Americas

[Visited: June 2001 and earlier]

Los Angeles is a city stretching out for endless miles, but it also contains many smaller communities and areas which all have their own character and interest. Venice Beach is one of them. On its pier you can encounter a lot of people fishing in the Pacific. There is the wide beach where the grey oceanic waves crush and, weather permitting, surfers enjoy themselves. Perhaps the most interesting part is to walk along the boulevard.
There is a concrete beach path where you can find a lot of cyclists, runners and skaters. A great place to do sports yourself, this path continues all the way beyond Santa Monica, a little bit further north on the coast. Along the way, you can spot a large number of homeless people, sleeping with the little belongings they have. The other side of the American dream.
At the boulevard at Venice Beach, especially during a nice day you can find all kinds of weird and interesting people. Nearly all of them performing to make some money. Playing music, making sand sculptures, playing cowboy or other acts, singing, reading your hand to predict your future, inviting you to a game. Many are dressed in very noticeable clothes. This is a free market to attract as much attention as possible. Sitting on one of the terraces makes for a great viewing opportunity.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Venice Beach (United States). Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. Or click on the map above to visit more places close to Venice Beach.
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