Venice Beach

Venice beach and the busy strip running along it is a place like no other. In a good way.

Imagine every stereotype you can think of when you picture what Venice beach goers are like. They are all there. Together. Getting along and having fun in the sun. Basically, it is a weird, happy place to people watch and eat junk food. I love it.

First and foremost, "the strip" or "boardwalk" (aka - Ocean Front Walk, although I don't know anyone who actually calls it that anymore) is a jumble of shops, street vendors and street performers. Everything from cheap sunglasses and flip flops to pipes and paraphernalia to offensively funny/stupid shirts and art. Plus, it is home to the famous Muscle Beach which is an LA landmark. Not to mention a whole lot of hot dog, corn dog, pizza and smoothie and ice cream stands. This is hugely a tourist area and is the packed during the weekends, especially in June, July and August.

There are a number of street performers and artists that make Venice beach what it is. The guy with the electric guitar on rollerblades in the photo above? He is famous! He is photographed by millions of tourists yearly. Every single time I've been there I've seen him. That dude is Venice beach. Please be kind and support the artists. They make their living being there so if you take a photo please give them a buck or two.

The actual sand and shoreline tucked away behind the crazy strip is enormous and beautiful. How enormous? About 230 acres of sand, baby! The cool part is that it is often fairly empty because the tourists go to the strip and don't bother with the beach...but locals know better. The Venice Breakwater is a hot local surfing spot (especially in winter) and due to the gentle slope of the sand it is also a great beach for families.

South of the strip is a lot more mellow, with bike paths, volleyball courts and a whole lot of gorgeous beachfront rental properties.

The Venice pier (totally empty and nothing like the Santa Monica pier) is a fishing spot and a great place to get views and photos of the entire beach area. For some reason, people are allowed to ride bikes on this pier - so try not to get run over by idiots.

Food here is classic Southern California oceanside fare - hot dogs, corn dogs, pizza, smoothies and ice cream. A personal favorite is Rey's Pizza stand for big, thin and very greasy pizza on paper plates. Classic. Grab a slice and then sit in the grassy area across the boardwalk and people watch for a bit.

I'll be honest. The worst part about Venice beach is parking, but that isn't unique to this particular beach. By the time you read this the prices may be higher, but right now the lots range from $7 to $25 a day. When you go during the week or winter you can generally find free street parking with only a few blocks walk but this pisses off the locals and makes it harder for people who actually live there. Suck it up and pay the parking lot fees, it makes it so much easier and it is a small price to pay for a whole day of fun.

Stop by the nearby Abbot Kinney area for some shopping and don't forget to read up on your Venice history to impress your friends!