On the surface, Venice appears to be full of strange people and street performers looking to make money off the tourists along the boardwalk. But if you look a little deeper, just a few streets back from the beach, you will find a calm, cute community of waterfront homes along a series of canals.

In 1905, the canals stretched 16 miles long, but in 1929, a large majority of them were filled and made into roads. By 1940, the canals had fallen into poor condition, but were ultimately renovated in 1992 with the addition of  sidewalks and proper draining for the water. Now, the 1.5 miles of canals is a popular stroll for residents and visitors of the town.

You can also see the canals by driving down a one-way street with bridges over the waterways, starting on Dell Ave and Court A. Although this town was modeled after Venice, Italy, from my observation, other than the canals there is not much of a resemblance between this location and its original. That being said, Venice Beach is a fun place to visit with a variety of unique sights and experiences, which continue to make it one of LA’s most popular places to visit.