3 Travel Tips for Venice California!

Summer is all about packing in the beach time! Living in DTLA means planning your weekends around soaking up the sun and I’ve been trying to explore all the different beaches in my new home in LA! One of my favorite beach town so far is Venice, CA. The vibe is so unique, and reminds me a little bit of good old Coney Island in NY! Here are a few tips for spending a perfect day in Venice.

Don’t Go Too Early

Mid-day to early afternoon is the sweet spot for Venice. The area can be a little sketchy in the morning due to the large homeless population, so go a little later in the day when more beach goers and tourists are out and about. Plus the boardwalk area is pretty dead in the morning and you don’t want to miss that! Afternoons are when you’ll see street vendors, performances, and the famous bodybuilders that hang out on Muscle Beach. For prime time sightseeing, I would say don’t arrive before noon. The beach is usually far less crowded then neighboring Santa Monica, so don’t worry about not being able to get a spot if you go later. I would also say plan to leave the area before dark! I’ve never stayed out past 730/8pm, but did get the feeling that nights can be a bit creepy.

Make Time to Explore Abbot Kinney and the Canals

When you are ready to get off the beach and boardwalk, make your way over to Abbot Kinney Blvd! The strip is full of cute, hip boutiques and is made for window shopping. I say window shopping because a lot of the stores are pretty pricey, so unless you feel like splurging, shop with your eyes not your wallet! A few blocks away are the Venice Canals, a historic residential district. The neighborhood and canals were created to give California taste of Italy. Most of the canals were filled in and turned into roads as the neighborhood expanded, save for the ones left in the historic district.

Enjoy the Restaurant Scene

Venice is full of casual cool-girl restaurants, from Blue Bottle Coffee to The Butcher’s Daughter. Gjelina is also a hot spot with a great vibe, but just be aware the menu is a bit particular and they don’t make any substitutions or modifications. As in they wouldn’t even give me the lamb burger with no bun!

Let me know what you think of Venice and any other favorite places in the LA area!