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Neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, United States
Photo: Jon Sullivan, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Venice, also sometimes referred to as Venice Beach, is a district of Los Angeles in Southern California. Its colorful Boardwalk is a great scene: free, fun, and funky, making the "short list" of things to do in Los Angeles.
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Venice's canals (complete with ducks) are home to some of LA's most eclectic residential architecture. See tiny bohemian cottages next to million-dollar ultra-modern houses. The canal streets are between Washington Blvd. and Venice Blvd; park on Dell to access.
The Abbot Kinney district (the area along Abbot Kinney Boulevard) runs for about 1.5 mi between Main St. and Washington Blvd. The area is a hotspot for artists and hipsters and includes numerous shops, restaurants and bars including several excellent art galleries, about a half-dozen interesting clothing boutiques and over a dozen cafes and eateries. Named for the developer who created the "Venice of America", the area holds an annual festival featuring music and art.
Venice Boardwalk Assc.
Venice's Ocean Front Walk runs between Washington Blvd and Navy. Along the walk you will find an assortment of retailers, from tourist souvenir shops, bike rental outlets, arts and crafts booths, restaurants and "snack shacks" for dishes from around the world to hot dogs and corn dogs, ice cream, coffees and smoothies. You'll find henna tattoo artists, chair massages practitioners, fortune tellers and more. Of course, sit at one of the ocean-side restaurants to watch the parade of people go by.
One of the LA area's more popular beaches, including the infamous Muscle Beach which the city has set up as an outdoor weightlifting gym for the local hulks. People watching along Venice Beach is something to put on your "things to do before you die" list. Think of the scene as a Bohemian-Mardi Gras-Beach Blanket Bingo-Circus. If that doesn't make any sense, well neither does Venice and that's the charm. Every summer day and every weekend, join the parade of humanity strolling amongst amazing and bizarre street performers, obscenely bulging body builders (at Muscle Beach), eclectic shops and street vendors, panhandlers, and beautiful, scantily clad, people desperately seeking attention. Go ahead and stare at it all. That's the point. Walking is fine but if you like to bike there is a great path along the beach. There are many places to rent bikes. However, you cannot ride them on the pedestrian street. During the summer months Muscle Beach hosts various bodybuilding and figure contest, including the Venice Championships (Memorial Day Weekend and early September ) and Mr. & Ms. Muscle Beach (July 4th).
Venice Pier offers parking, fishing and access to the beach below. Just before the Pier on Washington Blvd., there are numerous restaurants for fine dining or a quick bite, and great places for an evening of drinking. Plus, there are numerous shops for all your beach needs from swim suits and sunglasses, to sunscreen and sweatshirts.
Residents of the canals decorate small (and sometimes homemade), non-motorized boats and punt or row down the canals in their finest—and funnest—holiday decor, brilliantly lit and costumed. There is a flair for the dramatic, so expect to see anything from a floating Starship Enterprise to a Viking longboat traversing the narrow waterway.
The annual "Chilly" Swim is held at noon off the beach north of Venice Blvd. and south of Windward Ave.
Held in the Abbot Kinney area, and benefiting a local charity.
This easy-to-find Mexican restaurant is just west of Lincoln Blvd. Great food in large quantities. Burritos start at $4, with most other entrees priced between $6 and $12 and margaritas available for about $6 more.
Serves Hunan cuisine.
Slightly quirky cafe serving lots of creative coffee drinks as well as breakfast/brunch and simple lunch dishes. Outdoor seating and quieter indoor seating upstairs. Vegan and gluten-free options.
It's next to the beach and a short walk from the Venice Pier. C&O Trattoria is a popular spot for casual dining as well as large birthday parties. This Northern Italian seafood restaurant features an indoor seating area and a patio, with menu items available in either "individual" or "gargantuan" portions (for family-style meals). The wait staff is friendly, and every night during dinner hours, activity temporarily pauses for a restaurant-wide singalong of Dean Martin's "That's Amore," during which servers roam around and toast with the diners. The atmosphere is comfortable and fun, and their garlic balls are famous.
Built in a retired firehouse, this restaurant/bar offers all manner of breakfasts, sandwiches, and other meals from a "healthy" and "less healthy" set of menu selections. Weight lifters from Venice Beach gorge themselves on egg whites, chicken breasts, broccoli and tofu, while the rest of the population has a variety of sandwiches and breakfast items to choose from. The ambiance is fun, the food is decent, and prices are reasonable.
The sushi is reasonably good and not outrageously priced, but the love-it-or-hate-it feature of this restaurant is the numerous screens scattered around the eating area showing everything from sports to 1950s surfer flicks. For some this provides a unique atmosphere, while those with attention deficit issues may not be able to focus on just one thing for days afterward. Happy hour daily from 4-7PM features $1 off drinks and a variety of menu items for $2-5.
Australian-style all-day café known for breakfast burritos, wood-fired pizzas, and casual outdoor seating.
Italian cuisine with elevated class.
Tropical Mexican food with a great assortment of margaritas and other tropical drinks. Late night menu and drinks.
Small but fun place; great assortment of tropical drinks, bar appetizers and during the summer months check by often to see their drink and meal specials. Indoor and outdoor seating.
A dive bar through and through. Though under new ownership, much of the old tradition, decor, and dankness remains. This is a good thing. This is the oldest continuously-running bar west of the Mississippi (it was a speakeasy during prohibition) and though never really a scene, it is nice place to stop off for a drink on a low-key night.
The only hotel in Venice Beach on the boardwalk on Ocean Front Walk and offering views of the Santa Monica Bay.
A full service boutique hotel about from the ocean in the heart of Venice Beach. Rooftop lounge called High with incredible panoramic views of the ocean and City of LA. Hotel has spacious rooms and 2 room suites, ideal for families. Many rooms have beautiful ocean views. Hotel has gated indoor parking.
One block from the Venice Beach Boardwalk, adjacent to the world's largest man-made yacht marina. Has direct online reservations and special packages.
Private and shared rooms, housekeeping apartments, all with free internet.
An affordable hostel with a central location
Venice Suites offers fully furnished vacation/corporate suites in the heart of Venice Beach.
Oceanfront fully furnished vacation suites on Venice Boardwalk. Beautiful brick building has been remodeled retaining classic Venice Beach charm but with chic design and a variety of amenities. Full kitchens, bathrooms with rain showers, walnut floors, free WiFi, cable TV, parking and spectacular roof deck with BBQ and panoramic views across Los Angeles. Nightly, weekly, monthly rates available.
Medium-sized bookstore. Lots of interesting books, and the peace and quiet makes a nice break from the high-energy beach scene outside.
Driving from Los Angeles International Airport, take Lincoln Boulevard (CA-1) north and turn left on Venice Boulevard.
Read in the guideVenice is pretty much small enough to walk in, especially along the beach. You can hit more inland areas of Venice by car, bike, or on Metro bus lines.
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Los Angeles · International · LAX
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