{"id":1480,"date":"2016-07-12T16:10:00","date_gmt":"2016-07-12T20:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ca.gpen.com\/blogs\/news\/expo-line-to-santa-monica-pier-mayor-hawthorne\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T17:07:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T16:07:35","slug":"expo-line-to-santa-monica-pier-mayor-hawthorne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/de\/blogs\/news\/expo-line-to-santa-monica-pier-mayor-hawthorne\/","title":{"rendered":"Expo Line to Santa Monica Pier | Mayor Hawthorne"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5371_2048x2048.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"p1\">&#8220;0\/10 experience.&#8221;, &#8220;Terrible.&#8221;, &#8220;Awful. Just awful.&#8221;, &#8220;Worst s###t EVER.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">No these aren&#8217;t Yelp reviews of your local Applebee&#8217;s. These are just a couple of sentiments you might hear from some poor soul describing their run in with a bout of traffic that Los Angeles has become infamously known for. For a native Angelean, hours wasted away on the highway is just a part of everyday life. You either suck it up and deal with it or you can become wise to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.metro.net\/riding\/maps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Metro Rail<\/a>\u00a0system and kick back &amp; relax during your travels to whatever event the city in the summer has called out to you.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5257_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"inline-image\"><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"p1\">Just a couple of months ago the newest extension of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.metro.net\/projects\/expo-santa-monica\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"line-height: 1.4;\" rel=\"noopener\">Expo Line<\/a><span style=\"line-height: 1.4;\">\u00a0from 7th St\/Metro Center Station to Santa Monica beach\u00a0<\/span>finally became a reality and opened to the public, and we couldn&#8217;t be happier. No more days in spent in sweltering heat on the parking lot known as the 405 South.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5253_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"inline-image\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Kicking back &amp; relaxing on our ride was taken to new highs thanks to our\u00a0trusted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gpen.com\/collections\/elite\/products\/g-pen-elite-for-ground-material\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">G Pen Elite<\/a>.\u00a0We literally never leave home \/ the office without it.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5258_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"inline-image\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">For $7 ($8 if you don&#8217;t already have a TAP card) you can purchase a day pass granting access to all Metro Rail lines AND Metro bus lines which can basically get you anywhere you need to go in the massive greater Los Angeles area for 24 hours. &#8220;The Man&#8221; was on patrol checking for fares, so we made sure to cop a pass for our ride (not that we wouldn&#8217;t have normally, of course :-)).<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5282_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"inline-image\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">2026 may seem like light years away, but important expansions of the Metro Rail system are really just right around the corner. By then, the entire whole of Los Angeles will be conveniently connected, welcoming in stops at Century City &amp; LAX to the family.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5245_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"inline-image\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">To take in the beauty of our beloved city from the seat of a train is a one of a kind experience. The privilege to let go of the stress of stop-and-go traffic, put your favorite tunes in your headphones, and revel in those majestic urban views uniquely offered by this west coast oasis is truly something to experience.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5292_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"inline-image\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">In just 30 quick minutes we made\u00a0it down to Culver City.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5308_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"inline-image\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Riding above the streets\u00a0of L.A. is a refreshing perspective.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5372_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"inline-image\"><\/p>\n<p>The future is now.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5395_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"inline-image\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">No more than an hour after boarding our train in the city, we were already out taking a casual stroll down the Santa Monica Pier.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5451_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"inline-image\"><\/p>\n<p>It couldn&#8217;t have been a more perfect night to debut this year&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/events.kcrw.com\/events\/category\/events\/category\/summer-nights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KCRW Summer Nights<\/a>\u00a0free\u00a0concert series.\u00a0Alina Bayaz opened up just as the sun began to set.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5487_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"inline-image\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Between 10,000 &#8211; 15,000 people turned up to share in the festivities of the evening.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5508_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"inline-image\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Mayer Hawthorne preparing to\u00a0bless the mic like he does so well.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5553_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"inline-image\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">We here at G Pen love to bless our tastebuds. If your taste buds have yet to experience Dippin&#8217; Dots, it&#8217;s about time they do.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5526_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"inline-image\"><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0Be sure to take full advantage of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.metro.net\/projects\/expo-santa-monica\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Expo Line<\/a>\u00a0,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/events.kcrw.com\/events\/category\/events\/category\/summer-nights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KCRW Summer Nights<\/a> and plenty of other happenings around the beach this summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"inline-image\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_4398_2048x2048.jpg\" style=\"float: none;\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5244_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5247_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5274_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5285_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5311_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5321_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5339_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5356_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5376_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5387_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5441_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5506_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5473_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5555_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5523_41c9196c-7f65-4a37-80ff-98cbe29825a5_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/STZ5608_1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;0\/10 experience.&#8221;, &#8220;Terrible.&#8221;, &#8220;Awful. Just awful.&#8221;, &#8220;Worst s###t EVER.&#8221; No these aren&#8217;t Yelp reviews of your local Applebee&#8217;s. These are just a couple of sentiments you might hear from some poor soul describing their run in with a bout of traffic that Los Angeles has become infamously known for. For a native Angelean, hours wasted [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[300,295,293],"class_list":["post-1480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-events","tag-music","tag-photography"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1480"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1480\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.gpen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}