First timer at this beach. I've always wanted to visit this beach. My wife and I were a bit concerned after reading many articles and watching videos on the homeless situation in Venice. To be quite honest when we visited, the situation is out of control, but there is a plan to clean it up soon. I do hope that happens so people can visit this summer and feel comfortable. While we were walking to the ocean a homeless man was peeing on the sand in front of everyone, it was unreal. While walking the strip an ambulance had be called because a homeless person had passed out. I hope in future things get cleaned up and the homeless get the proper care they need. If happens I'd come back and visit. read more

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Lively atmosphere with a designated windy trail to ride, walk, jog or run on boardwalk. Plenty of shops up-and-down the boardwalk with souvenirs, food and drinks. A lot of entertainment with singers, dancers, artists, etc. The beach is lively as well. I also noticed they had a small skate park, tennis area, as well as a basketball court. Venice beach is the place to be if you're looking for action and fantastic for people watching as well. read more

Spent Saturday going up and down Venice Beach. With lots of entertaining spots and a charming beach, it is a fun place to spend the day. Quality: With a reputation for the absurd, Venice Beach combines a beautiful beach with a frenzied boardwalk. It is definitely worth a visit, and don't be surprised if you are talked into buying some street art and fake goods, or supporting a local performer. Quantity: The boardwalk is about two miles long with long swaths of beach. Value: Free to visit. Ambiance: Venice Beach is known as an unusual spot full of crazy characters. The beach is gorgeous, well-maintained with decent waves. The boardwalk is full of shops and bars, and tons of street performers and vendors. It is a top spot for people watching, and I would encourage a bike ride along the path up to the Santa Monica Pier. Crowd: The cooler weather kept beach empty, but the boardwalk was crazy. Service: Beach and boardwalk were both surprisingly clean. Parking: Tough street parking. read more

Venice Statepark - View Of Venice Beach - Beaches Near Me - Venice, California

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Venice Beach is my haven. There is always something to do here and so much to see. Come to this place expecting the unexpected and be prepared to witness a street circus (in a good way). There are performers on the boardwalk, extreme athletes on skateboards, blades, scooters, etc. at the skate park, courts where everyone looks like a pro at paddle tennis, bikers and runners seamlessly weaving within the winding bike path, some of the best non-NBA ballers you'll see playing pick-up, a variety of outrageous stores and restaurants, and the great vibe of being in a place where everyone respects one another despite the multitude of activities going on. Believe it or not, this is all in the vicinity of the boardwalk. The shore and waters are great to explore as well. There are usually a lot of people in the daytime, which adds more to the extensive people-watching in this part of the city. It's so awesome to view the region before the horizon and all its many beachgoers from people on sailboats, surfboards, paddle boards, boogie boards, and all those dope modes of transportation you'd see in every episode of Rocket Power! I totally recommend those who visit to plan a day here full of walking and watching. Don't hesitate to park a few blocks away, so you won't have to pay and you can get a glimpse of the street art along the way. It'll all make for a wonderful overall experience! This beach is truly one of a kind. read more

Venice Statepark - Preview - Beaches Near Me - Venice, California

More life on it then the pier down the way. It's the place to go for culture. I recommend it to everyone. read more

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Yeah Venice Beach still has a special place in my heart. It has changed a lot over the centuries, but I was here last weekend taking a stroll with my girl, and it has become a homeless circus show here that has my ass laughing out loud. But I still love all of the food and entertainment. I love to people watch here, because its a tourist attraction. You meet people from all over the globe here. Plenty of street performers. I have been coming here since I was a kid. read more

Love it here, chill beach, away from the boardwalk part; if you want live-reality-show, take the boardwalk route, very entertaining. Safe beach, social distancing enforces by beach police/security, but we do see half of people walking around without mask. Beautiful neighbor around here too, a lot of restaurants an cafes to visit..... Bring sunblock, empty your bladder, and enjoy this much needed Vitamin C safely. The pier is closed during our visit early July 2020. P.S. a bit of walk before you can get to a barroom... not a lot of parking lot around here, be aware of street parking ticket! read more

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Great: people watching. The views. The sailboats on the water. Walking along the beach. The not-so-great: the beach is dirty (we walked past a lot of trash - including finger nail clippers?!). I wasn't into the idea of using those bathrooms, so we stayed long enough to explore and enjoy and then moved on. Parking near the beach is expensive. $9-25 depending on where you find a spot. I'm glad we went, because going to Venice seemed like something we had to do on our trip to LA for a long weekend, but it definitely didn't rank on the beautiful beaches list, unfortunately! read more

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I recently stayed at a hotel on the boardwalk and loved the proximity to the beach. I walked down the beach every morning and evening. It was so peaceful. I loved the palm trees and mountain views. I would definitely recommend visiting Venice Beach! read more

It's one of the iconic beach cities, and really, unlike any other. An extraordinary place to people-watch, roller-skate and/or bike on the strand, walk and shop at funky shops and view colorful murals. Things to do: 4/5 Safety: 3/5 Cleanliness: 2/5 KNOWING YOUR WAY AROUND -- There's certainly the beach, but Santa Monica to the north, Marina Del Rey to the south, and Mar Vista to the East. BEACH -- An alarming amount of tourists, and sadly -- the homeless have taken over the parks and even the strand. * Showering seems to be optional, and if you have a drum/bongo/tambourine/noise-maker, bring it for the drum-circle that forms each night. * I don't like the water here, I feel it's dirty. You can find some spots to lay out. * Muscle Beach is again, iconic, with among others, Arnold Schwarzenegger working out here years ago. You can occasionally see a re-known bodybuilder working out, but it's underwhelming with a little gym enclosed in a gate. * The Pier is not a spectacle, it's a fishing pier. RESTAURANTS -- Not much on the beachside, but head over to nearby Abbot Kinney for a grande ol' time. Felix, Gjelina, The Tasting Kitchen, Neighbor, and finish it off with Salt & Straw. LIVING HERE -- You can spend months looking for a place, and end up settling. YOU need a parking space, don't rely on street parking. There's a lot of residential neighborhoods with mostly houses. read more

One of the best beaches! Love the vibe the sunset at 5 pm when the sun goes down so beautiful and just an awesome experience my best advice is too see the sunset read more

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The seaside is beautiful, and you can feel the calmness of the seaside. But I don't recommend nearby merchants, and it smells like stinky and drugs. By the way, I saw beautiful shells, like butterflies. read more

Venice Statepark - Beach shells - Beaches Near Me - Venice, California

Awesome beach! A must see for locals and visitors. Awesome surf. Skate park. Promenade with entertainers!! Tons of restaurants. Basketball courts. Outdoor gym w pro bodybuilders. Super fun!! Plus there a pier for fishing. Highly recommend!! read more

Venice Beach is a wild, crazy and sometimes weird beach. But it's a fun and amazing experience. You will see street performers, art, people selling everything you can imagine and gorgeous murals. A lot of souvenir shops and food stands dot the place. There is every kind of restaurant as well and I had great food at them. Muscle Beach is here and well worth a visit. The skateboard park is fun and you will see some amazing skateboarders. There are a lot of homeless people around, so beware of that. You will see it all here. Not recommended for kids. Enjoy. George Vreeland Hill read more

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I was visiting a friend to catch up while walking on the beach. Luckily she lives walking distance from the beach so I didn't need to go through the difficulty of beach parking. When we got to the sand, we walked along the beach, past the large rocks, the fishing pier, until we got to the end. The entire walk was beautiful and not crowded at all. My friend was surprised at how empty it was. She said it's normally so packed. The sand was also very clean and there were so many little sea shells on our walk. We even noticed how there wasn't any trash in the sand - it was very clean. I'm pretty sure my experience was so nice was because I didn't have to deal with the horrible street parking and I didn't see any of the touristy street vendors - my whole experience was just to experience the beach on a nice day. read more

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A must see in California, especially Southern California. All sorts of shops and eateries, interesting people from all bsckgrounds. Skate park, a couple other public talent shows. read more

I'm giving Venice beach a 3 beach of the horrible parking and money trap that it is. Plenty of novelty shops open for tourists. The food/ is more pricer than it should be but that's because of the atmosphere. Like I said it's a money trap. If you feel like blowing a few hundred bucks here then it'll be okay. There's bike rentals and surf rentals here that cost a lot. Same with the novelty shops, they sell a lot beach style stuff that's way overpriced but I'd your looking for souvenirs and that's your thing then come here. Personally I don't like this beach because it's crowded, pricey and has a bunch of bums. It's not like how it used to be back on the day. But if you got nothing to do and plenty of time to sightsee I'm sure you'll have a blast spending a few hours here, if you got the cash. read more

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Great spot to have some beach and chill time with friends and family. The beach is looking great as they have cleaned it up. The variety of new businesses is nice and allows you some great food and shopping options. The number of items to see from the music to the murals is truly a great site to see and enjoy. The Kobe Mural is one of the best and it a great site to see. Biking time is always fun at this location as well so if you are looking for some great bike and run time this is a great spot as you will enjoy the crisp beach air and the sounds of waves. Parking can be at the variety of public parking places in the area. read more

Venice beach is one of my favorite beaches to go to in LA! Not only for the chill vibes it gives off but it's perfect to have the boardwalk right next to the beach so you have the option of just strolling around, shopping or drinking while there. I've personally done all three before and it's always a fun time. It's a good place to go if you like to people watch because of the vast amount of different visitors that like to be in the area. There's locals, foreigners and be aware there are quite a few homeless people that hang on the boardwalk. But everyone usually seems to be pretty friendly. The shops seems to constantly be changing over the years that I've visited but I like that. One of my favorite new spots is the Ben and Jerry's ice cream shop for a quick sweet dessert or if you're more keen on a good drink and some bar food then I suggest Venice beach bar. Make sure to try out their tacos and the Caribbean bramble! Also make sure to stop by the skate park that they have there. It's amazing seeing the talent just waiting to be discovered. I know occasionally you will see a celebrity skateboarding at the park, it's actually a pretty good set for photographers to get some good pictures if you're into that vibe. Overall I'd definitely put Venice beach on the list of "Must visit" places if you're in LA and looking for something fun to do! I will always come back here. read more

What better place to lose reception than the Pacific Coast?...There is never a dull moment. It may not be the cleanest but it's where all the action happens. read more

Venice Statepark - Love. - Beaches Near Me - Venice, California

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Venice Beach was awesome. Although the day started out cloudy it ended up amazing. The beach is huge and long. It could hold many, many people although I imagine parking would be extremely tough. We got in early and grabbed parking for $9 all day. The best part of Venice Beach was walking the boardwalk area and people watching. They also had tons of shops and places to eat. What a fun time. We were there to about 3:00, but I imagine it must be even better during the evening and night. Overall we had lots of fun, just bring plenty of sunscreen, you will need it. It does get hot. Oh and stay hydrated. read more

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My first time at muscle beach and it was an experience. Lots to see and it was bustling with people. There are lots of little stores and food around and workout sites with bars and ropes and more. It seems like a great place to feel motivated to work out or show off your hard earned body. I had fun trying to tackle the long rope but barely made it 2 feet off the ground.. my friend however went all the way to the top and made it back down in safety. There were kids there going up and down the ropes like nothing it made me feel so useless but maybe its a sign I need to stop eating and start exercising haha. The place is interesting but not a place I would go go swim. It seemed fairly dirty and there was just wayy too many people. It was so hard to find parking and I ended up parking 10 minutes away on a meter and walked. Its a great place to mark off your bucket list but not a place I go back unless I am with someone who hasn't gone and wants to go. read more

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I would definitely say to go if you're a bucket lister like myself, however .. I just need to point out how disappointed I was with how the beach was cleanliness wise. It was very dirty, bums everywhere which is inevitable but to be openly on the Broward walk and on the paddle ball courts doing drugs. And I don't mean marijuana. It's disgusting. Muscle beach was super small but awesome to be able to see it in person. Lots of shops to go through if you want to by some memorabilia.. I'm guilty of buying. Many different options for food and drinks. Indulge! Also: funny story. Bumped into Nate Diaz on the beach and got a picture with him! Anyways, stay safe and don't do drugs read more

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Childhood dream of coming here. Everything smelled and felt good here. Couple of different people flying around here and there. Also loved the skaters. Never to late to do what you want. read more

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Looking for an adventure? This is the place to go! Creative people, lots of yummy food, and fun places for friends to meet up. We had a great time here and looking at all there was to be offered. read more

Venice Statepark - Arnold! - Beaches Near Me - Venice, California

Super nice beach! You can definitely spend all day here! We went on a Saturday and it was pretty crowded on both the boardwalk and out on the beach. There are bathrooms, and outside shower heads to rinse off all the sand. Plenty of lifeguards around so your pretty safe. I saw plenty of people disobeying but they did their best to keep their eyes on everyone. Parking can be hectic and very expensive! We parked at a $40 lot and never again will we do it. Overall I love this beach. It's clean and plenty to do. Oh and you can never go wrong with people watching lol. read more

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A very touristy spot but a nice one if I may add. It is very crowded over all and significantly overpriced but there is a lot of cool things to gaze upon. A few downfalls would be that certain areas smell of bodily fluids and hippie dust and another would be that the bathrooms are "at your own risk". The people are nice. The food is delicious....and hey where else can you work out on the beach? Muscle beach that is! This is slowly becoming my favorite beach.... okay more like rapidly. Didn't take a lot of pics. I was busy taking pictures with my eyes! read more

Venice Statepark - I liked this - Beaches Near Me - Venice, California

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Mercy! I see why Lana Del Rey always writes about this place. I was fortunate enough to stop here during a quick trip to LA. It's just lovely. I'm trying to figure out a way to go back. California is amazing and this was probably my favorite part. read more

Venice Statepark - Beaches Near Me - Venice, California

This is always a first stop. I typically fly into LA early, so when I get to VB I can park easily-rates are cheaper in the morning in the lot by the pier. I just love walking and seeing the area open up and come alive. Speed walkers, yogis, jugglers, you can just be yourself and take in the pacific beauty. read more

Venice beach is always a must-visit on my LA trips, mostly because it's a great place to people-watch! I love watching the skaters, the rollerbladers, the randos doing rando things. The food on the strip isn't anything to write home about, and anywhere worth eating costs way too freaking much. It's like Santa Monica prices with the quality of a dumpster, mostly. I guess that's just beach culture these days. In any case, just walking up and down the boardwalk is enough to keep you entertained as long as your legs will allow, though there are plenty of ways to not walk if you don't want to. Just beware of the tourists who haven't touched a bike in 10+ years and no longer know how to steer...or use common bike sense. read more

Definitely a must see if you are a tourist. Lots of vendors displaying their art and music. Bike riding by the beach is nice.

A beach with some serious personality. Venice Beach is just a couple miles from my place and I love heading down on a run, setting up a picnic, or indulging in some plain old people watching. There's no shortage of kitschy shops, skaters, surfers, artists, body builders, and graffiti to soak in here--I definitely see why this is a "must stop" for tourists and locals alike. There's always something happening down here, especially in the summer months, but my favorite time to visit is in the early evening to chill on a blanket and watch the waves. You can usually find surfers waiting for waves near the Washington Blvd pier until dark--the beach is also way less crowded in the evening, so you'll feel like you have front stage access. A few tips: + Pack your own snacks! The bars and restaurants in the area seem to charge a little extra since so many tourists spend their days here. We love stopping by Rainbow Acres grocery (about a mile from the beach) for stuff to munch on and (shh!) canned wine. + Bike, Bird, or park in the lot at the end of Washington for $5 (I think this rate if for after 5 or 6 pm). If you're looking for free parking, check out the neighborhoods a few blocks East of the beach and plan on walking a bit (and read the signs!). + There's no way around it, the free public bathrooms are pretty gross. + Leashed dogs are welcome on the board walk but not on the beach itself. I've seen a handful of people bring their dogs up to the water without a problem, but they do have rangers driving up and down the beach into the evening hours. read more

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I feel like Venice beach has this gentrified aesthetic grunge to it. We came to boogie board because this beach has waves and there's always lots of surfers. We found parking on the street and walked around 10 minutes to get to the beach. Before getting to the sand, there's plenty of activity and a nice grassy area with California's iconic palm trees. The stretch of sand between the concrete and the water is large enough to play games of soccer, volleyball, or to toss around a frisbee. We had a fun and relaxing time! read more

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Stay Away!! OMG, my GF and I were staying by the Santa Monica Pier and we decided to walk down to see Venice Beach. DISGUSTING! The entire ocean walk was lined with homeless tents, with very aggressive homeless wandering senselessly around the area (mentally ill or stoned), approaching "tourists" wanting handouts. The place reeked of pee and pot, with pot stores prevalent along the ocean walk. Buildings, some of which were under renovations were covered in graffiti. We left the ocean walk and went a block east to Pacific Ave and the same thing! Tents on the sidewalks. There were times I didn't even feel safe in broad daylight. Not the Venice Beach you see on TV. We couldn't get back to Santa Monica quickly enough. read more

UGLIEST BEACH ON THE PLANET!!!!!!!! absolutely do not recommend. over priced, stinky, and full of rude people. go to malibu instead.

Oh, Venice. I've loved you so. And now, I'm over it. This was a magical place, up to a few years ago, and it has gone down the drain. The amount of garbage and filth, mixed with overpriced restaurants, stores and bars, blows my mind. I'm also very over the "instagram" walls and bird/lime scooters everywhere. It makes it impossible to walk anywhere without a tourist running into you. Definitely come down for a boardwalk walk if you've never been, but I'd recommend going to El Matador or Carbon Beach in Malibu for quiet. Venice beach is FILTHY. If you do come, clean up your trash. ONCE IN A WHILE... you can catch a magical sunset, which is why Venice Beach gets 3 stars, not 1 :) read more

Venice Statepark - Beaches Near Me - Venice, California

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Not crowded? It is crowded :) about the restroom ugh it's disgusting lol we tried to go and find a better restroom but there's only one restaurant have a restroom and tiny but it's good enough. Food to buy? not good better to bring your own. "Don't leave your things like shoes or sandals or anything else.. cause I saw a guy who walk around and steal stuffs" lol read more

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I'm in love with this beach. The water is a little cold, but once you are inside you won't feel it anymore. My friend wears leggings so she won't be too cold. At least that is the excuse she gives me. Everyone else thinks she is crazy. You can come swim and if you get tired you can go do a little shopping at the boardwalk. They have everything you need there. If you forgot something on your little trip to the beach you can also look for it there. This beach gets really packed on the weekends. I try to avoid all that and come on the weekdays when it is nice and calm. FYI Summer time, always packed. Please if you eat here do not leave your food behind. That attracts the seagulls and then they come back for more. Don't throw food at them because they will not leave you alone. My husband's friend came here with us to surf, but I do not recommend it. It didn't look like there was good enough waves for him to get on the board. He would just lay on it. Never mind, don't listen to me. He was learning how to surf so maybe it wasn't the waves at this beach. There is a lot of parking lots and you have to pay. There are also meters on the street, but it's better to park at a lot. If you find a meter parking make sure to read the sign twice to avoid any confusion and parking tickets. Last time I came I found a spot in front of Ado Restaurant and we had to walk a few blocks. I came late so it was free meter parking. If you love cold ocean water and you love to shop than hurry over here because it's one of the best spots to do both! read more

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Having just arrived in Los Angeles, after driving from Las Vegas, I was asked THREE times where I wanted to go. My answer: Venice Beach. Venice Beach. Venice Beach. I think my friend was hoping that I'd change my answer, but no... I wanted to go here even though I was warned about the "colorful characters" that hang out at this beach. Venice Beach is one of the most challenging Tourist Attractions maybe because of the parking. We were lucky and found a space on the street! We walked and walked. It seemed to go on forever... There's a wide expanse of sand between the sidewalk and the ocean. So much open space - it's amazing! The fresh air and beautiful views are... WOW! I really enjoyed the street performers, the various sidewalk vendors, the interesting shops and restaurants, tourists, and other pedestrians. It was full of life and action! So much to do and see! We passed by Muscle Beach Venice (not the original Muscle Beach Santa Monica); looked at a guy who appeared to be floating on a Magic Carpet (he was suspended in mid-air, attached to a pole); and used the restroom which wasn't that bad! I don't think I would swim here, even though the water temperature wasn't freezing. It's not the same as a Hawaiian Beach! Venice Beach is just a cool place to visit - especially for tourists like me! read more

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It's Saturday afternoon and I wanted to catch up on sleep. What better way to do this than to step down to Venice Beach and lay out? I like to lay down with a cap covering my face (the sun gets so bright even dark sun-glasses can't do the trick). Then I have my iPod shuffle on playing my favorite tunes. At this point I am pretty much shut off from the rest of the world, it's me, my music and the sun. It took me about 20 mins to finally doze off....oh gawd it felt so good, for like 10 seconds. All of a sudden I was jolted out of my sleep. Someone tapped my arm. A blonde gentleman was talking to me. When I finally came to....it turned out he was asking for time. I was still delirious....reached for my cell phone and told him, "it's 3pm." "Thank you," he saids I was a little annoyed, but whatever.....as I was about to go back to my previous position. Then he goes, "would you like a MASSAGE?" What the fuck is wrong with this dude?! I was livid. I maybe temporarily mentally incapacitated but my instincts are on high alert....in other words, don't fuck with me. "NO thank you..." of course I was fighting so hard to be a "good" Sharr. I couldn't go back to sleep afterwards. Who goes out of their way to bug a girl with a cap on her face, headphones in her ears and was probably snoring, to solicit a massage?! I am just tired of random men asking me if I want a massage. For the record, i DO NOT want a massage from anyone except my boyfriend and my masseuse Curtis (at Optimal Health). Do not Yelp me, do not PM me, do not FB me...and certainly DO NOT wake me up while I'm asleep at any beach. Anywho, that is one of the many true stories I experienced at Venice Beach. I still love that beach, God dammit. You really can't beat the convenience, the sunsets, the sunrises, the ocean breeze......and yes, even the crazies. read more

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