The "renovation" of Mother's Beach Playground was very disappointing. Instead of actually improving…read morethe playground, the swings were simply removed and never replaced. If the swings were considered unsafe, why were they removed instead of repaired or replaced with new ones? At the same time, there are still loose or missing bolts on some play features and open gaps on the elevated structures where a child could potentially fall. If safety is truly the priority, why were those issues left unaddressed? Now the playground offers much less for young children. Kids can't spend the whole time using only the slides. The swings were one of the best parts of this playground, and many local families came here specifically because of them. Please explain why the swings were removed and consider bringing them back. This playground was never truly renovated--it feels like the only major change was taking the swings away.

Been coming here since I was a kid. Marina Beach is so underrated. More and more people need to…read morevisit this beach at least once in their lifetime. I love the vibe and water here. Me and my girl went paddle boarding here. Little bit of surfers come here. Not much of a surfing beach, but its a fun family atmosphere here.

Great vibe with lots of fun people watching. Parking wasn't too bad with the meters…read more There were shops on board walk as well.

What could be better than watching your 8-year old grandson play basketball on a perfect, sunny,…read moreSunday morning at Venice Beach? I really enjoyed the vibe here and it was relaxed, fun and enjoyable. There is aooo much to see here and with the LAPD substation a mere ten yards away from the basketball courts, you would hope that everyone would do the right thing which during my visit, it was all about fun and having a good time. There are many food options in the area and many stores to purchase souvenirs. The basketball courts are in GREAT condition and well-maintained. On this day, several former NBA players came out to coach the younger kids and a fun time was had by all. Definitely a place to visit and relax while working on your tan

Mother's Beach also known as Marina Beach is a family friendly beach in Marina del Rey, not to be…read moreconfused with the Mother's Beach of Long Beach. Established in the late 1950s it encompasses some fun finds like a rustic beach style Cheesecake Factory, Killer Shrimp Cafe, Killer Shrimp Restaurant, Jamaica Bay Inn, FantaSea Yachts and The Ritz-Carlton Marina Del Rey to name a few local spots. The beach itself has some near blue picnic area with bbq pits, sandy shores, volleyball courts, showers and restrooms. It's a pet free zone with lots of marina meets beach activities including kayaking, windsurfing and splashing around. There's a pathway, playground area and plenty of space, though this is a small mini beach. Waves are very calm during the day being more low tide. 24 hour parking, about $7 for the day. Lifeguards on duty during the day hours. It was pretty active on a Friday, though not overly busy as you'd expect on a Saturday of Sunday. Nicer weather for sure, to beat the heat. Mother knows best.

Brought my little one to the beach today.... The water is a little dirty but the biggest issue here…read moreis to be careful when you do get in the water as it is stingray territory. I stepped on a stingray barb when I was getting out the water and let me tell you it is very painful... you would think they would have signs up about stingrays but they don't. A lot of kids here get in the water with no water shoes on and can easily step on a barb.

Absolutely a gorgeous area at sunset if you're near LAX. We parked on the street in the…read moreneighborhood across the way and walked along the beach for about a half hour, taking in the sky and horizon that looked almost too perfect to be real. It was like a painting. There are paved trails for bikers and runners and public restrooms (not very clean but I'll discount that because it was end of day). I've enjoyed the beaches in CA quite a lot but recommend going either at sunrise or sunset for the optimal combination of smaller crowds, less heat, and vivid scenery.

If you want a low key chill beach, then this is always a good beach to venture out to. The beach…read morefeatures nice white sandy beaches, volleyball nets, a nice bike/walking/running paths and bathrooms. Nested right in the city close to shops and restaurants. The only challenge with this beach, is the lack of parking. There is some street parking that align the beach area and more parking throughout town. During the summertime, finding a spot at this beach can be challenging. Tip: Head to Playa Provisions across the street for a cup of coffee to take to the beach, note on the weekend mornings the line can be long.

I haven't been here in 15+ years and though a lot of it has changed, I'm glad I was able to take…read morethe kids here and experience it. It was founded by Abbot Kinney as a destination seaside resort in the early 19th century and the street named after him used to be a great place to go shopping: -If you start at the south end near the pier you can see a neighborhood with actual canals and bridges that is fun to walk through. -Muscle beach is more like an outdoor gym now and not as grimy and primitive as it used to be. -Skateboarding bowl is famous and even on a weekday we same many skateboarders there, one of them was skateboarding barefoot! -The basketball courts are also quite famous and sometimes you'll see some famous streetballers playing here. -There is a strong smell of weed everywhere and a couple headshops. The most annoying people are the ones trying to hustle CDs or get you to go to their weed shop.

Again, one of those things you have to do at least once in your life, especially if you're a SoCal…read morenative and last weekend was the first time I've ever been here. I was always mistaken thinking I've been here before, but that was actually Santa Monica. Goes to show how little I go out and touch beach sand if that makes any sense. The board walk is along side the beach and you can either pay for parking at any of the lots and help support the maintenance of the beach or you can do metered parking or free street parking, you just have to pay attention to the signs and be okay with walking. Lots of things to see and it's super bustling and lively on the board walk, especially on the weekends. They recommend people to walk their bikes here, so you can easily just walk it. Gift shops, novelty stores, cannabis and magic mushrooms stores, cafe's, quick service food restaurants, art displays, street performers and vendors, people walking their dogs, and much more. Be wary of the drop shipping resellers or the boot leg items, but there's lots of original artwork and crafts being vended by people. I hate all of the AI advertisements thought, none of it makes the food look good and makes my skin crawl so I'm wishing vendors would take note of this. Very innovative to see some of the designs of shirts, Snoop Dog's ice cream parlor (sadly not opened), and people selling shaved ice on the go and much more. Also keep your hands busy so people don't try to push something in your hands and make you purchase it. Tourist trap prices for certain things, but then there are people making an honest living selling ice cold water bottles for $1 which is pretty fair if you think about it. I don't think I'll go out of my way to be here, but interesting to be at at least once.

Stopped here on our way back from Malibu. The parking lot was for a restaurant and there was a…read morebeautiful, samdy beach area in front of it with not too many people. Parking was around $15 for the day. Sat in our chairs and watched the waves and birds (and people). Very enjoyable.

$15 for parking, and there's loads of it! This beach is definitely not as family friendly as Zuma…read more(my usual). Bathrooms are few and far between, as well as lifeguards. The nice thing about this beach is that you don't have to walk very far to get to the sand. I found the crowd here is way more hipster here. Lots of boogie boarders! The beach is really clean and chill overall. Close to the action in Santa Monica!

Super scenic views. Great park. Love to take the kids here. Arguably one of the best outside…read morebasketball courts in Los Angeles.

Beautiful views, great park area for family, and a peaceful place to unwind around sunsetread more

Parking was $9 when my friends and I got here around night time (like 8pm.) They took cash payment…read moreas well. We were able to find a parking spot from one of their many parking lots. I always like how easy it is to organize any group hangouts or meetups here because the towers have identifiable numbers to know where to walk towards. There's plenty of fire pits around but I know some people like to pretty much reserve one by coming here early in the day. I had a lot of fun watching the sunset here and roasting hotdogs and smores by the fire. I think the sand here is pretty smooth mainly, but I wouldn't trust running around barefoot because a lot of families and groups come by here with stuff. You can definitely risk stepping on something. I didn't check if the bathrooms were open the last time I was here since we stayed around for about only a couple of hours. Definitely a great place to enjoy summer days and summer nights!!! Bring your own firewood

Dockweiler Beach is a great place to go as a group. It has a beautiful beach and sand forever. It…read moreis right off the 1 highway and parking is easy, but for a fee. They also have an RV park. I know you have to make reservations well in advance and there is a limit to how many days you can stay there. It is so pretty. The sunset is a wonderful time to come. They have firepits and you can grill there. Bring chairs because they usually don't have tables open. The bike path runs though it and you can start the path in Venice and just keep going. There is a lot of surf to walk by. It is a happy place and you will like it. I would not bother going alone. There are much nicer beaches for a solo trip. The people that go there are nice and it is a safe beach. Enjoy.

This is a good beach to get your romance on with your partner, and a good beach to do some working…read moreout. We came here to do both. I have to say as of growing up in Los Angeles, this is my first time coming to Toe Beach. Low key beach with mainly locals coming here to hang out. But we still had a good time.

Excellent clean beach with plentiful free parking in the neighborhood. It's not a great place to…read moresurf or boogie board but it's super relaxed and not crowded at all. So go ahead and pack up a picnic, a blanket to lay on and chill out. Nearby there's some small restaurants bars and cafe's if you don't want to bring your own food. Sometimes there's a strong undertow to the currents so if you're not a strong swimmer don't venture too deep into the water.

Santa Monica Beach is a great time, especially for someone who has not been to town. It is safe…read moreand nice. If you use Pacific Ave. to get to the ramp leading down to the Pier parking you can stop at Palisades Park. It is lovely there and you are above the beach. You can take great photos from there, especially at sunset and when you want a large photo of the beach or pier. Parking is for a fee at the Santa Monica Pier parking. It is below the pier. From there you can go to the beach and lay in the sun or swim. The water looks so clean, but it is not. Beware of fish hooks and just don't swim there everyday, it is not as clean as it looks. It is a walk from parking to the beach because the because the beach is wide with sand. You can get to the Pier by using the steps that go right up to the Pier. Around this area you can walk, there are great places to eat and the Pier is super fun with rides and places to eat and games. It is also a great place to take photos. Have fun. Oh, you can also use your bike, get on the path anywhere and it will take you to the beach. On the boardwalk is Muscle Beach, which has a lot of gym equipment and you will see lots of very well built people working out there. Don't ever leave your bike unlocked, ever.

One of the first places I came when I arrived in California. It's one of the reasons I moved out to…read moreLA from NY. The energy mixed with calm at the time was refreshing for me. The workout area became one of my outdoor gyms. In the ocean became my sanctuary. It's also a great place to people watch. Never a dull moment, but there is certainly also calm moments as well early in the morning.