William Holloway
Professor Kitty Nard
ENG 115
10 December 2013 Venice Beach: The Definitive Place of Los Angeles When many people think of Los Angeles, they have these preconceptions that Los Angeles is associated with shopping, entertainment, art, the beach, and its well-known sense of escapism it offers many people who live there. Considering this is how most of the world views Los Angeles, these are their preconceptions when they come here to visit. When foreigners come here, they tend to believe that Los Angeles is a place that is stricken with glamor and elegance. This ideology is attributed to the modern Hollywood film culture that Los Angeles is closely associated with. However, once they come here they realize that, just like most cities, Los Angeles has an upper class suburban area that is very enjoyable for those who live there, and a sketchy urban area which is not as pleasant as the well-kept suburban areas. Unfortunately, there are very few places where you can experience all of these aspects of Los Angeles. This is due to the fact that Los Angeles is a very fast paced city, which sometimes makes it difficult to experience the city the way you intended. However, Venice Beach is a place where you can experience everything Los Angeles is associated with: its shopping, entertainment, art, and the beach. Unlike most places, Venice Beach is very rare in the sense that is offers the more sophisticated side of Los Angeles, while also capturing the city’s more sketchy side as well.
Venice Beach is a very attractive place for many tourists because visiting Venice Beach allows these foreigners to experience Los Angeles, while doing it in a manner that makes it seem like a leisurely pastime. One aspect of Venice Beach that makes it so popular is its shopping. Venice Beach contains many different vendors and many different stores that offer many cheap prices. However, because of its ability to capture both the poor and the rich cultures of LA, Venice Beach also has many chic boutiques that offer options for people who have a more graceful taste. The boardwalk along Venice Beach has many vendors that are homeless as well, which is why they sell products to support their homeless lifestyle. Its important to realize Venice Beach allows a sense of escapism to people who do not have places to live because it gives homeless people a place to support their lifestyle, while also giving them a place to sleep. It’s captivating to think that Venice gives a sense of escapism to the people who are visiting and buying products off of these homeless people, while every transaction gives the homeless person this feeling because they know they will be able to eat that night and not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.
Because Venice Beach has something to offer for everyone, it is very obvious to notice the versatile diversity of people who visit Venice Beach. This is another thing that makes Venice Beach one of the definitive places of Los Angeles. Los Angeles is one of the most diverse places in the world, and you will understand why when you walk down the boardwalk of Venice Beach. Due to the many different people you see at Venice Beach, it is one of the few places that you will get to experience so many different cultures throughout the span of a mile and a half. “Another great aspect of Venice Beach is the diversity of the food you can find: South american cuisine, asian, or a simple tasty american burger!” (Los Angeles: Venice Beach Boardwalk, Trip Advisor.) In order to accommodate the many different cultures, it’s obvious that Venice offers many different types of food from around the world to make visitors feel welcome and right at home. Whether you’re from the Los Angeles or you’re visting Venice Beach from another state or country, Venice Beach always has something different to offer because there is so much diversity. You will get to experience other cultures and get a glimpseof how other cultures react to Southern California.
Venice Beach is a place where many people can be themselves and be understood, which is what attracts most people to Venice Beach. One group of people in particular is especially welcomed at Venice Beach. This group of people is marijuana users, whether they use it recreationally or as medicinally. Venice is known for its open acceptance of the marijuana culture that stems from the surrounding Los Angeles area. Although Los Angeles is somewhat known for its marijuana culture, there are not many Los Angeles areas that are as welcoming as Venice is. Venice tends to encourage marijuana use, rather than discourage it. This attributes to the idea that Venice Beach is a place where anyone can feel welcomed. Many people move to Los Angeles because of the idea that everyone is welcomed and this is also why Los Angeles is so diverse. Many people may feel threatened or discouraged in the place where they come from; Los Angeles is a place where they can be given refuge just like many of the inhabitants of Venice Beach.
However, because of these ideologies of Venice Beach, they are also the reason why some people might not be interested in going to Venice Beach. Because of the ideology that people openly smoke marijuana on the boardwalk might discourage some families from visiting who were looking to have a day out with their kids. Also, the fact that many of the Venice Beach inhabitants are homeless may be viewed as a dangerous place to many people, who would take precautions before going to Venice or even consider it. The certain ideologies that appeal to some may be the exact same reason why others might avoid Venice Beach. Although Venice Beach offers many high end boutiques for the more sophisticated population to shop, there is a possibility that these businesses will not make as much money as the others because of the ideology that Venice Beach is a sketchy place. This ideology can potentially keep the upper class population away from Venice Beach altogether. Because Venice Beach is a place that has something for everyone, and the fact that they are very accepting can also damage their image as well, because when you have too many different types of people in one place, they can begin to clash with one another. This is most likely why every time I’ve been to Venice in the afternoon or closer to dusk, I have seen a fight or an argument occurring. This is probably another reason why people don’t think Venice Beach is safe. Although, there are certain issues that are specific to Venice, there are certain issues in Venice that play a pivotal role in Los Angeles as well.
Because Venice Beach is so well-known, it plays a pivotal role in our current Los Angeles society. Because Venice Beach is such an attraction for tourists and locals, it is very beneficial to the Los Angeles economy. However, some wonder if Venice became more strict with the homeless people who inhabit Venice, if this would allow Venice to make more money. There has been talks in recent years about cracking down on the homeless people who sleep in their car overnight on the streets of Venice. “In June, the California Coastal Commission is scheduled to take public testimony before deciding whether to approve a city proposal to establish five overnight parking districts in and near Venice that would prevent people from sleeping in their vehicles.” (Lopez, Robert. “Venice Beach grapples with homelessness controversy.” Los Angeles Times. They have also arrested homeless people in recent years in an effort to help them. “For the first time, the LAPD beach curfew task force works with teams of social workers, counselors and religious representatives in an outreach effort to help the many homeless.” (Kahn, Amina. “Nearly 50 arrested in Venice Beach sweep.” Los Angeles Times.). This article shows that law enforcement make it seem like they want to help these homeless people, however I believe they are doing this to better the image of the Venice boardwalk, which could increase its revenue. Consequently, if they become stricter on the homeless population, Venice would inevitably lose its reputation as the place that is accepting to everyone. Another issue with Venice Beach is its police force not enforcing the laws that are related to marijuana. I have heard on numerous occasions that the police force in Venice does not care if you are smoking, as long as you aren’t bothering anyone. This can potentially cause the surrounding areas to be stricken with frequent marijuana use among users who do not have a prescription. This is also an issue because police should always be enforcing the law, no matter where the area is. This can cause the Venice Beach patrol to be suspended for their actions, or lack thereof.
In conclusion, Venice Beach is a place that has everything Los Angeles has to offer: the arts, the entertainment, the shopping, and the beach. This is the reason why Venice Beach is so popular among tourists and locals alike. There are not many places, if any, where you can experience the entire Los Angeles culture within the span of a mile and a half. Not only do visitors get to experience the LA culture, they get to experience the more classy side of LA and the sketchy part as well.