See Venetian Canals Without Ever Leaving Los Angeles

May 1, 2009 at 3:41 PM | by Omri | Comments (0)

After you're done taking our advice and dining on Washington Blvd, you should treat yourself to one of the more surreal neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Just a few meters from the restaurants - across Pacific Ave and then up - are the Venice canals and the multi-million dollar homes that line their shores.

Venice began as a planned city at the turn of the last century. Casino and tobacco mogul Abbot Kinney wanted an upscale modern Venice, modeled culturally and architecturally on the original. He had contractors dig out 16 miles water-filled canals and crisscross them with bridges for horses and carriages. It was all supposed to be very American and very elegant, a crown jewel of industrialization.

By the 1920s, of course, horses and carriages were out and the automobile was in. At the end of the decade the vast majority of the canals were filled in to make roads. The original Venice of dignified gentlemen and decorous ladies slowly became the Venice, CA of movies. By the 1960s it was inhabited by beatniks and hippies who - their other merits aside - were suboptimal for property values.

It wasn't until the mid-1990s, when property values began to skyrocket, that the contemporary canals were refurbished. Today the neighborhood - just a few blocks square - is home to movie stars, executives, and extremely rich businesspeople. A few feet of shrubs and very strong cultural norms are all that separate it from the rest of bohemian Venice, lending the whole entire experience a Disneyland-eque feel.

Related Stories:
· Nice Dining on Venice Beach's Washington Boulevard [Jaunted]

Jaunted

Select a Destination:

Venice Beach / History Lessons / Cities / Los Angeles Travel / → All Tags