Buying in Ocean Park, Santa Monica: 87 Sales Sorted by Kind of Home, From Sea Colony Flats to Cottages Older Than the Pier

Written by Antonio Vaziri, Realtor, Epique Realty, DRE #01927866 · Last updated October 2026

Seven out of every ten homes that changed hands in Ocean Park over the past year shared at least one wall with a neighbor. That single fact shapes almost every buying decision in this corner of Santa Monica, so this guide is organized around it: condominiums first, then the Sea Colony complex on the sand, townhomes, detached houses, and the small apartment buildings that make up the rest.

For each kind of home you will find what sold, at what price, how big it was, what the association dues looked like and what to check before you write an offer. After that come the costs and rules that apply across the whole neighborhood, the projects that could change it, the public schools, and live searches of what is for sale and for lease right now.

Pico to the Venice line, Lincoln to the sand: the ground this guide covers

Ocean Park is the southwest corner of Santa Monica. The working boundary used here is Pico Boulevard on the north, Lincoln Boulevard on the east, the beach on the west, and the city limit on the south, where Santa Monica meets the Venice area of Los Angeles a few blocks below Navy Street. That matches how the Ocean Park neighbors' newsletter describes the area, "Lincoln to the Ocean, Pico to the Venice Border." Every home inside carries ZIP code 90405.

East of Lincoln, the same ZIP code continues into Sunset Park, which has its own pocket-by-pocket guide, and north of Pico sits the area covered by the Mid-City renter's guide and the citywide Santa Monica homes page.

Twelve months of Ocean Park closings, grouped by building type

Between October 15, 2025 and October 2, 2026, 87 homes inside this boundary closed through the multiple listing service. The overall median was $1,635,000, but that number blends a 541 square foot condominium with a nine-bedroom house on 3rd Street, so the table below separates them.

Closed sales in Ocean Park, Santa Monica, by property type. MLS closings (CRMLS and The MLS) for a map outline of the boundary above, October 15, 2025 to October 2, 2026, retrieved through Redfin's sold-home data on October 6, 2026.
Kind of home Sales Median price Low to high Median size Median price per sq ft Median monthly dues
Condominiums 56 $1,217,500 $614,000 to $4,477,500 1,328 sq ft $1,021 $682
Detached houses 20 $2,612,500 $1,281,768 to $7,976,500 1,792 sq ft $1,563 none
Townhomes 5 $2,295,000 $1,655,000 to $2,400,000 1,760 sq ft $1,223 $770
Two to four units 4 $1,792,208 $1,600,000 to $2,340,000 2,554 sq ft $800 none
Five or more units 1 $2,330,000 one sale 6,128 sq ft $380 none
Vacant land 1 $710,000 one sale 2,506 sq ft lot

Pace and pricing, from each listing's public history: of the 85 sales that were marketed before they sold, the median home took 56 days from listing to closing, and the median sale price came in at 97.7 percent of the first asking price. Eighteen closed above their first asking price, seven closed right at it and sixty closed below it. Two more were recorded as sold the same day they were entered, which usually means a sale arranged off the market and reported afterward.

Condominiums in the smaller buildings between Main Street and Lincoln

Outside of Sea Colony, which gets its own section below, 41 condominiums sold. Most sit in two- and three-story buildings on the numbered streets, on Pacific, Strand, Hill and Pier, and along Ocean Park Boulevard. The age of the building made more difference to price than almost anything else.

Condominium sales outside Sea Colony, same period and source.
Group Sales Median price Median size Median dues
Buildings from before 1980 24 $951,563 916 sq ft $445
Buildings from 1980 to 1999 13 $1,729,000 1,753 sq ft $750
Buildings from 2000 on 4 $1,849,500 1,817 sq ft $580
One bedroom (all ages) 9 $715,000 657 sq ft $427
Two bedrooms 27 $1,225,000 1,265 sq ft $550
Three bedrooms 5 $2,266,000 1,904 sq ft $952

The 1960s and 1970s buildings are where the lowest prices in Ocean Park turned up: every one of the nine one-bedroom sales closed between $614,000 and $1,020,000, several of them in the 2300 and 2400 blocks of 3rd and 4th Streets. The trade is size and age. These units ran a median of about 900 square feet, and an older building tends to carry older plumbing, older wiring and a reserve fund that has to pay for them.

Before an offer on a condominium here: ask for the association's most recent reserve study and budget, the minutes from the last twelve months, any special assessment notice and the insurance summary. Check whether the building has been through Santa Monica's seismic retrofit program, which the city runs for older wood-frame soft-story and concrete buildings, and whether parking is deeded, assigned or tandem.

Sea Colony on Neilson Way: one beachfront complex, sixteen closings

A single complex accounted for close to a fifth of all Ocean Park sales. Sea Colony fills several blocks of Neilson Way near the southern city line, with flats at 2910 through 2960 Neilson Way, townhomes on Sea Colony Drive and a later phase at 20, 140 and 150 Ocean Park Boulevard. MLS records use the names Sea Colony II and Sea Colony III for different phases and Sea Colony Homeowners Association for the association, and the buildings date from 1979 to 1987.

16 sales (15 flats and 1 townhome). Median $1,476,500, range $800,000 to $4,477,500. Median size 1,427 square feet, about $1,005 per square foot. Monthly dues on these listings ran from $1,625 to $2,208, with a median of $1,685. The eleven two-bedroom flats sold at a median of $1,255,000.

Two numbers are worth holding side by side. Per square foot, Sea Colony sold for less than the smaller condominium buildings inland, and its dues were roughly three times theirs. Large shared buildings by the ocean carry real costs for salt air, elevators, roofs and staffing, so a buyer comparing a Sea Colony flat with a unit on 4th Street should compare the total monthly cost, not the price alone. The association's documents, not the listing, are the record for what the dues cover.

Townhomes: a short list, mostly newer construction

Only five townhomes sold in twelve months. Two were in a 2019 building at 3214 Highland Avenue, at $2,340,000 and $2,400,000. One was a 2007 townhome on Pacific Street at $2,295,000. The other two dated from 1979: one on Sea Colony Drive at $2,185,000 and one at 2110 Neilson Way at $1,655,000. With so few sales, a buyer set on a townhome here should plan on watching the market for a while; on October 6, 2026, no townhome was among the active listings in the boundary.

Detached houses on small lots, most of them more than a century old

Twenty houses sold, and fourteen of them were built before 1930. Seven of them were built before 1909, the year the Santa Monica Municipal Pier opened. The median lot was 3,792 square feet, and seven of the twenty sat on 3,000 square feet or less. In Ocean Park, a detached house usually means a narrow beach-town lot, a bungalow or a two-story cottage, and very often a second structure or a garage that has been changed over the years.

Detached house sales, same period and source.
Group Sales Median price Median size Median lot
Built before 1930 14 $2,600,000 1,743 sq ft 3,792 sq ft
Built 1930 or later 5 $3,119,388 1,806 sq ft 2,835 sq ft
Year built not listed 1 $2,525,000 2,261 sq ft 3,994 sq ft

The entry point: cottages under 800 square feet

Three houses on Navy Street and Marine Street, all built in the 1920s and all smaller than 800 square feet, sold between $1,281,768 and $1,663,000. These are the closest thing Ocean Park has to an entry-level house, and in most cases the land is a large share of what the buyer paid for.

Wadsworth Avenue and the blocks near the sand

Three houses on Wadsworth Avenue, built between 1904 and 1908, sold for $2,464,000, $2,500,000 and $4,550,000. The highest house sale in the boundary, $7,976,500, was a 1971 house on North Hart Avenue, a short walk from the beach.

New construction

Two houses built in 2006 and 2026 sold for $5,550,000 and $3,119,388. The 2026 house on Navy Street went up on a 2,000 square foot lot, which shows how much house the zoning allows on a small parcel when it is rebuilt.

Much of the residential land in Ocean Park sits in its own set of zoning districts. Under the Santa Monica Zoning Ordinance, the OP1 district allows a single home plus accessory units, while OP2, OP3 and OP4 allow more units as the lot gets bigger, and the OPD district allows up to two units on a lot. Height limits and floor area limits differ by district, and parts of 2nd Street, 3rd Street and Beach Street between Ocean Park Boulevard and Hill Street form the Third Street Neighborhood Historic District, designated in 1990, where exterior changes go through historic review. Before buying a house with plans to add on or rebuild, confirm the district, the historic status and the allowed floor area for that exact parcel with the City of Santa Monica Planning Division.

Duplexes and small apartment buildings, and Santa Monica's rent rules

Four buildings with two to four units sold, from $1,600,000 for a 1948 building on Ocean Park Boulevard to $2,340,000 for a 1953 building on 4th Street. A 14-bedroom apartment building on Grant Street, built in 1956, sold for $2,330,000. On October 6, six two-to-four unit buildings were for sale in the boundary, at a median asking price of $2,845,000.

For anyone buying a building with tenants in place, Santa Monica's Rent Control Charter Amendment is the first thing to understand. In plain terms, it covers rental units in multi-unit buildings built before April 10, 1979, which describes most of the small apartment stock here. The Rent Control Board set the general adjustment that took effect September 1, 2026 at 2.6 percent, capped at $70 a month. Single-family homes and condominiums are generally exempt from the rent limits under the state's Costa-Hawkins Act, with narrow exceptions for older tenancies. Eviction rules, relocation payments and registration requirements also apply. These rules are detailed and change by ballot as well as by board action, so have a real estate attorney review the rent roll, the leases and the building's registration before you remove contingencies.

On the market the week this guide was updated

On October 6, 2026, 39 homes were listed for sale inside the boundary: 22 condominiums (median asking price $1,074,500), 8 houses (median $2,872,500), 6 buildings of two to four units, 1 larger apartment building and 2 lots. The site's own search, using the same outline, showed 54 homes for sale and 34 for lease when this page was published, because it also counts listings that other data feeds handle differently.

See Ocean Park homes for sale See Ocean Park homes for lease

Each button opens a map search drawn along Pico Boulevard, Lincoln Boulevard, the city line and the shore. Narrow it by price, bedrooms or home type, then press Save Search to receive new matches by email.

Costs and permits that come with an Ocean Park address

City transfer tax

Santa Monica adds its own documentary transfer tax to the county's 0.11 percent. Since March 1, 2023, under Measure GS, the city rate is 0.3 percent below $5 million, 0.6 percent from $5 million up to $8 million, and 5.6 percent at $8 million and above. Who pays it is negotiable in the purchase contract. A statewide measure aimed at limiting local transfer taxes has been proposed, so confirm the rate in effect with escrow and your tax advisor.

The coastal zone

South of Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica's coastal zone reaches from the ocean to Lincoln Boulevard, so every Ocean Park parcel is inside it. Because the city's Local Coastal Program has not been fully certified, many projects that the city approves also need a Coastal Development Permit from the California Coastal Commission. The city and the Commission signed an agreement in 2026 to finish the program, with certification targeted for 2027. Anyone planning an addition or a rebuild should build that second permit into the timeline.

Street parking

Many Ocean Park blocks sit in preferential parking zones, which limit non-permit parking by time of day. Check the posted signs on the block and the city's parking permit map before relying on the curb, especially for a building with tandem or no off-street parking.

Projects, openings and closings on and around Main Street

Each item shows its status as of the dated report.

  • Under construction234 Pico Boulevard, the former bowling alley site. 186 apartments, 19 of them for very low income households, with about 11,000 square feet of shops and the old bowling sign set to return. Completion was projected for late 2027. Hoodline, March 10, 2026; Ocean Park Association update, March 9, 2026.
  • Withdrawn2601 Lincoln Boulevard, the Gelson's corner at Ocean Park Boulevard. A 521-unit plan won design approval in March 2024, and the developer later ended it; no replacement plan had been reported. Ocean Park Association update, September 8, 2025.
  • ApprovedThe Victorian, 2640 Main Street. The City Council voted 7 to 0 on March 24, 2026 to transfer the city-owned building's lease to a members club with a pool, spa and restaurant. The public parking spaces and the lawn stay public, and the Sunday farmers market continues. Santa Monica Daily Press, October 6, 2026.
  • ClosingThe Victorian's current restaurant and event business. Closing in October 2026 after about 20 years; reports differ on the final date. Santa Monica Daily Press, October 5 and 6, 2026.
  • OpenOcean Park School House, 2526 Sixth Street. The district's kindergarten through grade 8 school of choice on the former John Muir campus, with the alternative school program moving in for 2026 to 2027. California Department of Education directory, record updated August 25, 2026.
  • OpeningAlpha School, 3002 Main Street. A private kindergarten through grade 8 school opening for the 2026 to 2027 year. The Argonaut, August 20, 2026.
  • OpenMet Her At A Bar, 2651 Main Street. A new restaurant and bar. The Infatuation, August 26, 2026.
  • ClosedSamosa House and Holey Grail Donuts on Main Street. Samosa House closed March 12, 2026, and a soft-serve shop, La Diperie, is taking the Holey Grail space with no opening date given. Hoodline, April 2, 2026.
  • SoldCircle Bar, 2926 Main Street. The bar, open since 1949, sold for close to $2 million in December 2025. Ocean Park Association update, February 9, 2026.
  • DeferredAffordable housing on the city parking lots behind Main Street. The City Council set this site aside in March 2025 for more study; no 2026 decision was found. Santa Monica Lookout, March 3, 2025.
  • PlannedSanta Monica Airport. Under Measure LC, the airport closes at the end of 2028. In July 2025 the City Council chose a park-only direction for its 192 acres, a draft park framework came out in February 2026, and $10.5 million in grants for planning and early design was announced in June 2026. A separate citizen initiative to set aside part of the land for housing was filed in January 2026. Santa Monica Next, June 2026.
  • Under constructionSanta Monica Pier bridge replacement, just north of Pico. Completion expected in December 2027. Santa Monica Next, December 2025.
  • In progressLocal Coastal Program. Work under the city's agreement with the Coastal Commission began in July 2026, with certification targeted for 2027. Palisades News, June 2, 2026.

A plan on paper is not a finished building. Proposals and approvals in this list can still be redesigned, delayed or dropped.

Public schools serving Ocean Park addresses

Ocean Park is part of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. Two of its campuses have street addresses inside the boundary, and a third sits on Pico Boulevard at the northern edge. Each name below links to that school's California School Dashboard page, and every school listed is shown as active in the California Department of Education School Directory (records updated August 25, 2026).

  • Ocean Park School House, kindergarten through grade 8, 2526 Sixth Street, 90405. A district school of choice, not an attendance-area school. The 2025 Dashboard report still carries the earlier name, Santa Monica Alternative (K-8).
  • Olympic High (Continuation), grades 9 through 12, 721 Ocean Park Boulevard, 90405.
  • Santa Monica High, grades 9 through 12, 601 Pico Boulevard, 90405.

East of Lincoln, the district also runs Grant Elementary (preschool through grade 5, 2368 Pearl Street), Will Rogers Elementary (preschool through grade 5, 2401 14th Street) and John Adams Middle (grades 6 through 8, 2425 16th Street).

A school's distance from a home says nothing about whether the home is assigned to it. The district decides that by exact address, so use the SMMUSD school locator and confirm with the district's enrollment office. For an address just across the line in Los Angeles, the LAUSD Resident School Identifier does the same job.

Everyday Ocean Park: the market, the library, the bus lines

Main Street runs the length of the neighborhood, about a mile from Pico to the city line, with shops, restaurants and services most of the way. On Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the Main Street Farmers Market sets up at 2640 Main Street. Across the street, the Ocean Park Branch Library at 2601 Main Street is a 1918 Carnegie building, and the California Heritage Museum at 2612 Main Street occupies an 1890s house that was moved to the site in 1977. Ocean View Park and the Barnard Way linear park line the beach, and the Marvin Braude bike path runs along the sand. Inland, Joslyn Park on Kensington Road has a community center and a dog park, and Hotchkiss Park sits on 3rd Street.

Big Blue Bus Route 1 travels Main Street, Route 3 runs on Lincoln Boulevard and Route 7 on Pico Boulevard, with Route 8 serving Ocean Park Boulevard (schedules effective August 9, 2026). The western end of the Metro E Line is the Downtown Santa Monica station at 401 Colorado Avenue, north of Pico. The two closest hospitals, UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center at 1250 16th Street and Providence Saint John's Health Center at 2121 Santa Monica Boulevard, are both roughly two miles away in a straight line.

What I know firsthand, and what comes from the record

I have not closed a sale inside Ocean Park, so every number on this page comes from MLS data and public sources, not from my own transactions. My Santa Monica work has been on the leasing side, including rentals I list at 1808 10th Street, north of Pico in the Pico neighborhood. What that work shows me every week is how much the details of a Santa Monica building matter, from its rent control status to its parking, and those details are what I check with buyers here. If you are weighing a condominium against a cottage or a small building, call or text me at 818-381-9977 and we can tour both in one afternoon.

Wondering what your Ocean Park home would sell for?

A neighborhood median is only a starting point. In Ocean Park, the building, the floor, the parking, the lot and the distance to the sand can move a price more than the bedroom count does. For a number built from the closest comparable sales to your own address, request a home value report.

Keep reading: Santa Monica homes for sale, the Sunset Park guide, the Mid-City renter's guide and the full list of neighborhood guides.

Where the figures and facts on this page come from

The information on this page was compiled from public MLS records and other public sources and is current only as of October 2026. It is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed, and it is not a representation or warranty of any kind. Prices, association dues, special assessments, rent control rules, zoning, coastal permit requirements, taxes, parking rules, school assignments and neighborhood boundaries change over time and can change without notice. Do not rely on this page for any purchase, sale, lease or financing decision; verify everything that matters to you through your own inspections, the association documents, the escrow or lease disclosure package, the preliminary title report, the county tax records, the City of Santa Monica, the Santa Monica Rent Control Board and your lender. Nothing here is legal, tax, financial, insurance or lending advice. All real estate advertised is subject to the federal Fair Housing Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act; we do not discriminate and do not support discrimination against any protected class.

Antonio Vaziri, Realtor · Epique Realty · DRE #01927866 · buyandsellcaliforniahomes.com