Rarely can apartment renters tell house dwellers, “My yard is bigger than yours.” But The Park, the new mixed-use residence at 500 Broadway in Santa Monica, aims to change that in the most luxe way. Its standout feature is a 1-acre rooftop park overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

“Residents are increasingly prioritizing properties that feature outdoor amenities, and we believe Angelenos will be drawn to our accessible open space in a private residential setting while living just steps from the beach,” says Alex Witkoff, principal at Witkoff, the real estate development firm responsible for the property.

This isn’t the first planned large-scale elevated park in the Los Angeles area. In 2015, Chinese-based Oceanwide Holdings announced a massive rooftop green space planned for Oceanwide Plaza, a mixed-use project across from Staples Center. However, construction was halted in 2019 and has yet to resume.

“The best residential areas in the world are often defined by a park, such as Gramercy Park in New York or Hyde Park in London,” Witkoff says. “To deliver the next generation of a great residential building in Los Angeles, we knew we had to provide a world-class park, and the eponymous park is the largest residential rooftop park in Los Angeles.”

The outdoor space consists of four separate components, each connected by a sky bridge. “To heighten the idea of a journey, each of the four components is replete with unique furniture, landscaping and activities,” Witkoff explains. “The Farm is inspired by the vegetable garden in Enrique Olvera’s Pujol [restaurant] in Mexico City. Residents can plant and pick a variety of items such as fresh herbs, cucumbers, lettuce and even watermelon to cook on The Farm’s outdoor kitchen with large communal dining tables.”

Then there is The Field, an open area dedicated to outdoor fitness, and The Garden, filled with plants native to California surrounding romantic fire pits. At The Oasis, residents can take a dip in the rooftop pool while sipping drinks made at the custom outdoor bar. Sunscreen not included.