The Free Spirit of Venice Beach

CLOCKWISE: The wide, whitesand beaches of Venice offer great sunning, swimming and surfing; Palazzo Ducale, a reproduction of the Palazzo Ducal Palace in Italy, was built by Abbot Kinney and opened as St. Marks Hotel in 1905 on the Boardwalk; Beautifullylandscaped homes line the canals.

By Linda Lang

SOCAL'S VENICE MAY HAVE BEEN NAMED AFTER THE ICONIC ITALIAN CITY, BUT ANY RESEM BLANCE ENDS WITH THEIR SIMILAR NETWORKS OF GLISTENING CANALS. BORDERING THE PACIFIC BETWEEN SANTA MONICA AND MARINA DEL REY, OUR VENICE IS WHERE TRADITIONAL NORMS ARE SECONDARY TO ARTISTIC INDIVIDUALITY AND THE RATHER UNCONVENTIONAL LIFESTYLE DEFINED BY ITS MANY FREESPIRITED RESIDENTS. YOU EXPERIENCE IT EVERYWHERE FROM THE PIER, BOARDWALK, AND MUSCLE BEACH TO ABBOT KINNEY BOULEVARD, HOME TO AN ECLECTIC ASSEMBLAGE OF EVERYTHING FROM FUNKY SHOPS, STYLISH BOUTIQUES AND HOME DÉCOR STORES TO COFFEE BARS, RUSTIC EATERIES AND ENTERTAINMENT SPOTS. STILL, VENICE ALSO HAS ITS SHARE OF MORE TRADITIONAL COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL SECTIONS.

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: The biking path is also frequented by jog gers, walkers, skateboarders and meander ing sightseers; Venice Beach is SoCal's 2nd largest tourist attraction after Disneyland; Street art is found throughout the city; Varieties of impromptu performers can be found anywhere any time.

Founded as a seaside resort in 1905 by developer and conservationist Abbot Kinney, "Venice of America," as it was known, remained an independent city until merging with Los Angeles in 1926. When oil was discovered in 1930, up went the rigs and Venice's clear skies filled with toxic fumes that even polluted the canals. As a result, the city became known as the “Slum by the Sea.” By the end of WW2, the oil boom had diminished and the prevailing post-war spirit of building everything anew took over — including bodybuilding which became the rage in the 1950s. A decade later, the low rents attracted beatniks, hippies and the bohemian culture of artists, musicians, poets and disregard for the status quo flourished. Then in 2000, the city redid the boardwalk and the Venice Beach we recognize today was born.

The city is still known for its beautiful canals lined with 20th century modernist homes, wide white-sand beaches, and an animated mile-and-a-half boardwalk, a.k.a. Oceanfront Walk, that showcases performers, mystics, murals, street art and other artists, various vendors and millions of fascinated international and local visitors annually. Here, you can watch mimes, jugglers, bikers, skateboarders, joggers, jesters and musicians perform, body builders pose, and artists paint. You can also get that long-awaited-tattoo (tempo-rary or permanent), have your fortune told or palm read, dine well, party, and much more.

If you're a souvenir shopper, the west side of the boardwalk showcases a wide variety of arts, crafts, and unique items only found here. In addition to paintings, sculptures and photography, unique rocks are among shoppers' favorites. On the east side are beachfront residences and store fronts where you'll find an endless assortment of T-shirts from the hundreds with Venice Beach designs to political slogans, causes, comical, and just plain funky. You'll also encounter tattoo and piercing purveyors, skate and surf shops, medical marijuana dispensaries, sun glasses, hats, vaporizers, beer, flip flops, and a generous offering of eateries, juice spots and bars. This stretch of boardwalk probably has more diversity in demographics and original retail wares than you'll find anywhere else, making it one of the best places in L.A. for people watching, souvenirs, photos and selfies. And if that's not enough, there's also great surfing and swimming.

If you're around Saturday or Sunday afternoon, listen for the beats and follow the sounds down to Drum Circle on the beach where Brooks Avenue meets the boardwalk. A gathering of all sorts of locals minus any organization materializes every weekend day. Starting around noon and lasting long after the sun sets, large numbers of free-spirited novice and serious percussionists play out their emotions on drums of every conceivable shape and size. You can watch or participate in the dancing, chanting, and spontaneous originality of this extraordinary communal percussion fest found only find here at Venice Drum Circle. And admission is free.

Management of the boardwalk and Muscle Beach facilities is handled by the L.A. Department of Recreation and Parks. Besides the perfect bodies of men and women bodybuilding, powerlifting and posing at Muscle Beach or working out at Muscle Beach Gym or historic Gold's Gym where Arnold Schwarzenegger once trained, there's basketball, handball and paddle tennis courts, gymnastics and boxing areas, skate parks, public art walls, children’s play areas, and more. There's an event calendar of

basketball, handball, paddle tennis, and skate competitions occurring almost weekly. And if you don't have the necessary equipment with you, rentals are available at the Venice Recreation and Parks office. Muscle Beach Gym day and week passes are available for $10 and $50, respectively. "The coolest block in America," according to GQ, is Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Stretching from Venice Boulevard to Pacific Avenue, this eclectic mile-long strip is a favorite of Boho chic (bohemian fashion with hippie influence) shoppers. It is home to lots of one-of-a-kind and local retro goods, international brands, and amazing works of art in shops, galleries and displayed on walls along the boulevard. When Abbot Kinney First Fridays resumes, the street becomes a festival filled with food trucks, live music and activity. The merchants stay open late to welcome shoppers of all ages. If you're into retro, the Artists & Fleas L.A. mart, held at the corner of Abbot Kinney and Westminster each Saturday from Memorial Day through Labor Day, features a fabulous line-up of art, design, vintage vendors and food. Another not-to-be-missed event on the third Thursday of every month is the free Venice Art Crawl featuring "popup" galleries and local artistry known throughout the world.

Venice Beach has long been a hub for diverse dining with many top-rated restaurants featuring vegetarian, vegan and glutenfree sections on their menus. American, Mexican, Asian, Greek, Italian — it's all here. Décor tends to be rustic and relaxed as are the bars and nightspots.

The famed Venice Beach canals, complete with arched bridges similar to those in Italy's Venice, wind through magnificently landscaped shores lined with exclusive homes, providing unlimited photo ops. The district is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Whether you’re looking for some fun in the sun, shopping, people watching, impromptu entertainment or a sophisticated evening of art and music, check out this unique, ever-changing treasure. Like most cities, Venice Beach continues to adapt to the times. Now that it has attracted a large influx of tech companies, real estate prices have skyrocketed and the future may soon see changes in its cultural roots. v

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Skate Park attracts visitors as well as skaters; Beachfront residences are near the boardwalk; Vendors set up on the west side of the boardwalk; Abbot Kinney Boulevard is a favorite of Boho chic (bohemian fashion with hip pie influences) shoppers.