All ages. No cover.

It's the second best reason to love the Westside after the Pacific Ocean. My first encounter with the (then unopened) newly remodeled Santa Monica Public Library was that crappy day in November when I crashed my car right in front of it. My second was Saturday, third - Sunday, fourth - Monday. This library is not like any you've ever been to before. It's excellent for so many reasons. The building itself is pretty cool and chic with lots of windows and easy access to the outside. There's a courtyard with a moat-like thing and a coming-soon cafeteria. It's just like Barnes and Noble but the magazines are in better order and no one is getting coffee on the newspapers. The entrance to the kids' section looks like Chuck-E-Cheese. There's free wireless, outlets built into the tables, and Mac users aplenty. About 100 computers fill the computer section and a liter board tells you when it's your turn. There are private study rooms with white boards. Non-lame DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks are available for you to check out. I found myself doing actual work over the past three days just so I could peruse the magazine section afterward.

If you were ever needing a reason to visit me in LA, you now have it. Best. Library. Ever.