One thing I noticed is that ALL the bars were gone. The place was all eateries and shops. No bars or the like. Which was odd, as I remembered playing pool in an entertaining place when I’d been there the first time.

While eating, I overheard someone complaining that the Santa Monica city council had shut down all the bars. I guess they wanted to make the area more ‘family friendly’.

However, the street was rife with the homeless (not homeless-as-in-I-lost-my-job, homeless as in I’m drunk or crazy and haven’t bathed in months). I swear half of the park benches had some scruffy old smelly sort camped on them.

It’s just that there seemed an odd contrast between keeping this nice upscale shopping area free from those nasty sports bars and the like, yet letting the area be overrun with bums.