Tongva Park

Just a short walk from the ocean and the Santa Monica Pier, Tongva Park is a large, modern green space that opened in 2013 on the site of a former parking lot and the former headquarters of the RAND Corporation. The project, entirely funded with public money, transformed more than two hectares of asphalt into a landscaped park inspired by the natural terrain of Southern California, with artificial hills, winding paths and several viewpoints overlooking the Pacific. It features more than 30,000 plants and hundreds of trees, including some older fig trees and palm trees that were already here and have been incorporated into the new design. The park is also known for its rounded steel pavilions that serve as lookouts, as well as for its art installations, including a series of metal poles fitted with weather vanes that react to the ocean breeze. Designed with sustainability in mind, it uses recycled water for irrigation and permeable ground surfaces to absorb rainwater. Today, with its playgrounds, picnic tables and seasonal splash pad open in summer, Tongva Park has become a popular gathering spot that naturally links the city, the beach and the pier.