Skip to main content
Donate

Main Street: Windward Circle to Santa Monica Pier

March 14, 2012
Support Provided By

Itching to ride through the main drag of Venice and Santa Monica? Then you'll love our bicycle guide that will take you from the heart of Venice to the iconic Santa Monica Pier. Riding north on Main Street, you will pass great eateries and intriguing architecture as you make your way to the ever-present carnival on the pier. For more information, see Bike Paths below.

VFG_Bicycling_MainStreet.jpg

Bike Path:
Before you get started, munch on a fresh sandwich from Danny's Deli. Afterwards, head across the street to get a bicycle from Bike Curious Rentals.

Go East on Windward Ave. When you reach the traffic circle, the original heart of Abbot Kinney's Venice of America, round the center divide and head north on Main Street. After a few blocks, if you are yearning for a break, check out the fun variety of dogs playing around to your left in the Westminster Dog Park.

Ride north and you will soon enter Santa Monica. At the intersection of Main and Santa Monica Blvd., you can't miss the bright red Firehouse, the old Santa Monica fire station that now serves as a restaurant. Continue on and you will pass through quaint stretches of Santa Monica storefronts and restaurants before you reach Colorado Ave.

Make a left onto Colorado Avenue and head down towards the bright lights of the Santa Monica Pier.

STARTING POINT
Begin at Windward Circle.

DIRECTIONS TO THE START
Transit: From the Spring/1st stop in Downtown LA take the 733 Bus towards Santa Monica. Disembark at Main/Grand and go north on Main St. for about 1 minute until enter the traffic circle.

Car: From the 10 Freeway West exit for 4th/5th St. Keep left at the fork, follow signs for 4th St. Turn left onto 4th St., then take the 3rd right onto Pico Blvd. Then turn left onto Neilson Way and continue on it for about 2 miles as it turn into Pacific Ave. Then turn left onto Windward Circle and enter the traffic circle.

Support Provided By
Read More
A black and white photo of an adult dressed as the easter bunny with a giant costumed head, holding a little girl on their left who gives it a kiss on the cheek and, with his right arm, holding a little boy who brings his hands to his eyes as though wiping away tears.

Behold the Bunnies and Bonnets of L.A.'s Past Easter Celebrations

The onset of the spring season heralds the arrival of fragrant flowers in bloom — and all the critters that enjoy them, including the Easter bunny and families who anticipate his arrival with egg hunts, parades and questionable fashion choices.
By Sandi Hemmerlein
A black and white image of an elephant holding a broom with its trunk. A man is seen near the elephant, walking towards the animal.

Lions and Tigers and Cameras! How the Movies Gave Los Angeles a Zoo

The early days of the movies in Los Angeles inadvertently allowed visitors to experience the largest collection of animals in the western United States. When animals weren't appearing in a movie, they were rented out to other film companies, performed for studio visitors, or in the case of filmmaker William Selig's collection — an opportunity to create one of Los Angeles' first zoos.
By D.J. Waldie
A vertical, black and white portrait of a blonde woman wearing a sparkly four-leaf clover costume as she holds her arms out and extends a leg as though in a curtsy.

Irish for a Day: L.A.'s History of 'Going Green' on St. Patrick's Day

Whether it was a parade, dance, tea party, home celebration or just enjoying a good ol' wee dram of whisky, here's a photo essay of how Los Angeles donned its green apparel to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and embrace the luck o' the Irish over the years.
By Sandi Hemmerlein