This is undoubtedly the best-known beach on the West Coast. Venice Beach, with its oceanfront promenade, is packed with small stores selling food, wine, souvenirs and bike rentals. Discover Muscle Beach, an open-air weight-lifting gym where unusual characters come to show off their muscles. It’s right next to the sports fields, including the famous skate park. A slightly bohemian residential area, Venice Beach has seen street art cover its walls, giving it a resolutely young and hip style. It’s also home to many street performers: Hindu masseurs, jugglers, singers, tarot card readers, exalted preachers…
In the early 20th century, developer Abbot Kinney acquired land, built canals and named the town “Venice”. The advent of the car in the 1920s put a stop to the usefulness of the canals, which fell into disrepair. It wasn’t until the 1990s that work began on renovating the four canals that had not been filled in. Today, the homes in this neighborhood are worth over a million dollars. One of the locals’ favorite surf spots is the famous Venice Breakwater: designed by Abbot Kinney, this artificial barrier allows waves to break on both sides.
Venice Beach was visited on March 28, 2023.
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