligent and engaging features, including:
-- Thinking Hard at the Think Tanks, an exercise in the cerebral with smart folks at Santa Monica s famed think tank, RAND
-- Life Among the Rich & Famous, a witty primer on dealing with the region's countless celebrities
-- Bookish by the Bay, a look at the city's rich literary scene past and present
-- Colorful Q & As with a local notables in every chapter. Who better to discuss the city's literary side than Brentwood's own Doug Dutton of Dutton's Books? Or to talk about the mountains than Joe Edmiston, director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy? Or to dish on being famous than movie star and Santa Monica shop owner Mary Steenburgen?
-- Vivid full-color photographs and art, including a cover painting by Ethel Fisher
-- Foreword by Santa Monica novelist April Smith, author of North of Montana.