Venice Beach: Life in Color
Named after the historic city of Venice in Italy, Venice Beach, CA is a known haven for artists, musicians, surfers, and weightlifters. Located just a stone's throw away from Hollywood, it is a residential, commercial, and recreational beachfront community situated within western Los Angeles County dubbed as the Westside. An interesting part of Venice tells about its exploratory oil industry in the 1920s when crude was discovered in the area. Much of Venice Beach's development can be accounted to Abbott Kinney, an industrialist who made a fortune in tobacco. Today, one of the city's main thoroughfares is the Abbott Kinney Boulevard that is home to stores, hotels, restaurants, bars, and art galleries like the famous Venice Beach Graffiti Walls. Venice Beach is easily accessible via Los Angeles International Airport located just 7 miles from Downtown Venice and the LGB Long Municipal Airport.
Best Time to Visit
Contrary to popular belief, Venice Beach, California doesn't have a year-round summer, although the summer season is when the crowds and smog are its thickest and the room rates at their highest. Temperatures in the summer vary but average at the high 70s. Those who are looking to avoid the crowd and score the best deals between March and May and between September and November. Tourists are least likely to go in December.
What to Do & Area Attractions
Fans of the California legend Arnold Schwarzenegger shouldn't miss dropping by Muscle Beach where he and several other weightlifters go to bulk up. Tourists can take a stroll at the Venice Beach, where the Venice Beach Graffiti Walls can be seen, Barnsdall Art Park, and Craft and Folk Art Museum to see more of the city's rich art scene. Visitors looking to be near these famous spots can choose to stay at Hotel Erwin or at the eclectic The Kinney - Venice Beach.