By John Linfesty
Against my better judgment, I went to the Promenade to take our kids to a movie. I was reminded of one of the many things I despise about Santa Monica — the holiday decorations. What the hell are the plastic iceberg decorations they are installing at the Promenade? They were ugly last year. They look even worse this year. The festive urine smell is a nice touch, albeit a year-round treasure. Why not bring back the androgynous aliens playing volleyball (or whatever they were) that were hanging over Wilshire Boulevard a few years back. Now that was class. If you want to see what classic Christmas decorations are supposed to look like, take a drive to respectable communities like Beverly Hills or Brentwood. They do it right.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 14, 2003. Read the original PDF.