Venice, aah Venice. The original in Italy is hard to beat with it’s canals, plazas, squares food and wine. The founder, Abbot Kinney was a man with vision who created a vibrant city in the early 1900’s. Venice was originally solely a resort beach town, but Kinney wanted to create Italy’s Venice in Southern California. He had the marshes replaced with canals, where people traveled in gondoliers. Amusement parks were constructed, creating a festival environment for local street performers and tourists.
Eventually, Venice was annexed into the City of Los Angeles in October 1925. With that, Los Angeles changed the façade of the town, replacing canals with concrete and drilling for oil along the 14-mile stretch of the Pacific.
Much of Kinney’s original Venice remains today. Although the canals are not main thoroughfares, they are home to the local ducks, and can still accommodate kayaking between homes. The roller coasters and water plunges don’t exist anymore, but the street performers fill the Venice Boardwalk to entertain the many people strolling by.
Venice is a very eclectic beach town. There are four primary areas that make up the "Bohemian" lifestyle of Venice: the beach, downtown, Oakwood and East Venice.
The Beach has something for everyone. The famous Muscle Beach is an outdoor no-frills gym where anyone and everyone can get pumped up. Everywhere you look are basketball and volleyball courts, a continuous bike trail along the sand, surfing and boogie boarding, and fishing off the pier. The Boardwalk is a well-known tourist destination where street performers and musicians wow the crowds with tricks, fortune telling, tattoos and all sorts of unique talents.
Downtown Venice has two main streets, Abbot Kinney and Main Street. Dozens of eateries, coffee shops, retail shops, bookstores, art galleries and yoga studios are open everyday of the week. Upscale restaurants, nightclubs, and taverns keep the town thriving in to the early morning hours. The fun never ends!
Oakwood is a multi-racial neighborhood. The popularity of Venice’s open-mindedness and liberal views attracted celebrities and the wealthy sect to move in and blend in with the locals. In doing so, there has been a transformation of the real estate market; 2 and 3-level estates have replaced original factory-workers homes. Residents can ride bikes or walk to the beach and Downtown.
East Venice has many small homes and apartment buildings among housing projects for the disabled, elderly and homeless. Penmar is a large park with baseball diamonds, play structures and picnic tables. Across the street is a 9-hole public golf course.
Venice is a progressive eclectic town. Celebrities live among hippies. Yoga gurus live among war veterans. A vibrant beach town, just as Abbot Kinney envisioned.