Santa Monica's stunning beaches sprawl 3 1/2 miles along the coastline. The Santa Monica Pier, with its Pacific Park amusement area and nearby beachfront boardwalk, offers arcades, street vendors, shops, eateries, a Ferris wheel and a 1920s carousel – and panoramic vistas of the Pacific Ocean.

True to California form, Santa Monica real estate comes at a high price. Limited housing stock has sent home prices skyrocketing, with the median home price of new and resale homes and condominiums reaching $877,000 in 2006, according to DataQuick Information Systems. Annual appreciation has reached double digits, according to CNNMoney.com which lists Santa Monica's median home price at a more modest $784,000 with 10% appreciation in the last year. According to Coldwell Banker's annual Home Price Comparison Index, a 2,200-square-foot house with four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, a family room and a two-car garage could set a Santa Monica home buyer back nearly $1.8 million.