Navigating Venice Beach

Begin your outing by parking in the Venice Beach lot (unless you get lucky and find free street parking). Bring your camera and sun screen, and get ready to explore Venice Beach.

There's no better place to get an up-close look at Venice life than the Venice boardwalk. It's about two miles from Venice to the Santa Monica Pier, but it's not necessary to walk the entire way there and back unless you feel like it. The bulk of the action is between Venice Bouelvard and the Santa Monica Pier.

Walking north you'll see the crazy Venice scene you've probably heard about. Walking south is much quieter.

The boardwalk can be a little intimidating at first if you're not used to sharing a walkway with throngs of tourists gawking at street performers who walk on glass, strum guitar while skating and play an upright piano on the grass.

Henna tattoo and piercing shops share boardwalk space with eateries and souvenir stands. Here's the place to find deals on sunglasses, beach apparel and skim boards.

Don't worry if it sounds kind of crazy (it is); the busy boardwalk is patrolled by police. After a few minutes you'll probably see why the boardwalk is a popular attraction for people of all ages.

There's plenty of sports action, too. The skate park draws talented skaters who do amazing flips and turns. There are also numerous handball, volleyball and basketball games going on. Portions of the 1992 movie "White Men Can't Jump" were filmed at the basketball courts, where reportedly a handful of NBA players learned to shoot hoops.

Buy a $10 day pass and work out at the famed Muscle Beach Venice, an outdoor gym.

Rent beach cruisers for $6 an hour or $20 a day. Find the shop just a few steps from the boardwalk near Speedway between Market Street and Windward Avenue.
---
1501 Ocean Front Walk
310) 392-7306
---
Hours
10am-sunset daily

The Sidewalk Cafe is a great place to enjoy a meal while people watching. With its red-and-white awning, the cafe is easy to find and offers California cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner at reasonable prices.
---
Sidewalk Cafe
310-399-55471401
Ocean Front Walk
---
Hours
Daily 8am-11pm

As you walk along the boardwalk, duck inside this cool eatery featuring the artwork of local muralist Rip Cronks. His 40-foot-wide mural depicts Venice's last 100 years.

In addition, the place is filled with historic photos and artifacts, including an original gondola from 1904. The cool, dark interior is outfitted with a stylish curved bar and high-backed booths.

This popular deli makes a good lunch spot, although you won't have ocean views. Unless, of course, you order lunch to go for a picnic at the beach.
---
Address:
23 Windward Ave.
310-566-5610
www.dannysvenice.com
---
Hours
Monday-Friday, 11:30 am-10pm
Weekends 11am-10pm

You're at the beach! Be sure to make time for an exhilirating dip in the ocean and lounging on the warm sand. If you bought a skim board, here's a great place to test it out.

If you're visiting in summer, you may see more than 100 kids ages 9-17 swimming in the ocean and practicing life-saving maneuvers as part of the junior lifeguard program. This intense program takes place at the beach closest to Venice Boulevard.

Before leaving the beach, rinse off at the outdoor showers if you'd like to refresh before driving to the canals and shopping afterward.

Back in your car, drive to Washington Boulevard (catch it at Venice Pier), go to Dell Avenue and turn left. Dell is a one-way street that runs north to Venice Boulevard. The canal streets are between Washington and Venice boulevards. There are four canals that run east and west, and two that run north to south.

The streets are narrow and there's nowhere to park, so drive slowly over the canal bridges to capture picturesque views of sparkling water and beautiful houses. The boats you see are privately owned by property owners.

The man-made canals were built in 1905 by developer Abbot Kinney, who modeled the canals after Venice, Italy. It was part of his plan to create a Venice, Italy, ambiance in Southern California.

Initially, the canals were a popular mode of transportation with gondoliers. But with the advent of automobiles, the canals were viewed as outdated and fell into disrepair. Most of the canals were filled in with cement to make roadways.

In 1992, the canals were fully renovated, transforming the area into an expensive neighborhood with modern houses. The houses in this upscale neighborhood start at about $3 million.

From the canals, drive to the nearby Abbot Kinney shopping area, a hip five-block shopping district named after the founder of Venice. This is a pleasant shopping and dining section of Venice. It's a nice way to end your beach day in Venice.

Look for spaces along Venice Boulevard, west of Lincoln Boulevard and along Main Street. Additional parking may be found in several lots along Electric Avenue, one street east of Abbot Kinney Boulevard.

Abbot Kinney created his version of Venice, Italy, more than 100 years ago. Now the street bearing his name features top-of-the-line artwork, furniture, jewelry, clothing and dining. It's a great place to shop for unique gifts for yourself or others.

Ten Women, a 10,000-square-foot boutique, is devoted to local women artisans who paint, make jewelry and knit. For unique books and photography, visit Equator Books. Surfing Cowboys is a furniture store featuring mid-century modern design and vintage surf collectibles. Don't know what you're looking for? Drop by Firefly, which sells art books, clothing, jewelry, journals and more.

If you're here on the first Friday of the month, drop by
for Abbot Kinney First Fridays, when shops stay open late and have special events, some with live music, others with food and drink specials.
---
Equator Books
1103 Abbot Kinney
310-399-5544
---
Ten Women
1237 Abbot Kinney
310-452-2256
----
Firefly
1413 Abbot Kinney
310-450-6288
---
Surfing Cowboys
1629 Abbot Kinney
310-450-4891

There's a bike path that parallels the boardwalk between Venice and Santa Monica. Several bike rental shops are located on and near the boardwalk.

There are a few beach-front hotels that fit the bill for great views, whether you choose to spend the night or not.

A fun choice is Hotel Erwin, part of the Joie de Vivre boutique line, located 200 steps from the sand. The hotel's High Rooftop Lounge is perfect for ocean and people watching. High serves cocktails, wine, beer and light fare such as kabobs, tacos, microburgers, hotdogs and salads.
---
Hotel Erwin
1697 Pacific Avenue
310-452-1111
www.hotelerwin.com
----
High Rooftop Lounge
310-452-1111
Hours
Monday-Thursday 3-11pm
Friday 3pm-1am
Saturday 1pm-1am
Sunday 1-11pm