The Stairs of Santa Monica

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Some folks climb and descend slowly; others run up and down; a few have their baby in their arms; others hold their dog!

We are at the “famous” stairs in Santa Monica.

I first went there because they are only a few blocks from my home and friends from other neighborhoods would tell me that I am very lucky to live near them. So I started to go there often. In a few weeks I noticed a significant change in my mood but also in my physical fitness.

As you arrive, you will see well-shaped types with large jeeps who carry whatever sports accessory you can imagine. They spread the equipment out on the lawn near the steps and finish their work-out there. Nearby, elderly couples walk hand-in- hand. Some folks go up and down the stairs covered in sweat and reading the morning news, while others are on the phone and out of breath dealing with business issues. Some sing loudly as they listen to music on their earphones, while others dance to rap music. Women with perfect bodies kick their legs behind them with such force that if you get hit in the face and you are a guy, you might even thank them! Some of these guys show up in excessively expensive cars ready to impress the female population. Many arrive on their bicycle, while others have their chauffeur waiting patiently in a limo.

You’ll find everything at the famous stairs of Santa Monica in LA. And you will never have a dull moment, because there is always something new to see. People of all ages and all parts of “Lala Land” come here to work-out.

There are two separate sets of stairs that climb up the steep suburban hillside, located a few yards from each other. Some switch from one set of stairs to the other as they exercise, though it’s my impression that each staircase has its own clan of regulars!

Some runners have been coming here for years; others are here with their personal trainer; others barefoot! Many are regulars and come often because the big city of Los Angeles is ultimately a lonely place. They meet their friends here, or they make new acquaintances, find business opportunities, or simply enjoy the California countryside. The stairs are a place for gathering, for exercising, for flirting, or for displaying new fashions; it’s a great “hangout.” You will even find job postings and advertisements here.

A guy who used to be overweight says “hi” to me after a while and I barely recognize him; he’s lost a lot of weight. Handsome muscular firemen do their daily training while carrying fire extinguishers. Celebrities who, unless someone points them out to me, I will not recognize without make-up and lighting! I take a snapshot of someone for this article and he immediately pulls out and gives me his business card asking me if I’d be interested to see a reel with samples of his work. I bumped into a would-be actor! There are several of those here: prospective actors or models who think that anyone who photographs them will make them famous.

It’s typically a zoo in the afternoon, while on weekends the place is so packed that you think that you’ll have to wait in line for a ticket. The owners of the nearby expensive homes certainly don’t appreciate this and often complain.

I met Maritza here; she comes here often but complained that she had myoskeletal problems. I advised her to cut down on the exercise at the stairs and to start pilates. After a while, she thanked me for the advice which it helped her a lot, but added that the stairs help her keep her morale high; so she continues to come, even if it’s less than before.

Several folks mentioned this fact: The environment here is open with a nice view to the hills around and to the Ocean and with a fresh and clear breeze that blows constantly. It’s definitely a much more pleasant set-up than the monotony of a closed gym.

The 168 steps of Santa Monica help improve the circulatory system, eliminate fat, and boost morale; not to mention that they create the best shaped legs and buttocks ever…

The truth is that even when I’m not in the best of moods, whenever I go running at the stairs I get an inspiration! I often speak into my phone and record my thoughts and ideas in Greek. Maybe someday someone will write an article about the colorful Greek woman who runs while recording in a language that is unfamiliar to most here. An elderly couple, who did recognize my Greek, told me that they love the country and often visit it.

They asked me if things in Greece are as bad as the newspapers suggest, adding that they were not sure whether they should visit this year because of the financial crisis there.

-“No, things are not that bad,” I answer. “Whatever happens, we Greeks will not lose our good spirits, or our bright sunshine, or our welcoming sea. No matter how much poverty there may be, we will still have the juiciest and tastiest tomatoes! Not to mention that we have many great locations with stairs that might hopefully someday also become a place for exercise and an escape from the loneliness of the big city: The hill of Lycabettus, the Stadium in Athens (where the first modern Olympic Games were held), and for the more “advanced” the almost one-thousand steps of the Palamidi castle in Nafplion.”

So folks, I recommend wholeheartedly that you go find the steps nearest your neighborhood, climb them up and down, smell the pine trees, enjoy the sunshine and the view of the sea, and pick up a conversation with the person next to you. It’s a good deal, the stairs are free!

Get off the couch and the misery of the TV and the computer; all they do is remind you daily of the cross that you have to bear up a hill. Leave that hill and go climb stairs! Step by step, move up to a better physical fitness and psychology.

You don’t need to do big strides or too many steps, as long as you get started. Like any other intense exercise, of course, one needs to be careful. If you have

serious problems with your knees, your neck, or something similar, then you should avoid them. Discuss it first with your body and then with an expert.

The start may seem difficult but later you will get into the flow, as with all things in life. I can also attest that every person that I meet at the stairs will smile back to me when I smile to them from my heart.

I don’t know if it’s the oxygen, the heart that beats more quickly, the expanse and beauty of the location, or my good nature; one thing is certain: when you face life with a smile, life will magically return an even bigger smile back!

And after you finish climbing the stairs and are out of breath, don’t forget to reward yourself and to remember the words of the poet Constantine Cavafy who said:

“Just to be on the first step
should make you happy and proud.
To have come this far is no small achievement: what you have done is a glorious thing.”