• Introduction
• Downtown
• Venice
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Venice

A famously eccentric enclave stays true to its roots while gaining an upscale edge.

Ever since tobacco-mogul Abbot Kinney won dibs in 1891 on this beachfront plot just south of Santa Monica (in a coin toss, no less), iconoclasts and eccentrics have found a safe haven here. Kinney’s idea to turn the marshy parcel into a resort town inspired by Venice, Italy—with canals, Venetian-style buildings, and amusement piers with dancers, singers, and magicians—was definitely a highly personal vision. Although fires eventually ravaged the town in 1920 and the piers were dismantled in the 1940s, the street performers stuck around. That tradition continues today on the boardwalk, where you can gawk at the real-life circus of disco-dancing Rollerbladers, Speedo-sporting bodybuilders, bongo-banging freaks, scary mimes, and militant vegans.

But personal expression in this perfectly walkable area isn’t limited to the beach. The plethora of independently owned design shops, clothing boutiques, and art galleries that have sprung up in recent years on the aptly named Abbot Kinney Boulevard form the center of this area’s recent upscale makeover. “My shop wouldn’t survive anywhere else in LA,” says Michael Deyermond, co-owner of Equator Books on Abbot Kinney (1103 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310/399-5544, equatorbooks.com), a store that carries out-of-print, first edition, and rare books. “Here, businesses succeed because they are products of the owner’s singular vision; ones that aren’t, fail.”

The Abbot Kinney district runs for about 1.5 miles between Main Street and Washington Boulevard. You won’t be able to leave A+R without something; they carry items not found anywhere else, such as cutouts by German woodworker Sarah Finn (1121 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310/392-9128, aplusrstore.com). The Japanese shop Tortoise imports one-of-a-kind vintage items, kitchenware, and ceramics, all with a simple, modern design. The husband-and-wife team who own it just opened a second location for larger furniture a few doors down (1208 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310/314-8448; new furniture location at 1342 1/2 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310/396-7335, tortoiselife.com).

Altered Space Gallery sells unique furniture (some by master craftsman Richard Patterson), jewelry, and “nonfunctional” art (1221 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310/452-8121, alteredspacegallery.com). Furniture designer Elizabeth Paige Smith Atleier just opened a garden gallery-atelier that showcases her own MOCA–worthy designs and works of fellow local artist friends (By appointment only; 310/392-8060, elizabethpaigesmith.com). This summer, longtime Venetian Sandro Gebert launched the imposing contemporary art space Gebert Gallery, which seems out of place next to the more homespun spots but is worth a look (1345 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310/450-9897, gebertgallery.com).

Take a break from shopping with a walk along the remaining canals, now lined with vintage bungalows and multimillion-dollar concept homes. Park near Venice Boulevard and Pacific Avenue and meander through this lovely, hidden universe.

Back on the main drag, you’ll find newer watering holes, like the low-key wine and beer lounge The Otheroom (1201 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310/396-6230, theotheroom.com), and old haunts, like art-filled Hal’s Bar & Grill (1349 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; entrées from $13; 310/396-3105, halsbarandgrill.com), both places where shopkeepers and gallerists go after work. Stop at Jin Patisserie for exquisite desserts and Asian teas (1202 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 310/399-8801, jinpatisserie.com), and The Farmacy for herb-enhanced organic gelato and medical marijuana . . . if you have your prescription handy (1509 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; 323/848-7981, medicalmarijuanafarmacy.com/farmacy/splash.html). For brunch, try the 3 Square Café + Bakery for delicious German apple pancakes (1121 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; entrées from $10; 310/399-6504, rockenwagner.com), or Axe (pronounced ah-shay), for organic eats like grilled figs with goat cheese (1009 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; entrées from $20; 310/664-9787, axerestaurant.com).

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better deal than the three-course, $18 prix-fixe lunch at Joe’s Restaurant (1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd.; entrées from $26; 310/399-5811, joesrestaurant.com). Even after 18 years in business, it’s still a task to get a table at Chaya Venice, where everyone from movie moguls to artists go for the surf and turf (110 Navy St.; 310/396-1179, thechaya.com). Beechwood is a gorgeous place that serves dressed-up comfort food (822 W.Washington Blvd.; entrées from $16; 310/448-8884, beechwoodrestaurant.com). A bit off the beaten track is Piccolo Ristorante, a seriously great northern Italian spot (5 Dudley Ave.; entrées from $17; 310/314-3222, piccolovenice.com).

Despite all its attractions, Venice is sorely lacking in hotels. Luckily, Santa Monica is only a few minutes away. Along the beach, striped awnings announce the posh but casual Shutters, where some suites have fireplaces for rare cold nights (1 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica; from $490/night; 310/458-0030, shuttersonthebeach.com). Next door is the stately Hotel Casa del Mar, where remnants of its past as a 1920s private beach club are felt in the grand marble lobby (1910 Ocean Way, Santa Monica; from $520/night; 310/581-5533, hotel casadelmar.com). Across the street from the beach is the Viceroy Santa Monica, designed in a vibrant Hollywood Regency style (1819 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica; from $399/night; 310/260-7500, viceroysantamonica.com). Service here is top-notch, though the poolside bar scene takes over on weekend nights. Ask for an oceanview room on a top floor. Two blocks inland is the 18-floor Huntley, where a recent chic reinvention brought stylish Japanese Deco to the rooms, and the Penthouse restaurant, with jaw-dropping panoramic views of Venice, Hollywood, and Malibu (1111 2nd St., Santa Monica; from $419/night; 310/394-5454, thehuntleyhotel.com).

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