With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Outdoor drinking along Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade? City Council to decide
A previous Pride on the Promenade
(
Courtesy Downtown Santa Monica
)
The Santa Monica City Council is slated to vote Tuesday on whether to allow people on the pedestrianized Third Street Promenade to sip on an alcoholic beverage — en plein air.
The Third Street Promenade could become one of the first “Entertainment Zones” in California outside of San Francisco to allow outdoor consumption of alcohol in public spaces, Las Vegas-style, thanks to a law passed last year .
The idea is to stimulate the local economy and bring more foot traffic to business areas that have seen fewer patrons since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Andrew Thomas, CEO of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., a nonprofit that promotes economic growth, told LAist that Promenade visitors won’t be able to sip on their gin and tonic in the Apple store. But he still thinks the ordinance will be a boost for retail businesses as well.
Sponsored message
“If people look at this as an area where they can come and enjoy themselves, that’ll lead to longer dwell times on the street... and shopping more,” Thomas said.
What the Santa Monica ordinance would do
- Allow consumption of alcoholic beverages on public streets, sidewalks and public rights-of-way on Third Street between Wilshire Boulevard and Broadway.
- Restrict drinking only to booze purchased at licensed Entertainment Zone vendors. No BYOB and no metal or glass containers.
- Prevent people bringing their drinks inside retail businesses or other restaurants on the Promenade. Sorry, no cocktails in the Apple store.
- Allow outdoor consumption in the Entertainment Zone seven days a week, between 8 a.m. - 2 a.m., as long as at least one licensed vendor permitted to sell alcoholic beverages is open during those hours. According to a city report, six businesses that currently have permits advertise hours past 10 p.m. on weekends.
When it could launch
If passed, the ordinance would “take immediate effect” as long as local authorities have the proper signage and safety training for businesses in place, according to a staff report .
The report added that the city anticipates an Entertainment Zone launch event coinciding with
Pride on the Promenade on June 21
.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
