Santa Monica, CA

This bright pink house in Los Angeles County’s Santa Monica looks like a large version of a Barbie house. Though it’s not (that we know of, at least), it’s fitting as Barbie’s creator Ruth Handler lived in Santa Monica!

Barbie isn’t the only notable person to have ties to the area. Anjelica Houston, Larry David, Robert Redford, and Shirley Temple all hail from Santa Monica. This slate of actors have impressive resumes themselves of course, but Santa Monica has some pretty iconic film credits too! Countless movies and TV shows have shot scenes in Santa Monica including Forrest Gump, Baywatch, and Iron Man.

Santa Monica is also home to the original Muscle Beach (not Venice. It’s a sore subject with Ms. Monica). It was a popular outdoor gym originally founded in 1934 — the same year its neighbor Shirley Temple starred in Bright Eyes. The outdoor gym equipment was installed by FDR’s Works Progress Administration (WPA), part of the New Deal. Muscle Beach Venice gained popularity in the 1950s. Wayyy after Santa Monica’s.

The city of Santa Monica was officially incorporated as a city in 1886. In the early 20th century, a section of the city was developed by King C. Gillette, the founder of the razor company. Fittingly, he cut up the land into subdivisions, which now is a coveted area for home buyers. To them, they see the area as a shear perfect place to live.