Foster-Children Advocate: Douglas Park Is 'A Gem'

For "," an ongoing and open-ended series, we ask prominent figures in the community what they most enjoy about the city. In this edition, we touch base with Santa Monica resident Jeff Biederman, who was recently named to the board of directors of Court Appointed Special Advocates. CASA is a nonprofit organization that supports foster children in courtrooms and the community at large.

Biederman has also advocated for at-need kids while serving on the High Hopes School's board of directors from 2000 until 2005. He has been a member of the Los Angeles board of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Man & Woman of the Year Campaign since 2009. His full-time job is working as a partner at Los Angeles law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP.

Here's what Biederman says he enjoys most about Santa Monica:

1. : "Nothing beats drinks and munchies combined with the view from ."

2. : "This place is like a warm blanket or a friend's arm around your shoulder. The inside looks like time stopped in the '50s; the food is healthier and more interesting than normal diner fare; and the staff treats you like a regular, even when you're not."

3. Street life on the : "It's one of the few really good walking areas in our metropolis. Wandering on a sunny afternoon, you get to mix with folks in a way that can be hard to find in L.A. And most every time I go there on the weekend, I hear some terrific music from the multitude of buskers who show up."

4. : "When our boys were little, my wife and I practically lived there. This is one of the best small parks I have been to: two tennis courts, two playgrounds, grassy areas, magnificent trees, a 'river' system and a duck pond, and a big lawn-bowling area. It's a gem and appeals to kids from 6 to 60."

What Santa Monica places, events, activities, etc. do you love the most? Tell the Santa Monica Patch audience in the comments box below.