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November 3, 2005 6:49 AM Subscribe
Things to do in Venice Beach, CA.
I'm in LA for two nights, staying in what is possibly a shabby hotel on Admiralty Way in Marina del Rey, without a rental car. Where to go? What to see? Where to eat? Places to avoid wr to personal safety?
Bonus points for good tips on how to get to MdR without being fleeced by a cabbie. Thank you.
I'm in LA for two nights, staying in what is possibly a shabby hotel on Admiralty Way in Marina del Rey, without a rental car. Where to go? What to see? Where to eat? Places to avoid wr to personal safety?
Bonus points for good tips on how to get to MdR without being fleeced by a cabbie. Thank you.
Best answer: Some of the best street basketball on the planet. Great for people-watching also.
posted by neilkod at 8:09 AM on November 3, 2005
posted by neilkod at 8:09 AM on November 3, 2005
Best answer: I walk with my 4 year old child all over Venice and have yet to feel unsafe, during the daytime. At night, stick to the Santa Monica side of Venice, if you are alone. Venice has gangs, but they generally bother each other rather than bystanders.
The Venice Beach boardwalk is just amazing to walk all over. The pickup basketball and handball games are pretty interesting to watch; there are a million tiny weird stores; and it's eyeopening to see a bunch of people who are quite happy with the way they are.
The Sidewalk Cafe on the Venice Beach boardwalk is a tourist must. Decent food, and you can sit and watch the world go by. It's also centrally located in the middle of the boardwalk, and has a fairly clean bathroom in the back.
The Santa Monica Pier is a cute little carnival with a roller coaster and ferris wheel; definitely give that a go. The roller coaster is very tame but gives you a nice view.
Bring a jacket to the beach this time of the year.
Cabs are simply ridiculously expensive in LA and there's nothing you can do about it. That said, there's no easy way for a cabbie to fleece you going between Venice/SM and Marina del Rey.
Depending on your age and predilections, LA has everything for you and then some. What kind of person are you?
posted by felix at 8:26 AM on November 3, 2005
The Venice Beach boardwalk is just amazing to walk all over. The pickup basketball and handball games are pretty interesting to watch; there are a million tiny weird stores; and it's eyeopening to see a bunch of people who are quite happy with the way they are.
The Sidewalk Cafe on the Venice Beach boardwalk is a tourist must. Decent food, and you can sit and watch the world go by. It's also centrally located in the middle of the boardwalk, and has a fairly clean bathroom in the back.
The Santa Monica Pier is a cute little carnival with a roller coaster and ferris wheel; definitely give that a go. The roller coaster is very tame but gives you a nice view.
Bring a jacket to the beach this time of the year.
Cabs are simply ridiculously expensive in LA and there's nothing you can do about it. That said, there's no easy way for a cabbie to fleece you going between Venice/SM and Marina del Rey.
Depending on your age and predilections, LA has everything for you and then some. What kind of person are you?
posted by felix at 8:26 AM on November 3, 2005
Best answer: I don't know what two days you are going, but there is a farmer's market that goes on Main Street (in the square by the Gap) on Sundays. Good food, lots of flowers, lots of people, sometimes music.
Abbot Kinney street has a lot of furniture/antique stores that are surprisingly fun to explore. There is also an awesome pizza place on one of the corners.
posted by like_neon at 8:39 AM on November 3, 2005
Abbot Kinney street has a lot of furniture/antique stores that are surprisingly fun to explore. There is also an awesome pizza place on one of the corners.
posted by like_neon at 8:39 AM on November 3, 2005
Say hi to my sister for me? But seriously, as everyone pointed out, there is just an amazing amount of stuff to do,what are your interests?
posted by KirTakat at 8:44 AM on November 3, 2005
posted by KirTakat at 8:44 AM on November 3, 2005
Hey neilkod: Is there a good reason why that "venice beach basketball" link tries to install Microsoft Office on my computer?
posted by StickyCarpet at 8:45 AM on November 3, 2005
posted by StickyCarpet at 8:45 AM on November 3, 2005
Best answer: Chairman Mao's for cheap chinese food, and the burrito shop on the corner down the street from C & O is supposed to be good. Abbot Kinney between Venice and Main is good for people watching, and the pizza at Abbot's is great. Alioto's on Lincoln is a touch out of the way, but I prefer the food there to C & O, although the ambience is negligible. On preview, if you are there for the Farmer's Market, I would try to get there.
posted by mzurer at 8:55 AM on November 3, 2005
posted by mzurer at 8:55 AM on November 3, 2005
StickyCarpet: I have no idea - i tried it on firefox (win2k) and safari (10.4.2) and both were fine.
posted by neilkod at 9:04 AM on November 3, 2005
posted by neilkod at 9:04 AM on November 3, 2005
I also fired up IE on this w2k box and the link was also fine.
posted by neilkod at 9:05 AM on November 3, 2005
posted by neilkod at 9:05 AM on November 3, 2005
Best answer: Are you traveling with kids? You really can't go wrong traipsing around on the boardwalk during the day, either way. It's a lot of fun.
If you go to the C&O, go around 7:30. I haven't been there in years (I live in Boston now), but I think it's at 8pm that everybody sings "That's Amore" and it's a fun little experience. There's house chianti there on the honor system, just get up and grab a glass and then make a tick mark on your table with a crayon (at least.. that was the way it worked about four years ago).
Main Street covers north venice and south Santa Monica with lots of cute little restaurants and shops to check out. Unfortunately in the past 10-15 years it's lost some of it's charm, you could stop for some cheap but good pizza at Wildflower on Main Street. The Rose Cafe off of Rose & Main in Venice is an excellent (although a little overpriced) piece of the old-school west-side LA experience, great for a small breakfast or light lunch.
Up Rose on the corner of Lincoln Blvd. is La Cabana, a mexican restaurant which is open late ('til 3AM!) and they have incredible hand-made corn tortillas. Or there's Casablanca across the street, which is a weird little theme restaurant which has excellent flour tortillas.
If you want a little more of the classic LA glam experience without jumping over to Melrose or Hollywood or West LA, check out Abbot Kinney blvd, it's just a quick walk up the road from the boardwalk, for some interesting shops and snootier restaurants. Nearer to the boardwalk there's a restaurant called James Beach. I haven't been there since the late '90s, but I remember it was very "LA" (which is why I never went back!).
Marina Del Rey is not great with the public transportation, but if you take a cab to Venice or Santa Monica, you can get around the west side pretty easily with the Big Blue Bus, it's the most excellent bus system in LA, cheap and easy. The TIDE shuttle costs 25 cents and I think it's primarily for tourists, it takes you from Venice to the 3rd Street Promenade, it's a big 'ol indoor/outdoor mall, but it's a big one and interesting if you're into that sorta thing.
In Marina Del Rey (close to your hotel), there's also the excellent Killer Shrimp, the food there is SO good, a giant bowl of shrimp in a butter sauce with bread, and a Corona, and all is right with the world. I think it'll set you back about $15.
If you like art, there's Bergamot Station in northern Santa Monica, you can get there on the big blue bus, and it's a neat collection of galleries. It's a little tucked out of the way so definitely check your map.
Unfortunately, public transportation from the west side to the rest of Los Angeles blows in the very worst way. If you take a cab out to Hollywood you can get to Downtown LA easily with the red line, if you're interested in spending the day out that way. If you go downtown, I highly recommend Olvera Street, get some taquitos at El Cielito Lindo and check out their awesome candle shop, then hop across the street and check out Union Station. Be warned that most of Hollywood is a giant tourist trap, and might not be worth your time. If you want to check out Melrose or the Sunset Strip, you'll need to take a cab.
Avoid Westwood, Culver City and The Valley.
I am so homesick right now it's not even funny. Have a great time!
posted by pazazygeek at 9:15 AM on November 3, 2005
If you go to the C&O, go around 7:30. I haven't been there in years (I live in Boston now), but I think it's at 8pm that everybody sings "That's Amore" and it's a fun little experience. There's house chianti there on the honor system, just get up and grab a glass and then make a tick mark on your table with a crayon (at least.. that was the way it worked about four years ago).
Main Street covers north venice and south Santa Monica with lots of cute little restaurants and shops to check out. Unfortunately in the past 10-15 years it's lost some of it's charm, you could stop for some cheap but good pizza at Wildflower on Main Street. The Rose Cafe off of Rose & Main in Venice is an excellent (although a little overpriced) piece of the old-school west-side LA experience, great for a small breakfast or light lunch.
Up Rose on the corner of Lincoln Blvd. is La Cabana, a mexican restaurant which is open late ('til 3AM!) and they have incredible hand-made corn tortillas. Or there's Casablanca across the street, which is a weird little theme restaurant which has excellent flour tortillas.
If you want a little more of the classic LA glam experience without jumping over to Melrose or Hollywood or West LA, check out Abbot Kinney blvd, it's just a quick walk up the road from the boardwalk, for some interesting shops and snootier restaurants. Nearer to the boardwalk there's a restaurant called James Beach. I haven't been there since the late '90s, but I remember it was very "LA" (which is why I never went back!).
Marina Del Rey is not great with the public transportation, but if you take a cab to Venice or Santa Monica, you can get around the west side pretty easily with the Big Blue Bus, it's the most excellent bus system in LA, cheap and easy. The TIDE shuttle costs 25 cents and I think it's primarily for tourists, it takes you from Venice to the 3rd Street Promenade, it's a big 'ol indoor/outdoor mall, but it's a big one and interesting if you're into that sorta thing.
In Marina Del Rey (close to your hotel), there's also the excellent Killer Shrimp, the food there is SO good, a giant bowl of shrimp in a butter sauce with bread, and a Corona, and all is right with the world. I think it'll set you back about $15.
If you like art, there's Bergamot Station in northern Santa Monica, you can get there on the big blue bus, and it's a neat collection of galleries. It's a little tucked out of the way so definitely check your map.
Unfortunately, public transportation from the west side to the rest of Los Angeles blows in the very worst way. If you take a cab out to Hollywood you can get to Downtown LA easily with the red line, if you're interested in spending the day out that way. If you go downtown, I highly recommend Olvera Street, get some taquitos at El Cielito Lindo and check out their awesome candle shop, then hop across the street and check out Union Station. Be warned that most of Hollywood is a giant tourist trap, and might not be worth your time. If you want to check out Melrose or the Sunset Strip, you'll need to take a cab.
Avoid Westwood, Culver City and The Valley.
I am so homesick right now it's not even funny. Have a great time!
posted by pazazygeek at 9:15 AM on November 3, 2005
Best answer: I live in Venice beach, right off of the boardwalk. As long as you stay off of the beach after dark(not that I do) you will be completely safe anywhere in the Venice/MDR area.
All of the above suggestions are great.
I second Abbot Kinney and Main St - lots of great restaurants and cafes. If you want to meet for a game of cards or Scrabble in a cafe, email me :)
If the weather's OK, rent a bike - best way to see the area. If you're in the mood for a longer but easy ride, it takes about an hour to leisurely bike south along the beach to Manhattan beach on the bike path (known as The Strand), which is one of my favorite things to do with visitors.
posted by gregariousrecluse at 10:14 AM on November 3, 2005
All of the above suggestions are great.
I second Abbot Kinney and Main St - lots of great restaurants and cafes. If you want to meet for a game of cards or Scrabble in a cafe, email me :)
If the weather's OK, rent a bike - best way to see the area. If you're in the mood for a longer but easy ride, it takes about an hour to leisurely bike south along the beach to Manhattan beach on the bike path (known as The Strand), which is one of my favorite things to do with visitors.
posted by gregariousrecluse at 10:14 AM on November 3, 2005
Best answer: Abbot Kinney all the way - and you can grab a good beer at the Other Room.
posted by guruguy9 at 11:25 AM on November 3, 2005
posted by guruguy9 at 11:25 AM on November 3, 2005
Best answer: All good suggestions above, and check out this recent thread on things to do in Santa Monica.
Easiest way to get from LAX to Admiralty Way -- which is not far at all -- is to tell the cabbie you're going to "the Marina" and to take Lincoln. (That's really the only way, but at least you'll sound in the know.) If you want cheap, take a free C shuttle bus from any terminal to the airport transit center, then transfer to Big Blue Bus (Santa Monica) #3, which travels along Lincoln. Ask your hotel which the nearest stop is, then ask the driver or another passenger to notify you. Bus fare is 75¢.
And, to reassure you, Admiralty Way is quite a nice area, so I can't imagine your hotel is a dive.
posted by rob511 at 4:51 PM on November 3, 2005
Easiest way to get from LAX to Admiralty Way -- which is not far at all -- is to tell the cabbie you're going to "the Marina" and to take Lincoln. (That's really the only way, but at least you'll sound in the know.) If you want cheap, take a free C shuttle bus from any terminal to the airport transit center, then transfer to Big Blue Bus (Santa Monica) #3, which travels along Lincoln. Ask your hotel which the nearest stop is, then ask the driver or another passenger to notify you. Bus fare is 75¢.
And, to reassure you, Admiralty Way is quite a nice area, so I can't imagine your hotel is a dive.
posted by rob511 at 4:51 PM on November 3, 2005
Response by poster: I followed your suggestions and had a great time, thanks all. For those going there, the Stroh's Deli on Abbott Kinney has a mean breakfast burrito, and espresso's at both Urth's Café and Peets Coffee and Tea (both on Main Street, SM) were great.
posted by NekulturnY at 7:54 AM on November 9, 2005
posted by NekulturnY at 7:54 AM on November 9, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
Then, you can venture out onto the boardwalk and take in some of the kitschy Venice Beach color.
You can also walk around a bit in the Venice Canals which are just a but East of C & O.
posted by willnot at 7:45 AM on November 3, 2005