Venice Beach is one of the most exciting neighbourhoods in Los Angeles. Famous for its iconic palm tree grove and beautiful sunsets, this bastion of 20th-century Americana has made its way into the hearts – and onto the TV screens – of American homes since the 1950s. It continues to serve as a cultural hub at the forefront of American fashion, arts, and technology.
Venice is an aesthetic kaleidoscope that can shift from light and chic to dark and gritty within a block, marked by a unique combination of modern architecture, restored industrial buildings, and shopping centres covered in impressively artistic graffiti. Whether your heart desires unique hole-in-the-wall restaurants and street vendors selling local handmade goods, or sophisticated beachfront cafes and name-brand retailers offering polished, high-end clothing and jewellery, Venice has it all. We’ll take you through the dos, don’ts, and a little bit about the history of this quintessentially American destination.
Must-See Venice Beach Attractions
When most people hear Venice Beach, they think about Muscle Beach. Made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger and other free weight-lifting bodybuilders and powerlifters in the 1970s, this public weightlifting facility maintained by the city of Venice is now adorned with more modern lifting machines. Despite hosting more beginner-friendly gear these days, Muscle Beach still maintains the same sense of spectacle that made it famous: LA’s most muscle-bound residents take to the public park every Saturday to stay fit and put on impressive shows of strength for the public.
Muscle Beach sits towards the southern end of a two-mile-long boardwalk stretching from the neighbouring town of Marina del Rey, through Venice Beach, and ending at the famed Santa Monica Pier. The southern end of the boardwalk is littered with shops selling cheap eats, brightly coloured clothing, beach gear, sunglasses, and all kinds of trinkets. Not far south from Muscle Beach is the Venice Skatepark, aka the Dennis “Polar Bear” Agnew Memorial Skatepark, a public skateboard park that has appeared in nearly every skateboarding video compilation, competition, or video game ever published. This is where locals mingle with the pros – and sometimes become them, putting their extreme sports skills on display where anyone from casual bystanders to talent scouts can see them. While the park’s bowls and jumps rarely sit empty on a sunny day, those lucky enough can sometimes glimpse local legends like Andrew Reynolds and Paul Rodriguez dropping in and catching air.
Walking north, the boardwalk evolves into an open market, where the richest of the rich and poorest of the poor mingle and gourmet restaurants share the sidewalk with street vendors, artists and travelling performers. Anyone can rent out one of the vaguely marked spots along the boardwalk by registering in advance with the local authorities. The eclectic mix of local craftspeople and vendors selling everything from keychains and tarot card readings to handmade clothing and modern art installations lend authenticity to the beach’s gritty, artistic charm.
Once you’ve finished your tour of the boardwalk, it’s time to head over to Abbot Kinney Boulevard, the local upscale shopping and dining hub. This is Venice’s high life: boutique home and travel goods retailers like Peak Design and Tumblewood & Dandelion sit shoulder to shoulder with iconic fashion brands like Warby Parker, Birkenstock, and Adidas. Despite the fancy trappings, Abbott Kinney maintains some of Venice’s raw character: many of these upscale shops are still operated by locally-owned brands who respect and assertively represent the neighbourhood’s unique aesthetics and diverse population, refusing to allow gentrification to strip Venice of its trademark authenticity. Accordingly, Venice’s trademark street art is present even in its most high-brow shopping locus.
Those seeing a more controlled, indoor experience of Venice’s artistry can find Muck Rock Open Studio in Abbot Kinney, a studio run by locals displaying their own art that seeks to personify Venice’s cultural influences. If your artistic preferences are more conventional, swing by Art Unified, the neighbourhood’s local art gallery. For a more traditional gallery experience, the LA Louver hosts a diverse collection of American, European, and Asian paintings, sculptures, and installations. The LA Louver is a bit closer to the beach on Venice Boulevard , and sits at the southern end of the Venice art walk, which includes several small studios and galleries that dot Pacific Ave between Venice Boulevard and Brooks Avenue: House of Spoils, Empire Arts, Square Rhino, and The Black Couch, among others, sit on this stretch.
When you’re ready to relax a bit, the Venice Canals await. No, we’re not confused, and there’s no interdimensional portal connecting California to Italy. But yes, there are canals in Venice, California: they’re a short walk from the beach, and easily worth a long walk all their own. While not steeped in quite so much history as their Italian counterparts, these Venice canals have a uniquely American charm: dozens of unique multimillion-dollar two-story homes, clearly designed with relaxation in mind, sit packed in next to each other on the banks of these artificial waterways, most with their own docks anchoring a canoe or small rowboat. It sits right in the heart of Venice, just two minutes from the heart of the Venice boardwalk, and yet feels oddly quiet and secluded. Thankfully, motorised boats are not allowed, so Venice Beach’s copycat canals are a great place to take a timeout from a hectic day to allow you to take a breath, enjoy some beautiful architecture, and obtain rights to tell anyone pretentious enough to ask that, yes, in fact, you *have* been to the Canals of Venice. You can even get a boat tour!
Best Restaurants in Venice Beach
Venice is packed to the gills with quality food and drink. From cheap eats to-go on the beach right on up to some of the most exquisite fine dining in all of Los Angeles, Venice has something for every palate. I had hoped to recommend The Rose, a 50-year neighbourhood institution and rare chef-driven establishment, but unfortunately, as of December 2024, The Rose has shut down.
For the authentic Venice Beach experience, the Venice Boardwalk has a host of walk-up food counters serving ice cream, hot dogs, churros, and deep-fried versions of just about anything you can imagine. Turn Dough, formerly known as Big Daddy’s, serves up creative ice cream dishes and the boardwalk’s famous deep-fried Oreo cookies, perched on soft serve or in a pile a la carte. There are dozens of food stands up and down the boardwalk, most of which aren’t clearly named, but still deliver the high-cholesterol goods.
Those looking for a casual but fancy brunch will want to head further north for The Waterfront Venice, an unassuming well-kept secret with comfortable furniture and a fresh, creative, classic California brunch menu: keep it simple with a quesadilla or breakfast burrito and some hand-cut fries, or treat yourself to some oysters and hamachi crudo with a stylish cocktail. Fig Tree is another option for elevated Cali classics: chilaquiles made with rustic whole-grain chips, grilled local seabass collar, and some of the city’s best ceviche.
Venice also hosts some of the best date-night spots in the city. The Whaler Beach Bar at the Marina is one of the city’s best waterfront bars, with a hopping nightlife scene and great food served just feet from the sand. If you’re looking for something a little more romantic, High Rooftop Bar at Hotel Irwin delivers quality eats and drinks with an unrivalled view of the boardwalk and beach.
Some of the city’s best fine dining is right near the beach, too. Felix Trattoria is an exclusive, reservation-only Italian restaurant on Abbott Kinney serving homestyle Italian breads and pasta made from first principles, delicate antipasti, and an assortment of gourmet pizzas. Gjelina even appears in the Michelin Guide, earning its reputation with the world’s harshest restaurant critics with its Mediterranean-like setting and simple but delicious Italian classics. For those in search of a good steak, Charcoal Venice, another Michelin hand-pick, is hard to beat: elevated grill items served with a delicious array of sauces and their famous seasoned grilled cabbage make this a must for Venice-faring gourmands.
Accommodation in Venice Beach
The lodging in Venice is as varied as its aesthetics. The beachfront is hardly wanting for fancy hotels, but it also plays host to some of LA’s most popular hostels, frequented by young travellers, those who either want a night on the wild side and people just might not be able to afford anywhere else in the area. Just beneath the Venice sign where Windward Ave meets the ocean, Venice Beach Hostel sits less than a block from the boardwalk. Famous for its low prices, lively parties, and perfect beachfront location, VBH isn’t for those expecting to be pampered but will reward those willing to accept the gritty Venice vibes with the same access to the surf, shops, and sights of the boardwalk that the wealthy pay millions for, not to mention the opportunity to meet the kind of people and have the kind of experiences that can only be found in Venice. Samesun Venice Beach provides a slightly nicer experience, with both dormitories and private rooms on offer; it’s still listed by Google as a 1-star hotel, but visitors rank it 4.4 stars. And it’s no mystery why: Samesun sits right on the boardwalk, just steps from the sand, and is a perfect place to stay for those planning on taking full advantage of the surf and sun.
For those with more money to spend, the experience can be completely different.
Venice is well-known for its luxurious beachfront homes, and some of the hotels are just as impressive. Just a block away from Samesun, two four-star hotels sit opposite each other across 17th Ave: Hotel Erwin and The Redline Venice Hotel. Either will run you north of $300 a night for their smallest rooms, and they deliver on what the price promises: luxurious accommodation, gorgeous rooftop views of the boardwalk and sunsets, and excellent service. The Redline has a rock-solid 5.0-star rating on Google. For those looking for a 5-star experience, The Ritz-Carlton at Marina del Rey never disappoints, delivering all the trappings and amenities of true luxury: views of the Marina, gourmet food, plush beds, marble everything, a full-service gym and pool, and even a small garden, all within walking distance of the beach.
Venice at Night
While Venice hosts some of the city’s most expensive homes, tech companies like YouTube, and plenty of attractions that are suitable for all ages, it’s important for visitors to respect the fact that Venice’s rough-and-tumble image isn’t just for looks. Venice has a large homeless population and has been a known outpost of some of Los Angeles’s infamous gangs. The Crips, one of the largest organised crime syndicates in the US, have been known to maintain a presence in the city, as have the Venice13, aka V13, a local gang exclusive to the beachside neighbourhood of Oakwood.
Due to increased law enforcement activity in the neighbourhood, the presence of gang members is highly unlikely to affect the lives of those living in or visiting Venice, at least so long as they have a healthy awareness and respect for the presence of these criminal elements. Venice is not as safe at night as most other neighbourhoods in the area, like Santa Monica or Marina del Rey, and visitors should act accordingly. The beach especially should be avoided by most, as it has been a known site for late-night criminal activity. With that said, the vast majority of those living or vacationing in Venice will never be affected by crime, and visitors shouldn’t feel the need to do more than take basic city-faring precautions: treat locals with respect, and stay in well-lit, populated areas at night time.
History of Venice Beach
Founded in 1905 by the namesake of its swankiest street, Abbot Kinney, Venice was originally built as a resort town. Legend has it that Kinney came into the land that Venice sits on today in a business deal gone wrong that resulted in a coin flip that split up the land between Ocean Park Casino and today’s Marina del Rey in exchange for his holdings in the casino. Kinney aspired to build Venice into the “Venice of America and Coney Island of the West Coast,” constructing the canals with the vision of gondoliers cruising tourists through the town as in its Italian namesake. By all measures, he succeeded, constructing an extensive network of canals and swaying local politicians to change the town’s legal name after building a successful cafe near the beach that attracted people from downtown LA and Santa Monica. Perhaps his success outstripped his vision: after Kinney’s death, the introduction of the automobile in the 1920s led to an increase in traffic in the bustling neighborhood and resulted in the inevitable paving over of most of Kinney’s canals.
The latter half of the 20th century brought Venice real fame: it made its name known to the wider world in the 1950s alongside neighbouring Santa Monica as the global hub for American physical culture, or “Physie.” This movement had its roots in the US’s post-Depression era: in the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration, a government organization set up as part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal, built the “Old Muscle Beach” near the Santa Monica Pier, and the Venice Beach Weight Pen where Venice Muscle Beach sits today. These sites served as a platform for the WPA’s focus on Americans’ personal fitness and hosted a variety of fitness-themed competitions including gymnastic, acrobatic, and weight-lifting events funded by the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department. This publicity was magnified in the 1970s by the documentary Pumping Iron, featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and aiding his Mr Olympia victory in making him a household name throughout America. Venice’s winning streak continued as its iconic beaches and locations began being featured in hit films like Grease, Baywatch, and American History X throughout the remainder of the century; today, its famous palm trees and boardwalk are a common feature in blockbuster films like 2023’s Barbie.
Venice has become an enormous influence on American culture and is every bit worth the visit.
