South of Santa Monica, you will find the shining gem of Venice. Many people visiting Venice fall in love with the local culture.

Famously known for the hot sand, great surf, and boardwalk lifestyle, this exclusive slice of the City of Angels is more than just an exceptional beachfront. This neighborhood offers a vibrant tapestry of art, culture, and unique waterfront communities you can't find anywhere else in Los Angeles. From the eclectic shopping on Abbot Kinney Boulevard to the thriving art scene, there is plenty to love about Venice.

The benefits of living in Venice are seemingly endless, and putting together a pros and cons list of this beautiful city can be tough. That's why the team at Prevu Real Estate compiled the top reasons people choose to live in Venice, CA.  

Top Reasons to live in Venice, CA

• Unbeatable beachfront

• Festivals and year-round activities

• Varied home styles 

• Excellent location in Silicon Beach

• Plenty of shopping options 

• Rich arts scene

Unbeatable beachfront

The beach bum lifestyle is synonymous with Venice, California. 

Surfers, beach volleyball enthusiasts, and sunbathers looking to even out their tan are all drawn to Venice Beach. Up and down the shore, you'll find people relaxing in the sand, street performers on the boardwalk, and plenty of small gift shops lining the Venice Strand. 

Windward Plaza is where you can find the famous Muscle Beach, the gym that helped spark a U.S. fitness craze in the 1930s. If you're not into pumping iron, you can see skateboarders pumping the bowl at the nearby Venice Skatepark. 

Early in the morning, you'll find surfers catching waves before work against a sky glowing with hues of orange and pink. If you want to see an equally mesmerizing sunset, head out to the end of the Venice Fishing Pier, where you can watch the sunset amidst the crashing waves. 

There are plenty of restaurants on the beach along the Strand when it comes time to grab a bite. If you want a full meal and a drink, head to the Venice Ale House on Rose Avenue. If you need a quick pick-me-up after surfing, you'll want to head north to Groundwork Coffee Co. on Westminster Ave for some tubular coffee.

Festivals and year-round activities 

Because the weather in Southern California is almost always sunny, there is always something fun to do in Venice. Beyond being a great place to live, Venice offers diverse events and competitions that entertain residents and visitors throughout the year. That is part of the reason why the Venice experience makes this a popular destination for mass tourism.

One of the biggest events is the Venice Surf-a-Thon, a quintessential surfing bonanza where surfers of all stripes come together to carve the waves, listen to music, and eat great food. The event has been happening for almost 30 years and is a favorite for the local surf scene. 

Another popular event is the Annual Venice Art Crawl, where local artists, sculptors, and creators put up pop-ups to show off their creations to the tight-knit community.

If you love shopping, you'll love the Abbot Kinney Festival, which shuts down to host vendors, restaurateurs, and artists. 

But if your idea of a fun night out on the town is a movie, you're in luck; plenty of outdoor film screenings are available throughout the year. 

Varied home styles 

From single-family homes to storied bungalows right along a unique canal system, Venice has plenty of home styles for buyers to choose from. 

In the early 1900s, the developer Abbott Kinney turned the Grand Lagoon area of Los Angeles, south of Santa Monica, into an amusement park modeled after Venice, Italy. Kinney even created a canal system with gondolas and gondoliers from the original city. While he did not build a model Rialto Bridge, plenty of other motifs to make the canals of Venice a popular tourist destination.

Over time, the amusement park faded, and developers purchased the land, eventually building charming bungalows along the edges of the canals. Today, you can still find some historic homes for sale, but many abodes now feature more contemporary designs, espousing open floor plans enabled by steel, glass, and concrete construction. Whether it's an older home or a newer one, people buying a home in Venice on the Grand Canals can live a unique waterfront lifestyle with private docks and serene views. 

Yet buyers have plenty of options beyond the canals, such as high-rise condos towering above Marina Del Rey or single-family homes in neighborhoods like Oakwood. Some of the best homes in Venice are on The Strand, making the expansive beachfront part of their backyard. 

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Located in the heart of Silicon Beach

Beyond the sandy beaches and impeccable surf, part of the allure of Venice is the burgeoning technology scene. 

Silicon Beach extends from Los Angeles International, reaching as far north as the Santa Monica Mountains. Within this area, over 500 startup companies dot the western shores of LA. The proximity to LAX, the Santa Monica Airport, and the happening Santa Monica Downtown make Venice an attractive spot for tech firms. Couple this with the extensive public transportation system, and folks can live and work in Venice and never need a car.  

In Venice, Snapchat is one of the most popular workplaces, followed by the VR company Wevr, and StackCommerce, an e-commerce and marketing technology provider. But not just the big names make Venice a tech hotspot. The neighborhood's laid-back yet collaborative atmosphere fosters the growth of countless startups and creative ventures. 

Co-working spaces like FoundrHaus on Electric Avenue and Upper 80 on Windward Avenue provide platforms for budding entrepreneurs to thrive.

Venice is a shopper's paradise 

From the trendy boutiques along Abbot Kinney Boulevard to the unique finds on Venice Avenue, there are plenty of places to shop in Dogtown. 

Known by locals as "The coolest block in America," Abbot Kinney Boulevard is a shopper's dream. Lined with a mix of high-end boutiques, eclectic galleries, and one-of-a-kind shops, it's where folks discover the latest in fashion, art, and design. 

Explore stores like Warby Parker for stylish eyewear, Burro Venice for eclectic gifts, and Vardagen for the hottest clothing trends. When it comes to getting Italian cuisine for dinner, you want to head over to Piccolo Abbot Kinney, which is one of the top-rated restaurants on the boulevard. 

Nearby Venice Avenue showcases community staples like hardware stores, cleaners, toy stores, and Linus Bike, a famous biking shop in the area. Locals shop for meats, veggies, and other crafted goods at the Mar Vista Farmer's Market to the northeast of Venice High School. 

If you're looking for skateboard and surf shops, you'll want to head to Pacific Avenue, where Mollusk Surf Shop and Taku Surfboards keep riders supplied. 

While there is plenty of eclectic shopping in Venice, folks can find a Costco for groceries on West Washington Boulevard and Whole Foods on Lincoln Boulevard.

Unbeatable artistic vibe

Venice's streets are a living, breathing art gallery. 

As you explore the iconic Venice Beach Boardwalk, you'll encounter a riot of colors and a kaleidoscope of creativity. Murals, graffiti, and street performances are the norm, transforming the neighborhood into an ever-evolving masterpiece. 

The artistic spirit of Venice weaves its way through the very fabric of the community via the Venice Sign. Erected in 1905, the iconic Venice Sign is not a conventional art installation but symbolizes the neighborhood's artistic legacy.  

There are plenty of collectives and galleries around Venice, like The Mosaic Tile House. The Tile House is a labor of love by artists Cheri Pann and Gonzalo Duran, who transformed this whimsical house via intricate mosaic tiles, creating a surreal and enchanting environment. 

If you're into live performances, you'll love places like the Electric Lodge on Electric Avenue. The performing arts group hosts a variety of theater productions, dance performances, and community events. Beyond Baroque on Venice Boulevard is a literary arts center celebrating the written and spoken word through poetry readings, workshops, and events. 

The Robert Berman Gallery, meanwhile, showcases contemporary art by emerging and established artists. G2 Gallery focuses on nature and wildlife photography, promoting environmental awareness through art.

Interested in buying a home in Venice, CA? Browse listings and see how much you can save with Prevu’s commission rebate.