Santa Monica

The laid-back but moneyed surfer-chic vibe of Santa Monica makes it one of the enticing areas on Los Angeles County's Westside. This is an area where dressed-down Silicon Beach moguls hold court by the water while families with children in the ultra-coveted Franklin and Roosevelt schools hang out in their backyards. The city's most prominent chefs converge on early Wednesday mornings for L.A.'s best farmers markets while tourists and locals with flexible schedules relax poolside at the wellness-minded Santa Monica Proper hotel. Things are less funky here than in adjacent Venice, but they're no less fun.