About the Building
101 Ocean sits at the north end of Ocean Avenue, where the avenue meets the California Incline above Palisades Park. Dates conflict. The building's own site gives 1963 for the original structure and a complete renovation in 1993; Felderman Keatinge, the architects of that renovation, describe the original as a 1950s building and date their redesign to 1991; a brokerage puts the renovation at 1993 to 1994. What is consistent is the sequence: a mid-century rental building on the bluff was stripped back and reissued as condominiums in the early 1990s.
The result is a ten-story tower of roughly 187,000 square feet with a curved plan and floor-to-ceiling glass. Felderman Keatinge describe reworking the structure to read as a white ocean liner, with fifteen-foot roof lights standing in for masts and a rooftop sky pavilion serving as the lobby rather than the ground floor. Homes are condominiums under a homeowners association. The conversion won an Urban Beautification Award for best remodeled high-rise from the Los Angeles Business Council and a M.A.M.E. award for best high-rise unit plans from the Building Industry Association of Southern California.
There are 59 residences across ten floors, which averages fewer than six homes per level. The published mix is two- and three-bedroom plans; a brokerage gives sizes from about 1,253 to 4,148 square feet, a range wide enough that floor plans differ materially between low and high floors. Glass elevators serve private entry vestibules, described by the design team as semi-private, so most doors on a floor open off a small landing rather than a long corridor. That layout is the direct reason the unit count is low for the building's size.
Service and amenity follow the conversion-era brief. The building lists concierge, doorman and security coverage around the clock, a heated pool with sun deck, a jacuzzi, a fitness room, a barbecue area, a garden courtyard and guest parking. The rooftop lobby is the unusual move: arrival happens at the top of the building, with a custom stainless steel light fixture and a silver-leafed reception wall, and views across the bay and toward the Santa Monica Mountains from the point of entry rather than from an apartment window.
Value here comes from position and scarcity together. This is the last block of Ocean Avenue before the Incline, facing Palisades Park with the bluff and the bay beyond, and there are only 59 homes. Because the structure predates 10 April 1979, Santa Monica's rent control regime is potentially in play for any unit that is rented, in a way that does not apply to the newer buildings further south. Santa Monica also restricts new condominium conversions, so the supply of converted mid-century stock on this stretch is effectively fixed.
Amenities & Services
The Residences
The building holds 59 residences across ten stories, averaging under six homes per floor. That density is closer to a boutique building than a tower, and it is a consequence of the vestibule-based floor layout.
The published mix is two- and three-bedroom homes. A brokerage gives sizes from roughly 1,253 to 4,148 square feet, a spread wide enough that plans differ substantially between the lower floors and the top.
Felderman Keatinge placed the lobby in a rooftop sky pavilion rather than at street level, with a custom stainless fixture and a silver-leafed reception wall. Arrival and the first view happen at the top.
The tower has a curved footprint and floor-to-ceiling glazing, which is what allows the ocean-liner reading the architects describe. It also means a large glazed area per home and a corresponding solar and maintenance load.
Glass elevators open onto private entry vestibules the design team calls semi-private. Most residents do not walk a shared corridor, which is a meaningful difference in daily feel from conventional double-loaded high-rise plans.
The structure dates from the early 1960s by the building's own account; the interiors, systems and common areas are the product of an early-1990s reconstruction. Inspect the two layers as separate questions.
Due Diligence
The building lists guest parking, and resident parking is in the building's own garage. The number of spaces attaching to a given home is not published, so confirm the deeded or assigned allocation on the specific unit.
No pet policy is published by the association or on the building's own website. Any weight, count or breed restriction will sit in the CC&Rs and house rules, which should be requested during the disclosure period.
Minimum lease terms and rental caps are not publicly documented. Because the structure predates April 1979, an owner intending to lease should confirm the unit's status directly with the Santa Monica Rent Control Board before relying on market rent.
Dues inclusions are not published in detail. In a building running concierge, doorman, security, pool, spa and fitness, staffing and insurance dominate the budget. Ask for the current budget and a breakdown of what utilities are covered.
A concrete tower of early-1960s vintage falls within the eras Santa Monica's mandatory retrofit program targets. Whether the early-1990s reconstruction satisfied that program is not documented publicly; ask the association for its compliance correspondence.
The major systems date from the early-1990s reconstruction and are now roughly three decades old. Elevators, glazing seals, roofing and pool equipment are the likely capital items. Read the reserve study and recent minutes carefully.
The building lists concierge, doorman and security coverage around the clock. For 59 homes that is a high staff ratio, which buys service but also means payroll is a large and inflation-exposed share of the budget.
No alteration policy is published. Given the curved facade and full-height glass, expect the association to control anything affecting glazing, balcony surfaces or window coverings visible from outside, alongside standard plumbing and structural review.
Everything above is drawn from public records, city permit data and published sources. The association’s statutory disclosure package is the only authoritative answer on dues, rules, reserves, insurance and litigation — Ben will request it and read it with you before you remove contingencies.
Common Questions
Keep Exploring
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Start the ConversationOff Market & Coming Soon
Residences here reach the open market rarely, and some never do. Ask Ben to tell you when one is coming, including quietly.
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