Santa Monica, C.A.: An Oasis In Los Angeles

"Los Angeles and Santa Monica may have the same blinding blue sky, weakness for spindly palms and parking police who approach their jobs with startling zeal. But while Los Angeles confounds visitors with its sprawl and smog, Santa Monica is a compact eight square miles with fresh ocean breezes.The city is a joy to visit or to live in -- if you can afford it. A resident's average salary is around $50,000, significantly more than in the rest of California or the United States as a whole, and a tiny cottage for less than $500,000 is considered a steal. Realizing that its exclusivity is a problem as well as an advantage, the city has developed a ferocious social conscience."