Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Half Of Santa Monica's Aggravated Assaults Occur In Just 5 Percent Of City, Study Finds

Coming up: Chamber Music Palisades concert: Webern String Quartet and Flute on the Santa Monica Patch calendar

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Hello again Santa Monica! We're bringing you the latest town highlights. Don't miss out, keep going! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Downtown hexagon hotspots drive most of Santa Monica's serious violent crime
  • City settlements keep five Santa Monica apartments affordable for longer
  • How Santa Monica's new 11.25 percent sales tax hits your wallet

Also on today's calendar: Chamber Music Palisades concert: Webern String Quartet and Flute and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What has a cap but no head? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Saturday: Toasty conditions, with a high of 96 and low of 75 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Sunday: Hot, temps: high: 95, low: 75.
  • Monday: Record-breaking heat, with a high of 94 and low of 75 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Half Of Santa Monica's Aggravated Assaults Occur In Just 5 Percent Of City, Study Finds (patch.com) — Santa Monica residents are learning that more than half of the city's aggravated assaults and a large majority of robberies are concentrated in a small downtown area, especially west of Lincoln Boulevard. A new RAND study shows that while serious violence has risen sharply downtown since the early 2010s, most other Santa Monica neighborhoods have seen violent and property crime remain near two-decade lows.
   

2. Santa Monica Settlements Extend Affordable Housing Protections On 5 Apartments (patch.com) — Santa Monica officials have secured settlements that extend affordable housing protections on five apartments at buildings on Fourth Street and 15th Street, following a city audit. The agreements lengthen rent-restricted terms by a combined six years, require closer management oversight, and include a $20,000 payment to bolster local affordable housing efforts.
   

3. Santa Monica Sales Tax Rises To 11.25 Percent: What To Know (patch.com) — Santa Monica shoppers are now paying an 11.25 percent sales tax after a new Los Angeles County levy took effect, adding 50 cents to every $100 in taxable purchases. The increase stems from Measure ER, intended to fund health and human services, but a pending lawsuit means all new revenue from Santa Monica and other county areas must be held in escrow until the case is resolved.
   

4. Santa Monica Hotels Filling Rooms but Earning Less Revenue (smdp.com) — Santa Monica hotels are filling more rooms than nearby markets but earning less, as a RAND study finds occupancy rebounding while inflation-adjusted lodging revenue slips. The report details how tourism businesses, employment, and visitor numbers still lag pre-pandemic levels, and suggests strategies like more festivals, pop-ups, and targeted redevelopment to revive the city's visitor economy and tax base.
   

5. Long Beach Sales Tax Rises To 11 Percent: What To Know (patch.com) — Santa Monica shoppers are now paying a combined 11.25 percent sales tax after Los Angeles County's new Measure ER half-cent levy took effect, raising rates countywide. While the money is earmarked for health and human services, a legal challenge means revenue is being held in escrow, and residents could eventually receive refunds if the measure is struck down.
   

📸 Around Santa Monica

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Santa Monica

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • SMart endorses three Santa Monica City Council Candidates —Phil Brock Read on Patch
  • Do not turn our downtown into a cement canyon! —Phil Brock Read on Patch
  • PEAKING Documentary Opens This Weekend in Santa Monica —Bob Bradley Read on Patch
  • We are just getting started on construction for another Pacific Palisades fire rebuild.
    I recently designed the neighboring home, and those wonderful clients passed my information along to this owner. They also connected me with another… (Nextdoor Wilshire Montana)
  • Chick-fil-A posted a job opening for Back of House Team Member in Santa Monica. Apply here.
  • Carl's Jr. Restaurants, LLC posted a job opening for Shift Leader Trainee - 2021 - #115 in Santa Monica. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Santa Monica here.

Ok Santa Monica! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "What has a cap but no head?" — A bottle (Thank you Glo M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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