There’s still many SoCal beach towns without many of the Santa Monica problems. Places where you can walk around and feel safe without random hecklers disturbing you. Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach to name a few. There are many more. I’ve been to every beach town from Monterrey to the Mexican Border. Out of all of them, Santa Monica is by far the most rough minus maybe Long Beach. If I were a tourist, I’d skip Santa Monica and go to one of the above mentioned places. You’ll find a more relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
California receives a lot of criticism from the media and rightfully so but the California dream still exists in many parts.
Chris Athanasiadis 