The short answer is: "Santa Monica is on the western edge of the massive city of Los Angeles". Staying in Los Angeles seems like a reasonable choice. There are many, many, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods within L.A. that have good public transit. Where you stay should depend on which specific attractions (there are hundreds) you're interested in seeing. We have several metro rail lines throughout our city and a major, above-ground rail system that stops in downtown L.A. Where, exactly, are you looking to go? Please be as specific as possible and include your exact travel dates, and your nightly budget for a hotel and a list of the attractions you'd like to visit.

Look at our L.A. FAQs link (the first link in the 'list of topics' for info about Los Angeles including an overview of our public transit system and itinerary ideas.