Postcard from Venice Canals
If there was one thing that completed surprised me in the best possible way on my recent trip to Los Angeles, it was the Venice Canals. A few LA locals had recommended checking them out, so when the friends we were staying with suggested a bike ride through the Venice Canals on the way to Santa Monica beach, I was totally in–even though I really had no idea what to expect. Once we arrived, I was absolutely blown away: it’s this completely idyllic oasis that seems SO FAR from the honking horns and bumper-to-bumper traffic of the rest of Los Angeles. The kayaks on the water and the flowering backyards and adorably quaint (and some mega-modern) houses all seem so bucolic, something that you’d expect more in a remote lake-house community than just a few blocks from the raucous Venice Beach scene. 
I did a little research after the trip, and what I discovered made me even more enamoured: the Venice canals were developed in 1905 as a way to recreate the appearance and feel of Venice, Italy! The beautifully lit canals even had gondoliers and arched bridges back in the day, and they were an instant hit with the community. Alas, the automobile came along and many canals were filled with concrete to create roads for cars and fell into disrepair through most of the late 20th century. However, they were renovated and rejuvenated in the early 1990s–and it’s now an incredibly beautiful historic residential district in Venice. Totally 100% worth a visit next time you’re in LA.
What’s your favorite photo of the Venice Canals?
