Santa Monica Pier
Space can be
used in different ways. Each space can give off different emotions and vibes to
individuals. Space can be created for entertainment, business or it can even be
the space in a home. Space is made by an individual and it is also what an
individual makes of it. Santa Monica Pier is a tourist attraction as well as a
place where families and couples can enjoy their day. Santa Monica Pier also
represents Los Angeles because of the beach and the bright lights it displays
at night. Although, the space in Santa Monica pier is seen and used differently
by visitors, for some the space represents business, time well spent with loved
ones, memories and history.
To
begin, Santa Monica pier is used by many individuals as a place where they can
make a living. While walking into the boardwalk there is a man with three
parrots. He allows people to hold his parrots and take pictures with them for a
certain amount of money. The parrots are very entertaining and they even know
how to speak. In the beginning of the pier there are also many stands where
people sell sweaters, glasses and different souvenirs. After passing the arcade
and the rides, the pier offers space to many performers who show off their
talents for money. There is a man painted in silver acting as a robot. He has
speakers with him and dances with the music for money. There is also a man who
sculpts clay for money. He can sculpt different faces from celebrities to
costumers. This gives an individual a chance to take it home as a souvenir and
it helps the sculpture make his living as well. In the boardwalk there is also
a palm reader. She has a crystal ball and sits in a chair with a table that is
covered by different cloths. She also makes her living off of this. There are
clowns, artists who draw names with different characters, and even face
painters. These individuals take advantage of the space offered and the
attention brought to Santa Monica Pier to show off their talents and make their
living off of it. The space in Santa Monica Pier is used for attractions and
business.
 |
| Performers on the Pier |
Walking
into the pier there are different restaurants, attractions and small
businesses. On the right side of the pier there is a restaurant called Bubba
Gump which is very famous and inspired by the movie Forrest Gump. By the end of
the pier and boardwalk there is another restaurant called Mariasol Cocina
Mexicana. There is also a place for burgers and seafood. The food court located
in the center of the park offers Pizza Hut and Taco Bell as well. The
restaurants use the space to complete the park. It gives the people an
opportunity to stay in the amusement park and eat after a long day rather than
searching for something outside the park. In the center of the amusement park
there are many attractions. There is a roller coaster and ferris wheel that
adults and kids can enjoy. There is also a carousel and an arcade room that has
plenty of games for everyone to enjoy. Santa Monica Pier also offers a Trapeze
School where anyone can be taught how to swing from ropes high above the
ground. The space is used for everyone to enjoy and many of the attractions are
there to make money off of them. Santa Monica Pier also has an aquarium where
families can visit. In the aquarium, many can learn more about the different
fish and what is really in the ocean. There are also stores on the side of the
boardwalk that give people the opportunity to buy sweaters and different objects
representing Los Angeles, such as, sunglasses since many believe Los Angeles
has the best weather in the United States. The setting in Santa Monica Pier
changes once the sun sets.
Carousel 
Bubba Gump Restaurant
Carousel Bubba Gump Restaurant
Santa
Monica Pier attracts different people during the day and during the night.
During the day there are many more families with their children enjoying the
space while at night there are many couples and groups of friends. During the
day the performers and face painters are a good entertainment for children.
Families also enjoy the beach with their families when the sun is out. While
many can enjoy the rides on the pier, others can also enjoy the beach and
water. During the day there are many men fishing at the end of the pier.
Although there are two signs that clearly state “Do Not Eat the Fish” and “No
Fishing Allowed” people still use the space to fish with their children. The
space gives the visitors a different vibe during the night. During the night there
are many more couples enjoying the romantic scenery. Some sit by the shore with
their loved ones as well. Groups of friends are also seen at night. Santa
Monica Pier is also a place where people can go to spend time and enjoy the
space after school or work with friends and family. The space has a lot of history.
The pier has a lot of
history to it and it also holds many interesting facts. When Santa Monica pier
was being constructed in 1909, its main purpose was a sewage system. The space
was being used to dispose the sewage from the city. This system was
discontinued in the 1920’s. The space was then created into an amusement park.
Running, swimming, and boating events took place on the pier once it was built.
In 1916 all the rides and attractions were brought into the pier. The stores
and food courts were later built using the space on the pier. Today towards the
end of the pier the space is used by a small store. On the window of the store
there is a sign that states it is the farthest store into the ocean in the
West. Santa Monica has a lot of history and interesting facts as well. Santa
Monica Pier represents Los Angeles.
Santa
Monica Pier is a big part of Los Angeles. It is a place to experience when
visiting Los Angeles. The city of Los Angeles has many bright lights in all the
tall skyscrapers. Los Angeles is also known for being close to the beach. The
pier at night has many bright lights. The lights on the ferris wheel make the
pier look the most attractive and it gives it a magical setting. Los Angeles is
also known for the many restaurants and shopping centers. The pier also offers
this to tourists and those enjoying the amusement park. The beach surrounding
the pier also gives it the Los Angeles feel. The space in Los Angeles and Santa
Monica pier has also been used in the music video Kings and Queens by Forty
Seconds to Mars. It shows many people riding bicycles all through Los Angeles
and ending in Santa Monica Pier. This represents that Santa Monica Pier is a
part of Los Angeles. Santa Monica Pier is visited and known by many.
 Bright Lights at Night  |
The
essay “Minnie Riperton Saved My Life” by Luis Alfaro, is about Alfaro’s life in
Los Angeles. It is about his life growing up in the working class. He writes
about the places where he felt the most comfortable and the places he was able
to be himself. Alfaro felt the most comfortable when he was around Latinos like
him. He also felt comfortable in jazz clubs where he was able to enjoy what he
liked best. Santa Monica pier is very diverse and multicultural. It is a place
where one can feel comfortable and fit in with the rest of the people. It can be
described as the backyard of those living in Los Angeles. It is also a place where
people can enjoy themselves and get away from the usual. Different spaces also create
different emotions and moods.
In
the text book, Convergences, it gives
the reader different deffinitions of space. The stories within the section of
space explain that space can be the waiting room of an airport or simply a
sidewalk on the side of the road. Space can be defined as what an individual
makes of it. For example, a basketball court on the side of the street with a
basket as the hoop can be just as an actual court to those who are passionate
about it. It may not look like a normal basketball court but the space is used exactly
the same. Just as Santa Monica pier, the space is used differently by the
different visitors the pier attracts. In the essay “Nowhere Man” by Pico Lyer,
he explains how spaces can also create emotion. An airport can bring happiness,
excitement and even sadness. It is a place where people say their goodbye’s or
go off to vacation. Just as, the Santa Monica pier brings happiness and excitement
to people. Santa Monica beach can also bring solace to the visitors. It can
also bring joy when creating memories at the pier.
Space
is used differently by people. In Santa Monica Pier some use it as a place to
make their living while others use it as a space in which they can have a good
time. It is also used for business. Santa Monica Pier attracts different people
with different ethnicities and cultures. It also attracts many tourists. The
space makes it Los Angeles with the bright lights during the night and the
salty breeze the beach brings to the pier.
Works
Cited
Alfaro, Luis. “Minnie
Riperton Saved My Life”. Another City. Ed.
David L. Ulin. Print.
Atwan, Robert. “Basketball
Photos”. Convergences. Ed. Robert Atwan.
Boston: Bedford/St.
Martin’s, 2009. Print
Atwan, Robert. “Nowhere
Man”. Convergences. Ed. Robert Atwan.
Boston: Bedford/St.
Martin’s, 2009. Print.
Unknown. “It all Started in 1909”. http://santamonicapier.org/.
History. Santa Monica Pier.
2012. Web. March 31, 2013.
credit
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