Take a walk down Abbot Kinney Blvd. and check out the Abbot Kinney Flea Market.  You can find shirts and tanks for $10, leather neck ties, vintage jewelry and more. It goes on every Saturday and Sunday from 10: 00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. .  Word on the streets is that Abbot Kinney Blvd. is the new Melrose.  Abbot Kinney Flea Market in Venice, CA. 1219 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Los Angeles,...more

SUGGESTED ACTIVITY: Play handball or watch a game. ABOUT: The handball courts are one of Venice's unique features.  Played one one one or two on two, handball only requires a court and a small 61 gram ball.  The ball is swatted with an open hand against the wall and then returned, after one bounce, by the opposition.  The U.S. Handball Association, the sport's national governing body, holds tournaments in Venice throughout the year as does...more

SUGGESTED ACTIVITY: Play a game of paddle tennis or watch from the sidelines. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE: Anyone.  All ages! ADMISSION FEE:  Free to the public. LOCATION: 1800 Ocean Front Walk. Venice, CA 90291. CONTACT: Venice Recreation and Parks.  310.399.2775   310.396.6764 ABOUT: Paddle Tennis is a game that looks like a cross between ping-pong and tennis.  The court looks like a scaled down tennis court and the rules are the same as tennis as well.  The racquets resemble large...more

  SUGGESTED ACTIVITY: Visit, watch a show or work-out at Muscle Beach Gym.  A day pass is $10, a week pass is $50 and a year membership is $170.  Also, most of the people who work out at Muscle Beach Gym, will not mind if you ask to take a photo with them. ABOUT MUSCLE BEACH GYM: Located steps from the sand on Venice Beach Boardwalk, Muscle Beach Gym is one of the treasures of Venice.  Once the home...more

SUGGESTED ACTIVITY: Play ball, join the Venice Beach Basketball League or watch a game. In addition, get your kids involved with the Kids Venice Beach Basketball League. (The Kids Venice Basketball League (KVBL), a free summer day camp for kids, was founded in 2008 by Jon Nash of the The Venice Basketball League (VBL) as a non-profit collaborative committed to empowering the under-privileged children of Los Angeles with essential healthy life and basketball skills. WHO CAN...more

SUGGESTED ACTIVITY: Go to the beach! Seriously, go to the beach. This is the thing that makes Venice the most special place on earth. Sure we have great culture and people, but it is the magnificent Pacific that makes it all happen. This three-mile beach is manicured daily and the lifeguards are on duty, so grab a towel and head down to the sand. You can rent surf, body and skim boards at several spots...more

SUGGESTED ACTIVITY: Watch a Venice Sunset. Perfect for dates, family outings, meditation, etc. Also, why not plan a sunset beach jog or walk. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE: Everyone. ADMISSION FEE: Free BEST TIME OF YEAR TO WATCH A SUNSET IN VENICE: Everyday, however make it a point to watch a sunset during the winter months. This is when the sunsets are the most amazing. That is when the colors are most concentrated and the sunsets drop directly...more

SUGGESTED ACTIVITY: Visit, participate and enjoy the drum circle. If you are in Venice on a weekend day, stick around even after the sun goes down, because at the end of Brooks Ave. on the beach, hundreds of people gather with their drums, shakers, congas, percussions and their dancing feet. If you can't find Brooks Ave, just listen and you will hear their beats. This gathering of different types of people from different parts of...more

Venice open from 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Central Surf Report: 310-578-0478 LIVE BEACH CAMS/WEATHER/SURF REPORT: http://www.watchthewater.org/beach.cfm?bid=15 Best spots to surf in Venice: 1.  Venice Breakwater 2.  Venice Pier 3. Bay Street VENICE BREAKWATER: The Venice Breakwater is an acclaimed local surf spot in Venice, located north of the Venice Pier and Lifeguard Headquarters, and south of the Santa Monica Pier. This spot is sheltered on the north by an artificial barrier, the breakwater, consisting of an extending sand...more

SUGGESTED ACTIVITY: Skate or visit the 16,000 square foot Venice Beach Skate Plaza. LOCATION: On the Beach. 1800 Ocean Front Walk. Venice, CA 90291. About: This 16,000 sq. foot skatepark is one of the only in the world located on a beach. It features two bowls, a snake run and a street section with steps, rails and platforms. The design for the 3.5 million dollar park came "from local skaters and skating professionals" touts L.A. City...more

SUGGESTED ACTIVITY: Visit or paint at the Venice Art Walls.  Also the Art Walls are a great photo backdrop. The Venice Art Walls are located on the sand in Venice Beach.  1800 Ocean Front Walk.  Venice, CA 90291   310.535.7729  www.veniceartwalls.com Directions: The Venice Public Art Walls are located on the sand in the heart of Venice Beach, west of the bike path between Windward Street to the south and Market Street to the north. The walls...more

SUGGESTED ACTIVITY: The bike path that runs along the sand in Venice is 17 miles long and extends from Palos Verdes through Pacific Palisades, with a brief in-land detour. Its smooth concrete surface is great for bicycles, roller skates and skateboards alike. However, pedestrians are not allowed, so, if you want to walk then you should do it on sand. There is no better way to take in the scenery of the area...more

The Venice Beach Boardwalk and Muscle Beach facilities are run by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. The Muscle Beach facilities include basketball, handball and paddle tennis courts, gymnastics and boxing areas, skate parks, Public Art walls, children's play areas, and more. Check our calendar of a event for basketball, handball, paddle tennis, bodybuilding, powerlifting and skate competitions that occur almost weekly in Venice. Participate and enjoy all that Muscle Beach has to...more

EATING HEALTHY AT THE BEACH Hello there readers!  Alex here.   Today we will answer a question that haunts many of the folks that walk our seaside strand.  Where can you get something healthy to eat on, or near, the boardwalk?  We all know that there are plenty of places to get rippin’ boardwalk pizza, sausages and soda.  But what is one to do when the taste for grease gives way to a hankering for something...more

V.P. Spotlight: Pilates Platinum on Abbot Kinney -------------------- Article and interview by Jill Rudison. -------------------- Pilates Platinum offers SPX™ Pilates a highly acclaimed full body training technique developed by Sebastian Lagree that strengthens, tightens and tones the entire body quickly and safely. SPX Fitness integrates the lengthening and stretching principles of traditional pilates and adds strength training and cardio to a 55 minute small group class environment to achieve optimal personal fitness. Pilates Platinum built its’ reputation on providing the...more