Quiet residential district built around a system of man-made canals, a serene pocket of LA just blocks from the ocean. The pedestrian-only walkways cross arched footbridges, winding past lush private gardens and eclectic homes.
My weekends are split between beach runs and taco trucks.
The Venice Canal Historic District is what remains of Abbot Kinney’s ambitious 1905 plan to build a ‘Venice of America’ just a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean. This residential neighborhood is built around a grid of six man-made canals – four running east-west and two running north-south – all connected by a series of nine arched footbridges. The whole area is for pedestrians only; you navigate it on concrete walkways that run directly alongside the water, separating the private homes from the canals themselves. As you walk, the main view is of the houses and their gardens. The architecture is a complete mix, with original century-old Craftsman bungalows sitting right next to large, modern homes with clean lines and walls of glass. Many properties have unique, lush gardens that spill right up to the edge of the public path, creating a serene and picturesque environment that feels completely removed from the rest of the city. The water itself is calm and serves as a designated wildlife preserve, so you’ll see plenty of ducks, egrets, and herons. After decades of neglect, the canals were completely drained and rebuilt in the early 1990s, restoring the walkways and walls. Today, the water level is maintained by tidal gates connected to the Marina del Rey, which flush the system with ocean water twice a week. A casual loop around the main canals takes about thirty minutes, and it’s common to see people out on the water in kayaks or on paddleboards. The hour just before sunset is a particularly good time to visit, when the light is best. Street parking in the surrounding neighborhood can be difficult to find, but the pedestrian paths are highlighted in green on most digital maps, which helps with navigation.
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