Santa Monica Pier

Walked from Hollywood to the pier to ride its rollercoaster; praised the walk but found the ride merely fine.

Finds the pier as unappealing as the Venice Boardwalk and less pleasant than the nearby Main Street stretch.

Recommends walking the pier after driving west to Santa Monica.

Suggests starting a long, flat beach bike ride from the pier, with small towns to stop in along the way.

Says the pier with its rides and games is a good family option close to the beach.

Says it sits right beside the park and is great fun for kids.

Notes a long walk over dry sand from the drop-off and advises staying out of the water near the pier, but praises people-watching and food.

Says it is the only practical beach to reach without a car.

Lists it among LA landmarks worth visiting.

Suggests visiting the pier and riding its Ferris wheel for views.

Lists the Santa Monica Pier among the nearby highlights.

Calls the Santa Monica Pier a reliably fun outing, especially after the Getty Villa.

Finds little to see or do at the pier itself.

Feels there's no need to go beyond Santa Monica, which suits tourists better than laid-back coastal towns do.

Recommends the pier and its fun zone, plus biking the beach path nearby.

Picks Santa Monica first, but says Venice is close enough to visit too.

Lists it among LA places the kids might enjoy.

Advises skipping the pier, calling it pretty lame despite its tourist appeal.

Finds the pier's amusement-park rides enjoyable.

Strongly recommends it, especially around sunset.

Calls the pier area's sunset a classic way to end the day.

Says the pier area feels chaotic, unlike the quieter park.