Fiora Aston is a well respected, savvy professional of the Santa Monica real estate industry. With over 25 years of experience in the business, she has received several awards for her production and innovation. As a top agent in Los Angeles, Haute Residence caught up with Aston to discuss what makes Santa Monica a haute market.
The residential crowd is made up of...
People who want sophisticated neighbors who are laid back. People in Santa Monica value our broad ethnic, economic and social diversity. Your neighbors could be hard-working people with kids in our excellent public schools, retirees and empty nesters who enjoy living on their modest home on a grand lot, and movie producers, professional athletes, doctors and attorneys who live in grand estate properties, and entrepreneurs who cherish the new construction that is built right into our established 1920's neighborhoods. Our progressive, upscale city along the shores of the Pacific Ocean brings all these people together in a "totally casual vibe" that fits our beach lifestyle.
The community vibe is...
Worldly sophistication + new economy urban + surfer casual + residential neighborhoods full of local character...and characters
The lifestyle offered is...
Upscale. Casual. Inclusive. Engaged. Progressive. Always "72 and Sunny"
The most popular building type you’ll find is...
Eclectic. Santa Monica has no singular look. But whether grand Craftsman estate, comfortable '80's condo, 1920's California Mediterranean, 2018 new Cape Cod construction, 1940's beach cottage or modern architectural homes, all the styles live together organically.
The average home price is...
$2,000,00 and up
The area’s greatest highlight is…
Santa Monica Public Libraries & Parks - Summer concerts, Farmer's Markets, Author Readings, Town Halls, Dance recitals, public debates, meeting and study rooms open to all, and among the best publicly available technology in the country. The best dining and coffee spots in LA.
The area’s best driving-distance getaways are…
Malibu Surf Breaks - 15 minutes
Old Spanish Style Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country - 2 hours
Disneyland - 1 hour
Big Bear/Lake Arrowhead skiing, camping and hiking - 2 hours
Palm Springs. The greatest concentration of Midcentury Modern architecture, fine art, land-scaping, design and vintage shopping in the Nation. 1950's Rat Pat glamour updated for the 21st century. Excellent spas and restaurants - 2 hours
Joshua Tree National Park - 3 hours
San Diego/Mexican border - 2.5 hours
Las Vegas - 4 hours
Monterey and Morro Bay - 5 hours
San Francisco - 6 hours
Yosemite National Park - 6 hours
Mammoth Mountain world-class skiing - 6 hours
Lake Tahoe world-class skiing - 10 hours
The best spot to dine fancy is…
Capo Restaurant - outstanding Tuscan steaks, house-made pasta, caviar, wine list
Michael's Restaurant - iconic farm-to-table
Cassia - elevated, modern French-Vietnamese
Melisse - Two Michelin star French
Ivy at the Shore - Hollywood deal-makers
Elephanite - Modern California Cuisine with ocean views
The best spot to find entertainment is…
The Broad Stage - modern dance, world music, opera, NatGeo Live in a brand new state of the art theatre
The best spot to go shopping is…
Montana Avenue - chic independent boutiques, groceries for vegans and carnivores, salons, yoga, Pilates, cafes & bakeries
The best place to tee off is…
Brentwood Country Club (membership)
Rancho Park (public)
