20230429_135622Venice sign (April 2023)

Although small in size, Venice Beach (or “Venice”) is a vibrant and world-renown community located on the Westside of Los Angeles. Besides its eponymous beach, it also boasts picturesque canals and plenty of trendy boutiques and cafés that one can easily spend a day (or lifetime) exploring. As a follow up to my post on its neighbor, Santa Monica, a while back, I’d like to share with you all that Venice has to offer.

Originally called the “Venice of America,” this city was developed by Abbot Kinney in 1905. Kinney was an American developer who brought Venice to life, as he had a vision of creating a slice of the famed Italian city in the US. History has it that Kinney, with another developer, decided on the land with a coin flip, in which Kinney chose the southern portion of the beach (and the other developer took what is present-day Santa Monica). The southern portion was more marshy and not as attractive to build on as the other, beachier part of it. All the same, Kinney went ahead and drained the marsh to make way for the canals, which can be seen today.

20230429_141224Along the Venice Canal

Venice became a popular tourist draw upon its founding as a seaside resort with an amusement park that modeled the beautiful Italian city. It easily drew 150,000 people to its shores each weekend throughout the 1910’s and 1920’s. However, due to annexation by the city of Los Angeles in 1926, it experienced a period of decline as the city government paved over the canals and removed much of the development that Kinney had created. Gang activity became rampant in the 1950’s until much of the early 2000’s, and for a long time, Venice was a place not to visit, let alone live in.

However, since 2002, the city started to gentrify– besides its gang past, Venice had also been a hub for Beat poets and European immigrants, who had been drawn to the city’s low-cost housing. Venice has seen a huge Renaissance in the past 20 years, going from a run-down slum to a flourishing community with an artistic and bohemian vibe. There are many art galleries and centers for emerging artists and writers to share and dedicate their craft to, including Beyond Baroque, a literary arts center offering space for up-and-coming and seasoned poets to share their works.

Compared to its neighboring beach city, Santa Monica, Venice is also touristy. Yet, it’s also quite different: whereas Santa Monica offers more of the classic, almost clean-cut, tourist beach experience, Venice is more non-conformist and alternative. Personally, I’d say that Santa Monica is more kid-friendly and Venice is best catered to adults.

Strolling Venice Beach can be an overstimulating experience for first-timers. It’s busy during the day with tons of locals and tourists milling about. Lots of people, loud music blasting from kitschy souvenir shops (some selling, erm, naughty apparel and trinkets), and a good handful of marijuana dispensaries. It’s impossible not to smell weed while walking along the beach. Venice attracts just about everyone from all walks of life, from hippies to skaters to vagabonds.

20230429_134939On the strand

On Venice Beach, you can surf, play beach volleyball, or simply just sun tan along the sand. There’s the pier, as well as a skate park where you can see amateurs and pros show off stunts. Or if you’re feeling fit, you can try an outdoor workout at Muscle Beach. Otherwise, just stroll along the strand and take in the eclectic vibes around you, especially perfect on a sunny, warm day.

Venice Pier

20230429_134045Rainbow lifeguard tower

As for food and shopping, I would deter you from getting anything by the beach, as it’s sure to be overpriced and mediocre. Instead, I’d elect for you to head a bit more inland to check out Abbot Kinney Boulevard, named after the man who made Venice a reality. It’s a mile-long (1.6 km) stretch of hip, trendy restaurants and bars and cute boutique stores that you can easily spend an afternoon checking out. Personally, I’ve enjoyed the restaurants along Abbot Kinney Boulevard, with its wide range of well-crafted New American food, delicious coffee, and plethora of sweet treats (e.g. ice cream) to choose from.

One more highlight I’d recommend is the Venice Canals. Although many of the canals had been paved over since the city government took over, there are a few that survived. The main one is the Grand Canal, and it’s a small, but peaceful little neighborhood with several overarching bridges and colorful bungalows along the water. It’s incredibly scenic and a wonderful place to enjoy a stroll when it’s sunny out. Just be aware not to be too noisy, as there are people who still live there!

20230429_141634Venice Canal

Overall, Venice is a neighborhood with lots of charm and character. Although it’d been man-made to replicate the eponymous Italian city, over the past century it has grown into its own distinctive identity, one that brings people everywhere into a vibrant, artistic, and innovative environment. I have no doubt that Venice will continue to change and adapt in the years to come, all the while inviting us to its golden shores.

Thanks for reading, and have a lovely day! 🙂

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

57 thoughts on “Lost in LA: Venice Beach”

    1. Venice Beach is a popular place to be! Although it’s sad that we’ve erased a lot of its original history, there are still a few relics that remain to appreciate. Thanks for reading, Rebecca 🙂

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  16. If you didn’t mention it, I wouldn’t have thought that Venice Beach has a rather checkered history. It’s always heartening to read about the transformation of rundown places into something inspiring and appealing both for their residents and tourists alike.

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    1. Absolutely! While gentrification has its negatives, it also offers some good things out of it. Venice Beach still has a long way to go, but we’re already seeing the results! Thanks for reading, Bama 🙂

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  18. That’s a wonderfully moody sky in the Venice Pier shot. I enjoyed the brief history of the area and admittedly wasn’t aware that there are actual canals. Sad that so many have gone but at least a few survived, I hope they continue to preserve them.

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    1. There’s a reason why it’s called Venice Beach! The canals are my favorite part of the neighborhood, and it’s great a slice of history is being preserved. Thanks for reading, Leighton 🙂

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  24. I had no idea Venice Beach was actually named for and designed to mimic Venice, Italy. I’ve only ever heard the name, but until just now I didn’t realize that I didn’t know anything about it. It’s too bad that some of the canals were covered over and that Venice Beach went through a bit of a rough patch, but I’m glad to hear things have turned around and that you can still visit some of the canals. Sounds like a very unique place.

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    1. Yes, Venice Beach is meant to model after Venice, Italy! The canals that survived are still lovely and worth a stroll while in the area. Venice is and has been gentrifying over the past two decades, and while it still has its rough edges, it’s a lot better than what it used to be back then! Thanks for reading, Diana 🙂

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  26. I just love how this unique Los Angeles County beach town has sand, surf, beautiful canals and a lot of local color. The area around the canals looks like a delightful place to take a stroll as each canal has sidewalks and pedestrian bridges. I’ve seen photos of how during Christmas and other occasions, the homes and boats are decorated and strewn with lights. Thanks for sharing, and have a wonderful day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. Yes, the homes go all-out during Christmas season, and it makes Venice such a vibrant and festive neighborhood! It’s a beautiful slice of LA, and a must-see while in town. Thanks for reading, Aiva 🙂

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  28. I didn’t know about Venice Beach’s history – but it makes a lot of sense now. I visited in 2008 so after you say it started becoming gentrified but it still struck me as being a very rough area. I was quite naive back then so thought it might have been a culture shock, but it’s interesting to read that it was known to be rough!

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    1. Venice still has its rough areas today, but I can imagine it has cleaned up a lot since your stay in 2008! The city is rich in history all the same, and I definitely recommend anyone to visit while in LA!

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