The Victorian's Last Club Night Is Oct. 31. Its Sunday Morning Is Written Into the Lease.

"Their nightlife model had run its course at The Victorian, and that families were what Main Street needed next." That is how City Manager Oliver Chi described his early talks with Garner Gerson and Adir Tal, the operators of the house at 2640 Main St., in the city's Oct. 9 announcement. The Victorian's run as a restaurant and nightclub will end with its annual Halloween party. Los Angeles Magazine puts the last night of clubbing on Saturday, Oct. 31.

Most of the coverage reads like a farewell, and for many people it is one. The more useful document is the amended lease the City Council approved 7-0 on March 24. It decides what Heritage Square looks like on a Sunday morning for the next two years and beyond. The club nights are going away. The parts of the property that serve the street in daylight have been written into the contract.

The Night Side Ends This Month

During the day, The Victorian worked as a restaurant, wedding venue and event space. At night it became a nightclub on several levels, with DJs and live music in the basement, on the main floor and upstairs on weekend nights. It also ran its long-standing Salsa Thursdays, as the Santa Monica Daily Press reported. The operators announced the closing on Instagram on Oct. 5 without giving a reason or saying what would follow. City records and the city's release filled in the rest within days.

From this weekend, three more weekends remain before the Halloween finale. No public ticket listing or event name for that night turned up in the sources reviewed for this post.

The operators described the closing as a decision about their business. They approached the city in late 2025 with a proposal to leave the late-night model behind. The city owns the building, so staff restructured the lease instead of losing a tenant at a historic property.

What the Lease Protects

The renamed property, The Santa Monican, is planned as a family membership club. Plans include a pool, a spa and fitness center, a family and youth facility, a coffee bistro, a restaurant and bar, and gardens and gathering spaces. The operators will pay for the capital work themselves, with no public subsidy or rent credits, according to the March 24 staff report. That work covers a new roof, new HVAC, a renovated commercial kitchen and perimeter fencing.

A members club with a fence around it could easily have taken over the block. The Council asked for specific community benefits before approving the lease, and staff wrote these into it:

• Farmers market support. The operator commits to give the city continued access to the property's restrooms, storage, power and water for the Sunday Farmers Market on Main Street.
• The Heritage Museum lawn. The operator must keep the historic lawn open and visible as a community amenity. The report says "public access to the lawn will not be reduced from existing conditions."
• Scholarship memberships. Up to 20% of memberships are reserved as free scholarship memberships for Santa Monica residents, including families, educators and small business owners.
• Community events and an annual report. The operator has to report to the city each year on the events it hosted, attendance and partnerships. The release mentions plans for free summer barbecues, Santa Monica Snow Days and holiday celebrations.

Mayor Caroline Torosis summed up the deal like this:

"This building belongs to the city, so we wrote public benefits into its lease. Up to 20% of memberships will be free for qualifying Santa Monica residents, the lawn and public parking will stay open to everyone, and the Sunday Farmers Market will remain."

The operators say they will announce membership details and pricing in the coming months.

Why the Lawn Carries So Much Weight

The lawn matters because of what happens on it every Sunday. The staff report counts about 28 farmers, 14 food vendors and five Main Street merchants in the parking lot. Community education booths and musicians fill the driveway and the lawn between The Victorian and the Heritage Museum.

The city estimates that about 70% of the market's weekly visitors stay one to two hours, and many picnic on the lawn. Of the city's four weekly farmers markets, staff wrote, the Sunday market "is widely regarded as the most family-friendly, largely due to the presence of this lawn." That ties the club's new family focus to the busiest daytime use of the block. The operator is taking on a site the city already counts as its main family gathering spot each week.

Market hours are listed two ways. The city's market page gives public hours of 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sundays, year-round. The staff report lists an operating window of 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., which probably includes setup and breakdown.

The Market's Next Format Has No Start Date Yet

The Oct. 9 release adds that the Sunday market "will transition to a weekly, open street event on Main Street." No published source gives a start date or says which blocks would close. None says where stalls will go while renovation is underway. That work is expected to start in late 2026, and the staff report estimates 12 to 18 months of construction.

There has been one trial run. On Sunday, Aug. 23, Santa Monica Next covered a Main Street event with Alex Chaiet and the GM Jazz Quartet, a kids' play zone on Heritage Lawn, and chalk art. At the time, organizers were exploring a regular on-street market and said more details would follow. Until the city publishes a schedule, the market at Heritage Square is the version residents know, and the lease is what keeps its restrooms, power and water running.

The Rest of Main Street Is Already Moving Toward Daytime

The Victorian's change fits a wider pattern on the street. Most of the recent and upcoming openings on Main Street keep daytime hours:

Met Her at a Bar is at 2651 Main St., a few street numbers from The Victorian's 2640. Mindy and Vinny Kinne opened it in August as their first Santa Monica location, with roughly 100 jobs. The menu runs from breakfast and coffee to Italian and Pan-Asian dishes later in the day. "We didn't come to Santa Monica just to open another restaurant," Vinny Kinne told the Daily Press.

At the south end of the street, Bar Fortuna comes from Brian Bornemann of Crudo e Nudo. Eater LA describes it as a California-Italian wine bar with market produce, pastas, and California and Italian wines, and projected an October opening. No source has confirmed that it's open yet.

Circle Bar keeps the late-night side of Main Street going. Mark and Addie Van Gessel reopened it on May 22 after nearly three years dark. The Daily Press says they kept its dive-bar identity and its music focus, with a new DJ booth, a room set up for DJs and live bands, and an expanded dance floor. The Victorian's operators are also bringing back Nameless at 2810 Main St., which closed during the pandemic, so their part of Main Street will include more than the club.

The city links these openings to March Council actions meant to make it easier to open a business. Those actions removed a $1,000-per-seat charge for new restaurants and set up a $3 million economic development fund.

Two Dates Before the House Goes Quiet

1. Sunday, Oct. 18, noon to 5 p.m. The Main Street Block Party + Day of the Dog takes over the street around 2327 Main St. The city lists it as pedestrian-only, with live music and DJs, activities for pets and children, local businesses and Halloween programming.
2. Saturday, Oct. 31. The Victorian's annual Halloween party is its last night as a nightclub.

The farmers market keeps running at Heritage Square every Sunday until the city announces its move. The Santa Monican is targeted to open in mid-2028.

If you own near Main Street, renovation timelines, a weekly open-street market and new all-day businesses can all affect how a buyer sees your block. Stacy Young follows these changes block by block. If you want a clear read on where your home stands as Heritage Square changes, request your free home valuation.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.