Santa Monica anyone?
 

Hey all,

Just found out that I'm going to get re-lo'd from San Diego to Santa Monica for work... Anyone here from up there? Looking for any info on good/bad places to look and any other random info... If there are a few rx drivers up there then I could imagine it couldn't be too bad a place to move to.

Cheers,
Simon.

I'm close to Santa Monica, but the 405 makes it alot further due to CONSTANT slow traffic.

I live about 30 min. away from SM. About the only reason I would go to Santa Monica is to burn down Santa Monica Mazda. A little friendly advice, don't go to Santa Monica Mazda for service, or to buy a car. 3rd street promendae is fun. You have downtown Santa Monica/Venice area which is really fun. Lots of bars, cool stores, nice walk down the area.

I agree, do NOT go to Santa Monica Mazda for ANYTHING. They are the worst. Service Manager is an idiot (at least the one when I was there).

I also agree about 3rd Street. Cool place to hang out. :cool:

I work in Santa Monica, moving over this way when my lease is up.

Previous poster is right about SM Mazda, they are assholes. Culver City (next closest) isn't much better, they kept my car for 2 days only to tell me they didn't have the brake pads in stock and I'd have to come back "in a week or so" - two weeks ago.

Apartment-wise, if you're interested, I could recommend a few places if you let me know the price and size range you want.

Same, here work in the Santa Monica area. the promenade and the venice beach area are nice as mentioned by the previous posters. you might also want to check out the brentwood area. give us a wave when you see us - am driving a red 8.

fanman, 310guy, twisty7876,

where do you guys go to have your 8's serviced? star mazda at glendale?

dennis

I have only taken mine in once, to Culver City. I'd go to Star (I had shopped there, had a great experience with Tim, the Internet guy, but couldn't get usable financing), but it's too far away, and in the opposite direction from my office (at which I practically live).

thanks - i live in the downtown area and might just go there after hearing your comments about santa monica and culver. are you the guy the drives the titanium gray 8 i saw along wilshire?

thanks again for the advice.

Dennis,

I go to Galpin Mazda in Van Nuys for service. I get a loaner, no questions asked. They're pretty good. Sam (Service Rep) is pretty cool. He's driving an 8 also. :D

go to Browning Mazda in Cerritos (nudge,nudge, wink, wink)
:D

thanks guys appreciate it.

dennis

Cool - thanks. Work's somehwere on Pennsylvania (5th maybe?) so I guess I'll be trying to find something not to far away from there (I expect the traffic is pretty bad, so commuting too far would suck?).

I'll be sure to wave if I see another 8 up there... I think a scouting mission is in order to check out some of the neighborhoods.

I have only had the car serviced once (I have about 3K mi. on it). I went to Star Mazda to get the oil changed. Worked with Phil Kapsimallis. He was real good, and returned my car within an hour (went in early, got breakfast, came back), and followed up with a phone call the next day to make sure everything was alright. That was like night & day compared to my experience over at Santa Monica Mazda.