California Gold: The Canals of Venice

A hot topic of conversation in certain parts of LA recently has centered on the potential secession of Venice from the city of LA. The term “Vexit” has already been bandied about.  Currently Venice is considered a neighborhood of the West side of LA. The locals are looking to their Santa Monica neighbors to the north, however, and are thinking they can operate independently as they do. The final decision probably won’t be made anytime soon but I was still looking forward to taking Frankie out to see the canals on an early Saturday morning.

The man-made canals of the Venice Canal Historic District were built in 1905 by developer and conservationist Abbot Kinney. They were a part of his Venice of America development plan. Kinney sought to recreate the appearance and feel of Venice, Italy, in Southern California.

Back in the day, the beautifully lit canals with their arched bridges and calming atmosphere drew widespread publicity and helped sell lots in the development. Today, many of the multi-million dollar houses lining the canals are jaw-dropping. It’s hard to imagine there was a stretch from the 1940s through the 1980s when some of the canals were condemned, being filled in out of disrepair, and thought of as outdated. The canals were finally renovated in 1992 and re-opened in 1993.

I allowed Frankie to walk along the sidewalks along canals on her own. While she was fascinated by the water and the bushes and the ducks, I was fascinated by the architecture. The houses cover a range of styles from Mediterranean to Colonial to Modern to Beachy.  Some were three stories high with decks at each level. Some had relaxing water fountains, marbled patios that reminded me of 5-star hotels, and wide bay windows. Contractors were already busy at a couple different houses putting in upgrades, loading up new lumber, and washing off paneling.

I couldn’t help but wonder what lines of work the owners are (or were before retirement) in. Probably some from Hollywood, others from financial or medical fields. Some were foreigners based on a few conversations I overheard. A family of Scandinavians came rowing up one of the canals past me and Frankie. They smiled and wished us a good morning with Swedish accents and broad smiles.

After getting our walking exercise, I took Frankie to a popular Venetian breakfast café called Flake. It’s small and simple, but they offer some of the best croissant sandwiches in all of LA. I ordered a Croissan-wich Jones (eggs, bacon, and cheddar) and the popular Super Cro-Jo (eggs, bacon, smoked Gouda, greens, tomato, and a zesty sauce). Both were amazing and both were around $7 each.

Venice is a unique and important piece of the LA tapestry. Whether it votes to secede from LA proper or stay probably doesn’t make much of a difference to non-Venetians as long as their borders are open for visitors to drop in, enjoy the wonderful sights, engage in commerce, sample the delicious food and art, and then be on their way. It certainly worked for me.