The Westside Senior’s Guide to Getting Out: 15 Places to Visit in Santa Monica, Venice and Marina del Rey

Let me tell you something that surprises most families when I say it out loud.

The seniors who are doing the best aren’t necessarily the ones with the most sophisticated care plans or the most medications managed. They’re the ones who are still getting out. Still going places. Still doing things they actually enjoy.

Getting out isn’t a luxury. Daily socializers live the longest, and even occasional outings extend life measurably.^[1] Social interaction is as powerful as physical exercise in slowing cognitive decline.^[2] A walk on the Venice Boardwalk isn’t a nice afternoon. It’s medicine.

The problem isn’t desire. Most seniors want to get out. The problem is logistics. The driving. The parking. The mobility support. The “what if something happens” anxiety that keeps families from encouraging outings in the first place.

That’s what a Co-Pilot solves. Here are 15 places on the Westside worth getting out for.

1. Santa Monica Pier and Palisades Park

Wide flat walkways. Ocean breezes. The sensory richness of the Pacific. The Santa Monica Pier is one of the most accessible iconic destinations in Southern California, and Palisades Park running along the bluffs above PCH offers shaded benches, stunning sunset views, and a flat walking path that rewards at every step. Easy parking with a Co-Pilot. Zero stress.

2. Santa Monica Farmers Market (Wednesday and Saturday)

The Wednesday and Saturday markets on Arizona Avenue are among the best in California. Fresh produce, artisan food, live music, and a genuinely joyful social atmosphere. Make it a standing weekly outing and it becomes something to look forward to every single week.

3. Venice Beach Boardwalk (Early Morning)

Early morning on the Venice Boardwalk before the crowds arrive is one of the most peaceful walking experiences in Los Angeles. Wide flat path. Sound of the ocean. Fresh sea air. Research consistently links exposure to natural environments and water to reduced cortisol and improved mood. Get there by 8am and it feels like the whole city is yours.

4. The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades

Free admission with advance reservation. One of the world’s great collections of ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan art. Hillside gardens. Tranquil reflecting pools. Stunning Pacific views. The Getty’s accessibility features make it fully navigable for seniors at any mobility level and the beauty of the place does something genuinely restorative. This one never gets old.

5. Marina del Rey Waterfront

The Marina del Rey waterfront combines the visual pleasure of hundreds of sailing vessels with a lively restaurant row and a flat protected walking path that’s ideal for seniors who want ocean proximity without the sand. Sunday brunch at one of the waterfront restaurants with a Co-Pilot handling the drive and the parking is a genuinely great morning.

6. WISE and Healthy Aging: The Club

WISE & Healthy Aging has been serving Westside seniors for nearly 50 years, with 35,000 clients served annually. Yoga. Art classes. Bridge. Computer literacy. Day trips. Peer counseling. And a warm genuinely welcoming community that makes it easy to walk in as a stranger and leave feeling like you belong. This is the first place I recommend to every new family we work with.

7 through 15: More Westside Destinations Worth Every Visit

• Santa Monica Main Library: programs, author talks, community events, and the simple pleasure of a beautiful public space
• Abbot Kinney Boulevard (Venice): slow coffee mornings, window shopping, and some of the best people watching in Los Angeles on a weekday morning
• Mar Vista Farmers Market (Sunday): neighborhood feel, outstanding produce, smaller and more relaxed than the Santa Monica market
• Westchester Senior Center (8740 Lincoln Blvd): free programming for all Westside seniors
• Playa del Rey Beach: quieter than Venice, less crowded than Santa Monica, beautiful sunsets
• Burton Chase Park (Marina del Rey): picnic areas, boat watching, flat accessible paths
• Culver City Farmers Market (Thursday): creative neighborhood energy, great food vendors
• Loyola Marymount University Walking Paths: quiet, shaded, ocean views, open to the public
• Ballona Wetlands: bird watching, nature, peaceful walking for all mobility levels

The Door Through Door Difference

None of these destinations require a car that your parent drives themselves. Fatalities among drivers 65 and over have increased by 42% over the past decade.^[3] A Co-Pilot who provides door through door support removes every transportation barrier and every safety concern in one conversation.

I’m Phil Mason, owner of Home Helpers Santa Monica. When I build a care plan with a new family, outings are always part of it. Not as an afterthought. As a core element of the care. Because the seniors who are getting out are the ones who are doing the best.

Your next outing is waiting. Home Helpers provides door through door support so not a single destination on this list is out of reach. Call us and let’s plan your first one. (310) 691-5637

SOURCES & ANNOTATIONS

[1] 28,000-person study: daily socializers lived the longest; even occasional socializing extended life. Source: Harvard Health / Journal of Epidemiology. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/even-a-little-socializing-is-linked-to-longevity

[2] Social interaction is as powerful as physical exercise in slowing cognitive decline. Source: PubMed / Rush University 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40575494/

[3] 42% increase in driver fatalities for seniors 65 and over over the past decade. Source: Premier Home Care Statistics 2026. https://www.premierhcinc.com/blog/home-care-statistics/