logo
Venice Beach is celebrating 120 years. See why it has stood the test of time

Venice Beach is celebrating 120 years. See why it has stood the test of time

CNN04-07-2025
Friends gather as the sun sets on Los Angeles' Venice Beach.
As the sun sets over Venice Beach, casting a warm orange glow over towering palm trees and crashing surf, it's hard to think of many places you'd rather be.
It is relaxing, gorgeous and timeless. A chance to pause, turn your brain off and let go.
There are few spots in Southern California as iconic as Venice. Every year millions of tourists visit the vibrant seaside neighborhood, on the Westside of Los Angeles, for its world-renowned beach and boardwalk.
It exudes California cool with a free-spirited bohemian lifestyle and an eclectic mix of people from all walks of life — a place where you can find both bodybuilders and skateboarders, hippies and tech bros.
It's a place where natural beauty — sand, surf and sun — collides with not only extreme wealth, but also a gritty, funky boardwalk bursting with character. Bodybuilders greet each other at the Mr. and Ms. Muscle Beach competition, which is held in Venice every Fourth of July. People perch on a ledge and soak up the sun as others walk by them on the famous Venice Beach boardwalk. A man makes his way to the acclaimed restaurant Gjelina, which is along Venice's main thoroughfare, Abbot Kinney Boulevard. A mural sheds light on the ongoing housing crisis in Venice Beach.
'Venice holds a special place in American culture, even with its rough-around-the-edges reality,' said Karen Ballard, a documentary photographer who lives there. 'It has served as the backdrop for a myriad of movies, commercials and television shows, going back to Charlie Chaplin's 'Kid Auto Races' in 1914, to Steve Martin's 'L.A. Story' in 1991, and the recent blockbuster, Greta Gerwig's 'Barbie.'
'Whether you've been here or not, chances are you've seen bits and pieces of Venice as it's been a part of pop culture and the arts for decades.'
For the past 15 years, Ballard has been working on a long-term documentary project about Venice. She first visited in 1986, for her 17th birthday, and she still remembers how much it spoke to her.
'The whole place — Los Angeles in general, but Venice in particular — was just alive,' said Ballard, who grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. 'It was bursting with energy, sunshine, youth, the ocean — all the things that attract people here. … Even though I thought Venice was just wildly weird — and it still is — the seed was planted that someday I might move out here.' A mailman takes a call in front of a boardwalk-favorite deli shop on a rainy day in 2009. Locals crown the king and queen of the Neptune Festival this past weekend. The festival is an annual tradition that kicks off summer in Venice.
Ballard's photos capture Venice and its lively scenes in glorious pops of color — from the neighborhood's beach culture, with yoga enthusiasts soaking up rays, to its quirky arts scene, with its bustling boardwalk filled with creative vendors. She also captures quiet, reflective moments — often at dusk or dawn — that many people might not always get to see.
Ballard was a photojournalist in Washington, DC, for the early part of her career, covering international news and politics. She started getting hired as a unit photographer in 2005, working with A-list talent and directors on publicity images for the film industry. A few years later she decided to make the move out West.
'I moved to Los Angeles knowing that I would start a personal documentary project on Venice,' she said. 'I wanted to work on something in between movie assignments, something that I could develop slowly, on my own time.' A portrait of Jim Morrison, the lead singer of the legendary rock band The Doors, can be seen on the side of a building while people hang out on a nearby rooftop bar. The Doors started in Venice. Beachgoers take in a yoga class and meditation session.
Friday marks the 120th anniversary of Venice, which was founded as an independent city on July 4, 1905.
Its founder, Abbot Kinney, had a vision based on his love for Venice, Italy.
'He had this grand idea to create a seaside recreational artistic playground — his 'Venice of America' for the residents of Los Angeles, complete with canals and gondolas,' Ballard said. 'There was a pier that opened that day, including shops, a dance hall, a roller coaster and even a hot saltwater plunge pool. That pier burned down 20 years later, but the spirit and his vision remains, including a few of the original canals.'
The city of Venice was annexed by the city of Los Angeles in 1926. A couple loses their balance and flips their canoe in the historic Venice Canals. Every July 4, the neighborhood celebrates its founding as it also celebrates the country's Independence Day. Models take part in an impromptu photo shoot on the streets of Venice Beach. Frannie has called Venice home for over 40 years. She hangs this American flag on her balcony every Fourth of July.
Venice has changed quite a bit over the years, but it has long been known as an artistic hub. You can see it in the neighborhood's art galleries and along the boardwalk with its colorful murals and graffiti.
'Venice has played host to all kinds of artists: Ed Ruscha, who's kind of like the quintessential living LA artist of our time right now; John Baldessari; (Jean-Michel) Basquiat. They all made Venice their home,' Ballard said. 'Science fiction writer Ray Bradbury lived here. The famed furniture makers, the Eameses, made their home in Venice at one point. … The Beatniks lived here in the '60s, and it's where Jim Morrison created The Doors.'
Musicians, dancers and other pop-up artists also frequent the boardwalk, adding to its festive spirit. A young man practices his flips in the Dogtown area of Venice.
Venice is a place where so many different subcultures collide, all mingling together to form a unique atmosphere.
The dichotomies can be striking and unlike any you might see at other beaches. It's a place where you might find the next Arnold Schwarzenegger not far from the next Tony Hawk.
Since the 1950s, Venice has been home to Muscle Beach, the outdoor gym where Schwarzenegger and another legendary bodybuilder, Lou Ferrigno, trained in the '70s and '80s. Anyone in Venice can walk by to watch men and women work on their impressive physiques.
But the beach has also been a skateboarding haven since the '70s, and you'll find lots of skaters honing their craft, too. The 2005 film 'Lords of Dogtown' chronicles the skateboarding culture that started in the Dogtown area of Venice and nearby Santa Monica.
'Today's Venice Skatepark is one of the major attractions,' Ballard said. 'People come from all over the world to skate in the Skatepark here now.' A bodybuilder shows off her peacock tattoo while prepping for competition at Muscle Beach. The open-air gym has been a part of Venice since the 1950s. Travis, left, told photographer Karen Ballard that he was a true 'hobo' from Houston who rode trains to get to California. He made his way to the Venice boardwalk and met up with other like-minded folks who were just passing through. A skateboarder enjoys the Venice Skatepark, which opened in 2009 after years of hard work by locals to get funding. The skatepark is now a highlight for many visitors who come from around the world to skate in Dogtown.
Venice is also a key part of what some have called Silicon Beach because of the tech companies that have started moving into the region.
'The last decade has really seen some major gentrification,' Ballard said. 'Google moved in here in 2011, and that was the beginning of flipping Venice on its head. Abbot Kinney Boulevard, named after its founding father, is the main thoroughfare that runs through town. Today that street has completely changed and is full of boutique shops, high-end retailers and trendy restaurants.'
It's a different vibe than what you might find on the boardwalk — and it attracts a newer, wealthier clientele. This influx of wealth has also started to affect the boardwalk.
'There were some longstanding businesses that had to close because rent skyrocketed over the last decade, and that created a lot of tension among the locals,' Ballard said. Paddle tennis has been one of the most popular activities in Venice since the 1960s. In recent years, it has started giving way to the pickleball phenomenon. A stylish woman stops for a picture while waiting for her daughter to wrap up a day's work on Venice's Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Office colleagues go for a swim as the fog rolls in.
There was also a particularly rough patch during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
'Venice has often had unhoused folks landing on the boardwalk, taking a patch of grass or crashing on a street corner for the night,' Ballard said. 'But during the pandemic, the boardwalk literally became an encampment.'
When everyone was told to shelter in place, tents sprang up almost the entire length of the boardwalk, which is about 2 miles long. These tents were there for months, and there was deep concern among residents and local business owners as to when that would clear up.
'Eventually, about 200 unhoused folks were moved into temporary shelters or hotels,' Ballard said. 'But from the summer of 2020 until 2021, especially at night, it could feel like you had entered an episode of 'The Twilight Zone.'' During the pandemic, when people were told to shelter in place, the Venice Beach boardwalk became an encampment for unhoused people. A woman makes her way down the boardwalk on a foggy night during the pandemic.
Venice also got a bit of a scare with the recent wildfires in LA, although it was ultimately spared.
'I got a call from a neighbor asking if I had seen the smoke coming from the Palisades neighborhood around 1 p.m.,' Ballard recalled. 'I immediately grabbed my cameras and went up to my roof and could see the flames on the hillside already in the Palisades, which is just north of Santa Monica . … By dusk, the windstorm and fire had surged into what we all now know was a massive, catastrophic disaster.
'The smoke and flames were visible from the Venice border, which falls into Santa Monica. It was honestly one of the scariest things I'd ever seen, and I was particularly terrified for the folks who live up there, including friends and colleagues.'
Like the rest of Southern California, the city is always on edge because of the lingering wildfire threat caused by the region's droughts and extreme climate. People on Venice Beach view the devastating Palisades Fire in nearby Malibu in January. A Venice regular makes her way down the boardwalk during this year's Mardi Gras parade. She was throwing beads to the crowd and trying to forget about the fires in Malibu that destroyed her home.
Venice is a place that always seems to be in transition, Ballard said. But it has been anchored over the years by the people who call it home.
'One of the things that makes Venice so special is the community and the locals who live here,' she said. 'It's a small place.'
The neighborhood has nearly 40,000 residents crammed together in a little 3-mile radius, and that has fostered what Ballard says is a 'sense of community, a sense of pride and a live-and-let-live attitude.'
Many of the locals know one another, and longtime residents — in the face of a new influx of wealth — are eager to preserve Venice's way of life and what makes it so special.
There have been ups. There have been downs. But ultimately, Venice perseveres.
'Somehow, the community adapts and inevitably moves forward,' Ballard said. A woman races toward the ocean waves in Venice Beach.
Karen Ballard's Venice Beach project will be shown at the Leica Gallery in Los Angeles this fall.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Experts Reveal If Astronomer CEO Can Sue Coldplay Amid Resignation As HR 'Mistress' Keeps Her Job
Experts Reveal If Astronomer CEO Can Sue Coldplay Amid Resignation As HR 'Mistress' Keeps Her Job

Yahoo

time8 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Experts Reveal If Astronomer CEO Can Sue Coldplay Amid Resignation As HR 'Mistress' Keeps Her Job

Days after Andy Byron resigned from his role as Astronomer CEO, lawyers have now weighed in on whether he could bring claims against Coldplay. Byron had gone viral alongside the head of HR of the company, Kristin Cabot, when the two were caught showing PDA at the band's concert in Massachusetts. The attorneys have now claimed that Andy Byron has no legal grounds for a lawsuit against the band while also citing reasons why such a step is unlikely. Why Astronomer's Former CEO Can't Bring Legal Claims Against Coldplay Despite Andy Byron's life being upended by his kiss cam incident at Coldplay's concert, legal experts have claimed that he can't take the legal path even if he wants to. Ron Zambrano of the Los Angeles-based West Coast Employment Lawyers told The U.S. Mirror that "any legal claims from Byron would be dead on arrival." He pointed out that the former CEO has "no grounds to sue," as any legal claim would likely be dismissed as a "restriction on creative speech and Coldplay's ability to be artistic during their performances." The attorney further emphasized that both Byron and his company's Head of HR, Kristin Cabot, voluntarily attended the public concert. As a result, being filmed while cosying up to each other did not constitute a legal violation, since they had effectively "waived their right to privacy" by being in a public setting. "Their public display of affection is on them, not on Coldplay," he added. "They just got caught." The Former CEO Has 'No Right To Privacy' In A Public Setting Civil and entertainment lawyer Tre Lovell also echoed Zambrano's sentiments, with particular mention of Byron having no right to privacy when in public. "CEO Andy Byron has no legal recourse against Coldplay for putting him on the big screen," he told the outlet. "When you are out in public, you have no right to privacy for your actions." Lovell added that anyone can be filmed or photographed in public without it breaking any laws. He then explained that legal recourse would only be possible if such footage were used for commercial purposes or to spread a false or defamatory narrative. "What people cannot do is use the video or photographs to violate your right to publicity in terms of using your image for commercial purposes or defame you and depict you in a manner that is false or untruthful." Lovell added, "The fact that the big screen caught the CEO doing something embarrassing or immoral in public is on him." Sources Claim Andy Byron's Resignation Was The Best Course Of Action Financially In the wake of the kiss cam incident, Astronomer released a statement revealing that Byron had resigned from his position as CEO. "Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met," the company said in a statement, per the New York Post. "Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted," they added. At the time, reports suggested that Byron negotiated an exit deal before stepping down, though the specifics remain unclear. Sources claimed the board had the option to fire him but chose not to, likely out of respect for his role as a co-founder of the company. They added that Byron's resignation was a smart financial move, as it ensured he wouldn't walk away empty-handed if he had fought to keep his role. Why The Astronomer HR Exec Has Kept Her Job Despite Kiss Cam Scandal Unlike Byron, who is now no longer associated with Astronomer in an official capacity, Cabot, with whom he was caught at the concert, still remains a staff member. She is currently on leave, likely until the controversy settles down or the company makes a final decision. According to attorney Nicole Brenecki, terminating Cabot's employment is difficult for a number of reasons. "In a real-world big company, you can't just fire someone because the headlines are ugly," she told the New York Post. "There are likely contracts, internal investigations, and legal issues involved." The HR Chief Could Still Get Fired In The Coming Days Despite the complications behind the scenes, attorney Brenecki believes that Cabot could still lose her job when the investigations are completed. "If HR greenlit what happened with Coldplay, and there is a supporting paper trail, heads will likely roll," the attorney stated. She added, "It just might take a few more days before the ax drops." Solve the daily Crossword

Astronomer CPO Kristin Cabot Steps Down Amid Viral Kiss Cam Moment With CEO Andy Byron
Astronomer CPO Kristin Cabot Steps Down Amid Viral Kiss Cam Moment With CEO Andy Byron

Yahoo

time8 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Astronomer CPO Kristin Cabot Steps Down Amid Viral Kiss Cam Moment With CEO Andy Byron

's Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot has officially resigned after a now-viral kiss cam moment at a concert set the internet ablaze. The tech exec made headlines earlier this month after being spotted cozying up to CEO Andy Byron during the band's July 16 show at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Astronomer pair's unexpected appearance on the venue's kiss cam led to a cringe-worthy moment, and ultimately, a professional fallout. Coldplay's Chris Martin Unknowingly Outs Alleged Affair On Kiss Cam During the concert, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin introduced the kiss cam in between songs, drawing cheers from the crowd, until the camera landed on Cabot and Byron. The two were shown embracing but quickly began ducking their heads and turning away once they realized they were on the jumbotron. 'Whoa, look at these two. All right, come on. You're OK,' Martin joked from the stage as the audience laughed. 'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy. I'm not quite sure what to do.' The awkward moment didn't go unnoticed, especially after the camera moved on and Martin, clearly stunned, added, 'Holy sh-t. I hope we didn't do something bad.' The internet quickly did what it does best and uncovered the backstory. Social media sleuths soon discovered that Byron was reportedly married... not to Cabot, but to a woman identified by multiple outlets as Megan Kerrigan Byron. After Astronomer CEO Steps Down, Kristin Cabot Also Resigns Amid Kiss Cam Fallout In the days following the concert, Megan appeared to remove her last name from Facebook and subsequently deleted her account altogether. Byron officially stepped down from his role as CEO on July 19. Astronomer cofounder Pete DeJoy has since taken over as interim CEO. And now, Cabot has also officially resigned from her position. 'Kristin Cabot is no longer with Astronomer,' a spokesperson for the company confirmed to Us Weekly on Thursday, July 24. 'She has resigned.' Celebrities Weigh In On Viral Coldplay Kiss Cam Scandal As the kiss cam moment between Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot continues to dominate headlines, even celebrities are jumping into the conversation, with some throwing serious shade. Country superstar took a more comedic approach during his July 17 concert in South Carolina, joking from the stage, 'Who's here with their secretary tonight? It's gotta be someone way up there that's, uh … yeah. Do not get caught tonight!' Meanwhile, , no stranger to controversy himself, playfully referenced the scandal during his July 18 show in Arizona. 'Even if you're here with your side chick,' he told the crowd, 'this is a safe space.' Why Astronomer's Andy Byron Can't Sue Coldplay Over That Viral Kiss Cam Moment Even though Byron's world was turned upside down after his viral kiss cam appearance at the Coldplay concert, legal experts say there's not much he can do from a legal standpoint. Ron Zambrano, an attorney with the Los Angeles-based firm West Coast Employment Lawyers, told The U.S. Mirror that 'any legal claims from Byron would be dead on arrival.' Zambrano explained that Byron 'has no grounds to sue,' noting that any potential lawsuit would likely be thrown out as a 'restriction on creative speech and Coldplay's ability to be artistic during their performances.' He also pointed out that both Byron and Cabot chose to attend the concert in a public setting. Because of that, their decision to cozy up on camera doesn't constitute any breach of privacy. 'Their public display of affection is on them, not on Coldplay,' Zambrano added. 'They just got caught.' Astronomer Comments On Viral Scandal In the wake of the viral kiss cam incident, Astronomer issued a public statement addressing the controversy head-on. 'Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met,' the company said in a statement. Reaffirming its commitment to core values, Astronomer added, 'Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding.' The company also confirmed that it has launched an internal investigation into the matter. Solve the daily Crossword

Sony makes one of the best OLED TVs, this deal makes it $900 more affordable
Sony makes one of the best OLED TVs, this deal makes it $900 more affordable

Digital Trends

time16 hours ago

  • Digital Trends

Sony makes one of the best OLED TVs, this deal makes it $900 more affordable

Every day we find incredible TV deals, so there's never really a point in buying a TV at the regular price. That is, unless you want one of the best TVs all around, which have more of a reason to not go on sale frequently. They already get lots of attention and have the chops to justify high prices. However, from time to time we do find a great deal on one of our favored TVs. This time around we're see a $900 discount on the 65-inch Sony Bravia 8 OLED, one of our picks for the best OLED TVs. Getting the TV now, which you can do simply by tapping the button below, will only cost you $1,900 instead of the usual $2,800. Read on to learn why the TV is so great, as well as to see the special reason why it's included in our list of OLED TVs. Why you should buy the Sony Bravia 8 OLED The Sony Bravia 8 OLED is a brilliant TV for your living room or gathering area. It's a weird thing to say, but a lot of TVs have a sort of 'hermit' personality and are really best enjoyed with a small group in a dark room. Not the Sony Bravia 8 OLED, with its wide viewing angle and ability to stand up to ambient lighting. This is a TV to grab the crew around and watch some ball or have in your living room to give you some company while you watch the kids. It's a TV to enhance your life with, but it doesn't have to So, why did this TV make it on our OLED shortlist? It happens to be the best Sony OLED for the price. And, of course, by this we mean its standard price. The quality is simply there; it has rich colors and black levels that make things pop, whether you're in the living room or not. So, why not grab it while it is $900 cheaper and you can get it for $1,900 instead of the usual $2,800.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store