Venice Beach, CA: Enclave of culture, art and life.

Has it happened to you that every time you watch a series or movie that takes place in Hollywood or California, like CSI or 'Baywatch', there is a landscape that is already familiar to you because you have seen it more than once: A sea with strong waves, a marine lookout, the United States flag, people running, skaters, a Ferris wheel in the distance, and house facades whose colors vary between turquoise, pink and white. Maybe we are talking about the same spot that has been attractive for large film and entertainment productions, as well as for artists and designers who are looking for a place that inspires them to create, as in the case of Hanukeii.

Without further detours and as you can imagine, there is a place 30 minutes from downtown Los Angeles full of history, culture, leisure, art and of course beach, we are talking about Venice Beach. This place that was once inspired by Venice, Italy and today has become our inspiration for the creation of our cap collection “Venice Turquoise”, but before We're going to expand to tell you about our caps - which are very cool by the way - we're going to tell you curious facts, places that you should see if you visit the bohemian capital of the United States.

When the beach and city of Santa Monica has taken center stage, the Pacific coast of the United States is undoubtedly a place capable of hosting all kinds of tastes and cultures, from those who love luxuries, comfort, the calm, to those more adventurous, with a bohemian soul, athletes and lovers of waves. The fascination with this coast is such that it has become the home of celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage, Arnold Schwarzenegger and even the famous architect of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Frank Gehry.

But what is it about Venice Beach that makes it such an authentic and magical place. To do this we must go back to 1905, when Abbot Kinney, a somewhat visionary and ambitious architect, observed Venice in a port surrounded by swamps. He had just returned from his trip through Europe and fascinated by the canals and the curious fact that a city was built on the sea, he created in his head the design of what would be his next masterpiece. However, and as visionary as it was, imposing a type of culture in another country was difficult at the time. Once accessibility to this area of ​​the Californian coast improved thanks to the influx of canals, the construction of an amusement park began along the coast, turning the old swamp into an area with strong family appeal for the middle class. California high.

The story does not end there, although an attempt was made to re-establish Venice on the coast of Santa Monica, this enclave took its own style and direction. To this day, it retains only some of its original canals, surrounded by luxurious chalets and small rafts that serve as a way for residents to get around to the city center, or take a stroll at sunset. The Little Venice that Abbot imagined at the time has taken a 360º turn and we are going to tell you about it, because if you go to the Californian coast, you MUST go to Venice Beach, considered the beach with the most atmosphere in the entire United States.

1. They have a machine that teleports.

Although its attraction is not only the color of its waters, Venice Beach has something that enchants when you arrive. The first thing you will come across will be Abbot Kinney Boulevard, a passage with any number of haute couture stores, the attraction of this passage is as if you were traveling in a matter of seconds to New York. Or to exemplify it better, it is how if you are in the coastal environment of Los Angeles, you cross the corner and find yourself on Fifth Avenue in New York, you can feel like you are walking through the center of Manhattan, but if you look more at the horizon the sunny beach of Southern California is greeting you. In short, the bohemian atmosphere is reflected in one of the windows of these luxurious stores taking on a hipster tone.

2. It is normal to see superhumans walking along its beaches.

Now, if you head a little further towards the beach it will be very common to find bodybuilders, in fact, it is one of the attractions: its open-air gym 'Muscle Beach', ideal for lovers of deadlifts and walking on the beach showing off his muscles and a perfect tan. Even, locals say, this used to be one of the gyms that Arnold Shwarzenegger frequented during his Terminator days. But it is not only a small gym located on the sand and with views of the beach, you can also enjoy next to it; a basketball court, playgrounds and one of the most emblematic and historic skateparks of all time, which is what we are going to talk to you about.

3. Some waves are made of cement.

Maybe some don't know it, but Skateboarding partly emerged in California.If you are a little geek about this sport and its history, you have surely seen the movie Lords of Dogtown, well, Venice Beach had a lot of influence in being one of the meeting points of those surfers who had run out of waves and started experimenting with skateboarding. In fact, you may be familiar with the name of Jesse Martínez, one of the keepers of Dogtown. Being one of the most influential figures in skateboarding, he had this initiative.

For him, having spent his adolescence in Venice Beach during the 80's was like having won the lottery at a very young age. The atmosphere there was unique and very fun. That was why he decided in 2009 to start the construction of the Venice Beach skatepark, which is today part of a great documentary called “Made in Venice”. This skatepark is listed as one of the most expensive in the world.

4. Where everything ends and begins, depends on the perspective.

Now, End of the trail? What is this about? Perhaps you have heard about Route 66, the one that crosses the United States from east to west, even more clearly: it connects Chicago with the city of Los Angeles. Let us tell you that Venice Beach is the point where this route ends.

Why has this route had so much importance? After the Great Depression in 1928 and a severe wave of drought, the commerce industry in the United States was looking for an outlet for its revival. Its Atlantic coast is the most affected both by the economic situation and by an increase in migratory flows that sought to cross the country in search of a “promised land.”

Its length is 3940 km, and along the route not many expedition members managed to reach their final destination, not because something tragic happened, but because they found a way to start their lives at different points along the way. Thus giving way to the creation of hotels, shops, restaurants and gas stations. Points so picturesque that they make this path emblematic.

Without a doubt, this route is magnificent, worthy of an adventure movie, just like, for example, Thelma & Louise, two fugitives who delight us as they cross the country in stunning style and wearing cat eye sunglasses like the Laguna Black, from Hanukeii.

So if you are touring Venice Beach you are going to find the announcement of the end of Route 66, and you will know that it is a meeting point for travelers, adventurers, and well in these times also one or another influencer, who does not They are going to let this moment pass without photographing it, because without a doubt, it is a place with a lot, a lot of history.

5. Art is for art's sake.

If something that stands out in Venice Beach is turquoise, in fact, a large part of its facades have this color, it is as if whoever designed them had been inspired by the contrast that the reddish color of the sunset gives in front of the houses. Therefore, if you are an artist you will be amazed by this place. If you decide to go a little further into the bohemian and cultural neighborhood you will find a countless number of shops, all very colorful. In them you will find second-hand stores, antique shops, healthy food restaurants, urban artists, live performances. Every corner of this place will have something to tell you, we assure you that there will be no room for boredom, because as we told you, it is considered one of the most atmospheric beaches in the world.

The muralist Rip Cronk created for this Little Venice a wonderful mural inspired by the Adriatic and transported to the Pacific. You will come across 'The Birth of Venus' by Botticelli, very modern, riding a pair of skateboards looking towards the crystal clear waters of Venice Beach. But how is this possible? Cronk knew that this would cause a certain stir, but this is an American city that has adopted a European air without forgetting the essentials of life when you appreciate art. In addition to how impressive it is to see this modern Venus, the turquoise color of the mural is also impressive, which, as we said, is remembered in all the streets of the city.

For this reason when we visited this place, we thought how magnificent it would be to have a cap, that radiated life itself, but also that inspired us to create, to give life through art, that every time you see it you think that life It is simple, uncomplicated, that life is and by art. And the first thing you thought of about this color was Venice Beach, the city of culture, art and fun.

We hope you liked our little summary of this magical corner of the Californian coast, and that the next time you think about entering the madness that the city of Los Angeles can be, remember that this is 30 minutes away. little escape for lovers of a #barefootlife.