By Jorge Casuso
May 14, 2025 -- Santa Monica will launch Southern California's first entertainment zone next month, allowing visitors to buy alcoholic drinks on the Promenade and consume them on the street.
The ordinance, approved unanimously by the City Council Tuesday, will be implemented with a slow rollout in early June that limits the hours to Friday through Sunday from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
If successful, the program -- which will be implemented on the Promenade's three block stretch from Broadway to Wilshire Boulevard -- will be expanded to seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.
“The new Entertainment Zone will provide a unique way for visitors to experience the iconic Third Street Promenade that caters to the new trends in shopping and dining,” Mayor Lana Negrete said after the meeting.
The Entertainment Zone will be a work in progress, and it remains unclear how successful or costly the program will be, staff told the Council.
The 13 existing establishments licensed to serve alcohol have not yet been asked whether they plan to participate. "At the moment there is some interest," said planning manager Jing Yeo.
Participating businesses will need to sign an agreement with the City and be responsible for checking IDs to ensure patrons are 21 before issuing the wristbands needed to take the drinks outdoors.
The drinks -- which can range from beer to hard liquor -- must be served in to-go cups that cannot be made of metal or glass or taken into any other businesses, City officials said.
Four additional police officers will be on patrol during the day, although the number could be adjusted based on regular status updates, police officials said.
Since the proposed Entertainment Zone was was first considered by the Council at its April 22 meeting, opposition, especially from residents in the neighboring area, has been mounting.
Wilmont, the neighborhood association representing residents north of Downtown, opposed the zone unless its northern boundary was moved one block south from Wilshire to Arizona Avenue.
Meanwhile, Mid City Neighbors, NOMA (North of Montana Association) and Northeast Neighbors strongly opposed the program.
Dozens of residents also wrote letters to the Council expressing strong opposition to a program they worry will increase crime, encourage rowdy or violent behavior and lead to more drunk drivers on the road.
"This is a residential neighborhood, not the strip in Las Vegas," wrote Luba Rosenblum. "This seems like a very clear, wrong direction for the future of this city."
"I cannot believe the council is actually considering this," wrote Deborah Roetman. "It will only increase noise, public drunkenness and violence as well as degrade the image of our city and discourage tourists. Please stop this madness."
"What a dangerous proposal that will draw police away from protecting other areas of the city," wrote Elizabeth Lerer. "This harebrained idea will also repel residents and families from enjoying the Promenade area."
Others were more blunt: "Possible to think of a dumber idea?" wrote one resident. "Have you people completely lost all sense?" wrote another. "ARE YOU GUYS MAD?" wrote a third.
The proposal comes as the City plans to roll out alcohol ads on 12 of its digital kiosks, six of them on the Promenade ("Council to Consider Alcohol Ads on City Property," May 6 2025).
City and Downtown officials hope the Entertainment Zone will help boost business on the iconic walk street, which has been struggling to recover from the coronavirus shutdown and a seismic shift in shopping trends.
The Council has approved several ordinances in the past three years to encourage a more active nightlife and offer visitors unique experiences.
"Few places in the country have the potential to rival Santa Monica’s year-round coastal climate, and this new experience will further elevate our downtown as a place to socialize and connect," said Andrew Thomas, CEO of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
