Venice Beach has the usual staples of a California beach: sun, sand, and the vast expanse of Pacific Ocean. However, just a few steps away from the volleyball nets and the beach towels there is a different scene altogether.
Known for its carnival atmosphere, Ocean Front Walk at Venice Beach is usually crammed with people, wanting to see and be seen. Artists paint and sculpt, musicians perform, muscular men lift weights in the open air gym at Venice's Muscle Beach. Music blares from all directions and there is a festive mood in the air. Visitors can have their palms read, their hair braided, their bodies tattooed, their ears pierced, their caricatures drawn, or their backs massaged at booths all within steps of one another.
Originally, Venice Beach was intended to be part of a 1900s resort modeled after Renaissance Venice, complete with canals and gondolas. Even the buildings were built in the Italian Renaissance style, with column lined passages. In addition, a huge amusement pier was built, with many attractions, including roller coasters, bowling alleys and a dance hall. Soon after opening, Venice Beach became quite popular with the people who came to visit this unique resort. Since then, it has undergone many changes, from being a California version of Coney Island in the early 1900s to becoming an oil drilling site in the early 1930s. It escaped complete demolition in the 1960s and regained popularity later in the decade, this time with the beatniks and hippies. Today, Venice Beach's popularity remains undiminished as one of California's most visited attractions. Its history is still evident in some of its older buildings and the remaining canals. Its colorful character is reflected in the murals, and especially in the people. Venice
Beach is a favorite venue for L.A.'s street performers and artists. On weekends Ocean Front Walk is crowded with live acts competing for attention. Be serenaded by a musician on in-line skates, watch a man juggle chainsaws, or dance to the tribal beat of an all percussion band. Venice Beach is home to many of Los Angeles' enterprising entrepreneurs as well.
Alongside the many shops and restaurants that line Ocean Front Walk are plenty of booths to buy all sorts of things, including souvenirs, clothes, and gifts. Because of its reputation, Venice Beach also serves as a public forum for anyone with something to say. Preachers and political petitioners take their places next to psychics and painters, but that is just a normal day at Venice Beach. There is definitely no lack of places to eat at Venice Beach. A variety of restaurants and stands are available on Ocean Front Walk that cater to visitors who want to eat and go, as well as those who want to sit down, relax, and enjoy the view.
Venice Beach is located in the coastal area of Los Angeles, south of Santa Monica, in the city of Venice, CA. It is accessible from the 405 freeway and the Pacific Coast Highway (the 1). Parking is available near Ocean Front Walk for about 8$ a day. Venice Beach operates from sunup to sundown, with a curfew imposed at about 10pm. For more information on Venice Beach, please call the Venice Chamber of Commerce at (310)396-7016.
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