Eclectic Venice
About the Tour
Put on your sunglasses and walk around one of the more eclectic neighborhoods in Los Angeles. You will start in the Venice Canals where you will stroll through a quiet residential area next to the canals. Be sure to stop and take pictures on the cute white bridges. After leaving the canals, you will walk on Venice Boulevard to the beach where you will be face to face with a landmark lifeguard tower and a parking lot exit. Going down the walkway, you will see all types of T-shirts and the world famous Muscle Beach. Out on the beach, you can checkout a large metal sculpture, walls of graffiti art, and a concrete skateboard park. When you are ready, you will travel past a café and go to Windward Circle where there is a statue of giant torso called Venice Torso.
During the walk, you will learn the history of Venice and its strange journey from resort town to artists colony to enclave for tech startups. Venice is unique and ever changing. What will you see today in Venice?
Tour Producer
Sunshine Jen
Sunshine Jen has lived in Los Angeles for more than twenty years after moving out from the East Coast of the US. She hoped to sell out to Hollywood but fell in love with the town instead. She loves the light, the weather, the Dodgers, and the vibes. Walking in LA is one of her favorite pursuits.
She has also done pilgrimage walks in Spain and Italy and is the author of THE SLACKER PILGRIM GUIDE TO THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO and STUMBLING TO ROME ON THE VIA FANCIGENA. She also blogged for many years about culture and life in Los Angeles on Happy Robot (happyrobot.net). She also likes to tell amusing stories at local open mic nights.
When she's not walking or writing, she's sailing boats on the mighty blue Pacific off the southern California coast. She is an avid sailboat racer and an American Sailing Association certified sailing instructor.
You can find out more about her adventures at: www.sunshinejen.com
Preview Location
Location 2
Venice of America
Venice was originally called Venice of America and was founded by Abott Kinney in 1905 as a beach resort town. Kinney’s family money came from tobacco, but he was interested in real estate development. He orig... Read More
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Major Landmarks
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Venice Skate Park
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start location120-124 W Washington Blvd, Venice, CA 90291, USA -
Total distance2km -
Distance back to start location1km
Directions to Starting Point
Start: 3098 Strongs DrVenice, CA 90291
This walk starts at the corner of Strongs Drive and Washington Boulevard, at the start of the path along the canal next to a small parking lot. The start point is near a bus stop for the Starline and Culver City 1 buses on Washington Boulevard. Look for a white wooden fence on the corner of Washington and Strongs.
Tips
Places to stop along the way
Muscle Beach, Venice Skate Park, Sidewalk Café
Best time of day
I recommend doing the tour early in the day, before the sun is too hot. Otherwise, it's really nice to be at the beach at sunset.
Precautions
Venice Beach is an eclectic community which attracts lots of awesome people - and some not so nice people. Be aware of your surroundings. You will be walking on the beach. Be aware of bikes on bike paths. Wear sunscreen.
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