A QUICK HISTORY OF VENICE BEACH
The Venice Boardwalk came into being at the turn of the 19th century as part of the Venice In America concept of a tobacco tycoon named Abbot Kinney. Conceived to entertain the pre- television entertainment starved masses of another era, Kinney and other developers raced to construct saltwater bath houses, roller coasters, and other amusements to a fuel demand for the lots and tiny clapboard homes slapped up on the banks of the canals that made up Venice In America. Once completed the Red Car Line brought the people and fortunes were made.
By the 1930’s numerous pier fires, a lack of public services, and a loss of leadership brought on by Kinney’s death led the local Venice citizens to vote for annexation by the city of Los Angeles. While Venice In America was in decline and Los Angeles was filling in the mesquite infested canals, oil was struck on the Marina peninsula and there was a new land rush as over 100 oil wells sprang up to pollute the beaches and lagoons.
During World War II Venice and the ballrooms on the pier like the Aragon were popular with sailors on shore leave. During this era the honky tonks and bars on Windward thrived while Los Angeles refused to renew pier leases and plotted the wholesale destruction of the “old” Venice. This municipal destruction began after Venice hit it's low spot in the 50’s.
By the 60’s nobody in Venice cared if you sunbathed nude, walked around in women’s underwear or were a junkie, the town had been written off. It was now a perfect incubator of the Hippie culture, pot parties and free love that would once again bring it worldwide fame as temporary home to dozens of offbeat characters like Charles Bukowski, Jim Morrison and Timothy Leary. The construction of the bike path in the early 70’s led to another resurgence as TV reporters flocked to air film of Venice residents beating the oil shortage by skating and biking around town. But media attention also caused the banning of nude sunbathing after all those years.
When the Olympics rolled into Los Angeles in 1984 Venice was given a makeover and the media once again made this aging beauty was world famous again. Venice Boardwalk is visited by thousands of people every week and millions come to see it from all over the world every year. I hope you find it as enigmatic and interesting as I do.
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