Venice Beach

To get the Venice Beach experience you really need to visit it on a Sunday when the crowds are out.

The boardwalk is lined with small shops selling all manner of souvenirs, 'craft' items, art, food and drink.  Stalls are set up with market-style traders selling clothing, art and the like.

You will almost certainly see street entertainers - some very good, some just plain weird!  Perhaps the funniest ones are the mimes who mimic people walking past - much to the amusement of other on-lookers.

The famous Muscle Beach (south of Windward) is where serious iron pumping is performed to the entertainment of the crowds.

Stay away from Venice Beach and vicinity at night though as it becomes a dangerous place with the local street gangs and drug dealing, even though cleaned up a bit in recent years.