Venice Beach includes the beach, the promenade that runs parallel to the beach ("Ocean Front Walk" or just "the boardwalk"), Muscle Beach, the handball courts, the paddle tennis courts, Skate Dancing plaza, the numerous beach volleyball courts, the bike trail and the businesses on Ocean Front Walk. The basketball courts in Venice are renowned across the country for their high level of streetball; numerous NBA players developed their games or recruited on these courts.[7]
The pier remained closed until May 25, 2006, when it was re-opened after an engineering study concluded the pier was structurally sound.
The Venice Breakwater is an acclaimed local surf spot in Venice. It is located north of the Venice Pier and Lifeguard Headquarters, and south of the Santa Monica Pier. This spot is sheltered on the north by an artificial barrier, the breakwater, consisting of an extending sand bar, piping, and large rocks at its end.
This spot has differing breaks depending on swell intensity, swell direction, tide and time of the day.
Downtown Venice
The areas along Abbot Kinney and Grand Boulevards and Main Street form the traditional downtown of Venice. During the 1920s and 1930s, the area's nightlife was quite active, with thousands of Angelenos arriving every night by streetcar. (Before he burst onto the national scene, Benny Goodman had a brief residence as a bandleader in Venice). Nightlife boomed again in the late 1960s as the area became a center of hippie culture. Since the late 1990s, downtown Venice has been especially popular, with many bars, nightclubs, art galleries, and edgy apparel shops occupying both its older brick and Art Deco storefronts and hyper-modern glass facades.
Oakwood
The Oakwood neighborhood of Venice, also known as Ghost Town and the "Oakwood Pentagon", which lies inland a few blocks from the tourist areas, is one of the few historically African American areas of in West Los Angeles, although Latinos have comprised the overwhelming majority of the residents. During the age of restrictive covenants that enforced racial segregation, Oakwood was set aside as a settlement area for blacks, who came by the hundreds to Venice to work in the oil fields during the 1930s and 1940s. After the construction of the San Diego Freeway passed through predominantly Mexican and immigrant communities, they moved further west and into Oakwood. Whites moved in or around Oakwood during the 1980s and 1990s.
The Venice Shoreline Crips and the Latino Venice 13 gang, which are under a shaky truce, continue to remain active in Venice. By 2002, numbers of gang members in Oakwood were reduced due to gentrification and increased police presence. According to a Los Angeles City Beat article, by 2003, many Los Angeles Westside gang members resettled in the city of Inglewood.[8]
Near the end of the 20th century, gentrification has greatly altered Oakwood. Although still a primarily Latino and African-American neighborhood, the neighborhood is in flux. According to Los Angeles City Beat,[9] "In Venice, the transformation is....obvious. Homes are fetching sometimes more than $1 million, and homies are being displaced every day." Author John Brodie challenges the idea of gentrification causing change and commented "...the gunplay of the Shoreline Crips and the V-13 is as much a part of life in Venice as pit bulls playing with blond Labs at the local dog park."[10] Xinachtli, a Latino student group from Venice High School and subset of MEChA, refers to Oakwood as one of last beachside communities of color in California. Chicanos and Latinos of any race comprise over 50% of Venice High School's student body.[11]
East Venice
East Venice is a racially and ethnically mixed, residential neighborhood of Venice that is separated from Oakwood and Milwood (the area south of Oakwood) by Lincoln Boulevard, extending east to the border with Mar Vista, near Venice High School. Aside from the commercial strip on Lincoln (including the Venice Boys and Girls Club and the Venice United Methodist Church), the area almost entirely consists of small homes and apartments as well as Penmar Park and (bordering Santa Monica) Penmar Golf Course. The existing population (primarily composed of Caucasians, Hispanics, and Asians, with small numbers of other groups) is being supplemented by new arrivals who have moved in with gentrification.
A housing project, Lincoln Place, was built nearby by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles to accommodate GI's returning from the war and in need of affordable housing. It later came to house working class families. Lincoln Place is currently in the midst of an extensive legal battle between past and present tenants and the owner, AIMCO. The developer, which acquired the property in 2003, plans to demolish it and build a mixed-use condominium and retail structure on the site. Only 13 tenants remain, all of them elderly or disabled.
Notable residents and businesses
Venice has always been known as a hangout for the creative and the artistic. In the 1950s and 60s, Venice became a center for the Beat generation. There was an explosion of poetry and art. Major participants included Stuart Perkoff, John Thomas, Frank T. Rios, Tony Scibella, Lawrence Lipton, John Haag, Saul White, Robert Farrington and Philomene Long.
Prominent residents of Venice include artist Greg Colson, writer Russell T. Davies, singer Brandon Boyd, actresses Julia Roberts, Anna Paquin, Kate Beckinsale, Valeria Andrews, Lana Clarkson and Anjelica Huston, actors Tom Conway (brother of actor George Sanders), lived here in the 1960s, Nicolas Cage, Stephen Moyer, Chaney Kley, Tim Meadows, Robert Hegyes, Mark Valley, Michael T. Weiss, Fairuza Balk, Taylor Negron, artist Martha Alf, and musicians Perry Farrell, Evidence of Dilated Peoples, Saint John of Saint John and the Revelations, Joshua Kadison, John Lydon (who owns a sizeable amount of rental property in Venice), Ozzy Lusth from Survivor, architect Lawrence Scarpa, John Frusciante, ex guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tommy Mars of the Frank Zappa band, Fiona Apple and Mike Muir and most of his Suicidal Tendencies bandmates. Photographer Lauren Greenfield has lived in Venice since 1972.
Actor Robert Downey, Jr. kept an apartment on the boardwalk during the 1990s. Harding Avenue is also where The Lennon Sisters of Lawrence Welk fame grew up. Jim Morrison lived in Venice for two years where he met Ray Manzarek to form the nucleus of The Doors. Arnold Schwarzenegger's acting career began after becoming a regular bodybuilder at Venice's famous Gold's Gym, whose present facility claims to be "The Mecca of Bodybuilding." Restaurateur Wolfgang Puck has owned and operated noted eateries in the area since the 1990s. Other notables include actors Viggo Mortensen, Rutger Hauer, Bryan Callen, and Elijah Wood, and film directors Vadim Perelman, Henry Jaglom and Paul Mazursky. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Host Ty Pennington both resides and owns his own Home Decor store in Venice. For many years, pro wrestlers Hulk Hogan and Sting were announced as residing in Venice Beach as well. Standup comedians, such as Nick Swardson, Eddie Ifft, Paul Provenza, George Carlin and Zach Galifianakis and street performers have proliferated in Venice, Wavy Gravy and Swami X being two of the more recent hippie busker alumni. Political contributions have been sent from homes in Venice from the actor Dennis Hopper and Simpsons creator Matt Groening. South Park co-creator Matt Stone lives in Venice as well.[12] Harry Perry, the famous street entertainer, is one of the boardwalk's key performers. Photographer Helen K. Garber maintains a studio on Ocean Front Walk. Graffiti/Street Artist and painter Jean-Michel Basquiat lived in Venice in the 80's. Immature, an R&B group from the 1990s, used to perform on the boardwalk prior to becoming famous. Other notable residents included comedian George Carlin.
TNA professional wrestlers Hulk Hogan and Sting are billed as being from Venice Beach, CA. However they actually hail from Tampa, Florida and Omaha, Nebraska respectively.
Venice is today a vibrant area of Southern California and it continues a tradition of progressive social change involving prominent Westsiders. The Venice Family Clinic is the largest free clinic in the country. The Venice Community Housing Corporation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the economic, racial and social diversity of Venice and the surrounding area, provides affordable housing, economic and community development opportunities and needed social services to low income residents. Women in Recovery, Inc., a non-profit organization offering a live-in, 12-step program of rehabilitation for women in need, was founded by a longtime resident of Venice, Sister Ada Geraghty. Geraghty and her organization on Coeur D' Alene Avenue annually honor those who've made a difference in helping women overcome substance abuse problems. The 2006 honoree for Women in Recovery was Christopher Lawford; past honorees have included Jamie Lee Curtis, Angela Lansbury, and Anthony Hopkins.
Los Angeles County Lifeguards
Venice Beach is the headquarters of the Lifeguard Division of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It is located at 2300 Ocean Front Walk. It is the nation's largest ocean lifeguard organization with over 200 full-time and 700 part-time or seasonal lifeguards. The headquarter building used to be the City of Los Angeles Lifeguard Headquarters until Los Angeles City and Santa Monica Lifeguards were merged into the County in 1975. The department is commonly referred to by Angelenos as Baywatch Lifeguards.
The Los Angeles County Lifeguards safeguard 31 miles (50 km) of beach and 70 miles (110 km) of coastline, from San Pedro in the south, to Malibu in the north. Lifeguards also provide Paramedic and rescue boat services to Catalina Island, with operations out of Avalon and the Isthmus.
Lifeguard Division employs 120 full-time and 600 seasonal lifeguards, operating out of three Sectional Headquarters, located in Hermosa, Santa Monica, and Zuma beach. Each of these headquarters staffs a 24-hour EMT-D response unit, and are part of the 911 system. In addition to providing for beach safety, Los Angeles County Lifeguards have specialized training for Baywatch rescue boat operations, underwater rescue and recovery, swiftwater rescue, cliff rescue, marine mammal rescue and marine firefighting.
Government and infrastructure
Local government
The Los Angeles Fire Department operates Station 63, which serves Venice.
Los Angeles Police Department operates the Pacific Community Police Station at 12312 Culver Boulevard, 90066, serving the neighborhood.[13]
County, state and federal representation
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services SPA 5 West Area Health Office serves Venice.[14]
The United States Postal Service operates the Venice Post Office at 1601 Main Street and the Venice Carrier Annex at 313 Grand Boulevard.[15][16]
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Public schools
Venice is served by many Los Angeles Unified School District schools. The area is within Board District 4.[17] As of 2009 Steve Zimmer represents the district.[18]
The neighborhood is served by Coeur d'Alene Avenue Elementary School and Westminster Avenue Elementary School. Students go on to Mark Twain Middle School. High school students attend Venice High School, which is actually in Venice rather than, as many believe, in the adjacent neighborhood of Mar Vista.
[edit] Private schools
Saint Mark Elementary School is a private school in the area.
[edit] Public libraries
Los Angeles Public Library operates the Venice - Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch.[19]
Parks and recreation
The Venice Beach Recreation Center is in Venice. The center includes unlighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, unlighted handball courts, unlighted tennis courts, and unlighted volleyball courts.[20] The Westminster Off-Leash Dog Park is in Venice.[21]
The Oakwood Recreation Center is in Venice. The center, which also acts as a Los Angeles Police Department stop-in center, includes an auditorium, an unlighted baseball diamond, lighted indoor basketball courts, unlighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, a community room, a lighted American football field, an indoor gymnasium without weights, picnic tables, and an unlighted soccer (football) field.[22]
Venice in the media
Dozens of movies and hundreds of television shows have used locations in Venice, including its beach, its pleasure piers, the canals and colonnades, the boardwalk, the high school, even a particular hamburger stand.[23] Various Venice venues are visible in this list of selected media:
Film
- 1914- Kid Auto Races at Venice (Charlie Chaplin)
- 1921- The High Sign (Buster Keaton) The High 'Sign' at the Internet Movie Database
- 1923- The Balloonatic (Buster Keaton) The Balloonatic at the Internet Movie Database
- 1927- Sugar Daddies (Laurel and Hardy)
- 1928- The Circus (Charlie Chaplin)
- 1928- The Cameraman (Buster Keaton) The Cameraman at the Internet Movie Database
- 1933- Fish Hooky - Our Gang Comedies (Little Rascals) Fish Hooky at the Internet Movie Database
- 1935- Dante's Inferno (Spencer Tracy, Claire Trevor)
- 1950- Quicksand, (Mickey Rooney, Jeanne Cagney, Peter Lorre)
- 1958- Touch of Evil (Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Orson Welles director) - Venice is used for lonely Mexican town.
- 1961- Night Tide (Dennis Hopper, Linda Lawson, written and directed by Curtis Harrington) - Shot entirely in Venice and shows the deteriorated nature of the area in the 1950s.
- 1964- Inside Daisy Clover (Robert Redford, Natalie Wood, Christopher Plummer)
- 1966- The Wild Angels (Peter Fonda, Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Dern)
- 1966- Blood Bath (William Campbell, Sid Haig)
- 1968- I Love You, Alice B. Toklas (Peter Sellers) I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! at the Internet Movie Database
- 1971- The Outside Man (Ann-Margret)
- 1972- Cisco Pike (Kris Kristofferson, Gene Hackman, Karen Black) - Kristofferson, playing a small-time drug dealer living on Ocean Front walk, gets involved with a crooked cop, played by Hackman. Climax on the beach.
- 1976- Mother, Jugs & Speed (Bill Cosby, Raquel Welch, Harvey Keitel) Mother, Jugs and Speed! at the Internet Movie Database Dark comedy about the Fishbine Ambulance Company, dealing with social issues of the day, great cameos of Venice, located at 425 Rose Ave., now the Venice Ranch Market.
- 1978- Grease (John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John) - Venice High is the setting for Rydell High.
- 1979- Roller Boogie (Linda Blair)
- 1980- The Jazz Singer (Neil Diamond)
- 1980- Xanadu (Olivia Newton-John)
- 1983- Breathless (Richard Gere)
- 1984- Breakin'
- 1984- Weekend Pass
- 1985- The Falcon and the Snowman (Sean Penn, Timothy Hutton)
- 1986- Cobra - Sylvester Stallones character lives off the boardwalk
- 1986- Roller Blade (Skate or Die! Venice Beach skaters.)
- 1986- Thrashin' - The skaters visit Venice Beach throughout the movie.
- 1988- Colors (Sean Penn, Robert Duvall) - The scene with C.R.A.S.H. officers arresting High Top.
- 1991- The Doors (Val Kilmer, directed by Oliver Stone)
- 1991- L.A. Story (Steve Martin, Sarah Jessica Parker)
- 1992- White Men Can't Jump (Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson) - The pickup games were set at the public courts, but filmed in a doubled location in a Venice beachside parking lot.
- 1993- Falling Down (Michael Douglas) - Final scenes are on Venice Pier, closed at the time but since repaired.
- 1993- GIFT (Perry Farrell)
- 1993- Point of No Return (Bridget Fonda) - Lead character moves into an apartment on Venice Beach.
- 1994- Clean Slate - Maurice Pogue lives in a (fictitious) apartment on the Boardwalk; noted Venice muralist Rip Cronk also appears.
- 1994- Monkey Trouble
- 1994- Speed (Keanu Reeves) - The first bus explosion occurs in Venice (in front of The Firehouse at Main and Rose), as referenced later on in the film.
- 1995- Strange Days
- 1995- The Net (Sandra Bullock)
- 1996- Romeo + Juliet - set in a fictional "Verona Beach", very similar to Venice Beach.
- 1997- Romy and Michele's High School Reunion - Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) live in a Venice boardwalk apartment, whence they journey back to their hometown.
- 1998- American History X
- 1998- The Big Lebowski - The Dude, (Jeff Bridges) lives in Venice, as can be seen from the address listed on the check he signs at the beginning of the movie.
- 2000- Bounce - Buddy (Ben Affleck) stays at an Ocean Front Walk property overlooking volleyball courts.
- 2001- Dogtown and Z-Boys
- 2003- Hollywood Homicide - Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett chase Kurupt through the neighborhoods of Venice.
- 2003- Thirteen
- 2004- 2Pac: Resurrection - 2pac does an interview with MTV's Tabitha Soren on the Venice boardwalk.
- 2004- Million Dollar Baby - The lead character works at the On The Waterfront Cafe, runs along the water on the beach and the Venice Pier can be seen in two scenes. Also, the church Clint Eastwood's character attends is St. Mark Catholic Church in Venice.
- 2005- Monster-in-Law opening scene takes place in Venice and parts of the movie also.
- 2005- Kiss Kiss Bang Bang House of one of the main characters.
- 2005- Lords of Dogtown
- 2006- Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
- 2007- Because I Said So
- 2007- Smiley Face
- 2007- Wild Hogs
- 2008- Southland Tales
- 2008- Disfigured
- 2008- Drillbit Taylor
- 2008- Role Models
- 2009- I Love You, Man
- 2010- StarStruck - Sterling Knight's character goes on a beachwalk with his love interest, Danielle Campbell's character at Venice Beach.
- 2010- Valentine's Day - Ashton Kutcher's character lives in a house overlooking the Venice Canal.
Television
- Adam-12
- Beverly Hills, 90210
- CHiPs
- The L Word
- MADtv (for Lorraine visits the beach)
- Simon & Simon
- Baywatch (shot at various beaches around Los Angeles)
- Pacific Blue
- The A-Team
- The Real World: Los Angeles The $2 million (1993 dollars), three-story, 6,000-square-foot (560 m2), four bedroom, four bathroom house is located in Venice Beach on 30th Avenue, one block east of the beach.
- Huff
- Freakazoid! (An episode with Vorn the Unspeakable featured Venice Beach as a haven for weirdos, and many jokes were made about the residents' strangeness)
- Three's Company (The opening titles for the first three seasons of the show were taped here.)
- Gilmore Girls Jess comes to live with his father. His father owns a hot dog stand there.
- Just Legal was based in Venice and starred Don Johnson as a lawyer.
- Rob & Big In one episode, Rob Dyrdek and Big Black visit the crowded Venice Beach for "Go Skateboarding Day" where they meet a skateboarding dog and his owner.
- One On One (Season 5 only)
- The Rookies
- Starsky and Hutch
- 24 Season 6
- Alias It is revealed in the fifth season that Sydney Bristow resides in Venice.
- The X-Files Season 7 - Episode 151 - X-COPS: The city name used was 'Willow Park' but this entire episode was filmed in Venice, CA, primarily on the avenues of Sunset, Rose, 4th and Electric.
- Yo! MTV Raps(1989)-The whole episode is shot in Venice co-hosted by N.W.A.
- South Park 2007 episode "Night of the Living Homeless" ends with shots of Venice and a parody song with lyrics, "…city of Venice; Right by Matt's house, you can chill if you're homeless."
- Californication (2007) - Main character Hank Moody's daughter and ex-girlfriend live in Venice. Several characteristic places and marks of the district, such as the Ballerina Clown, the Venice letter sign, the canals, and the beach, are seen in establishing location shots, the opening credits intro video, and some scenes.
- Wipeout (2008) - season ending episode was filmed at Venice Beach.
- FlashForward- pilot episode "No More Good Days"
- Entourage
- NCIS: Los Angeles -G. Callen's neighborhood, seen in episode 1x23 "Burned"
- Victorious - The episode "Survival of the Hottest" is set in Venice Beach.
- The Hills