Venice Beach: From nasty to nice

A friend from New York turned to me in horror the other day. "You live in Venice Beach?" I nodded, confused. He continued with a sneer: "Venice is great if you're interested in determining the greatest junkie capital of the world."

Before I moved here, I too had images of Venice as a place composed of stagnant canals, Muscle Beach populated by steroid-pumped Schwarzeneggers and tanned hippies skating along the boardwalk. Doubtless, Venice's edgy legacy owes something to its chequered history: hippie locale of the 1960s, junkie-central in the 1970s, gun crime in the 1980s and the arrival of crackheads in the 1990s.

Every area of Los Angeles has something distinctive about it: Silverlake with its haunted, starving hipsters; West Hollywood with its brazen bling and Beverly Hills with its ostentatious displays of wealth. While it certainly isn't St Tropez, 21st-century Venice, or "Dogtown" as it is also known, has been transformed into a beautiful, eclectic area that, like the East Village in Manhattan, or London's Notting Hill, has taken its quirky, murky past and reinvented it without denying its roots.

Warm crowd

Venice is a real neighbourhood, where people smile at you, take the time to find out your name and inquire about your life even if you're a stranger, even if there's no chance you're going to leave them a $20 (Dh73) tip. As I drink coffee each morning at the French Market, an airy, European-style garden café, it strikes me that Venice oozes contentment and good living rather than the frenzied desire to "make it" normally associated with Los Angeles.

Set on the Pacific coast south of Santa Monica, Venice was built on a system of canals in the 1820s by the young entrepreneur Abbot Kinney. The canals were to drain the marshes inland from the beach so they could be used for residential areas. But they soon fell into neglect and by the 1950s Venice was known as "the slum by the sea". Today the flower-fringed, crystal-clear canals are one of the greatest draws for visitors and border prime real estate.

By day Venice is a place that calls for leisurely strolls along the canals, followed by hours of sipping drinks in outdoor cafés on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Whether it's tea at Dola, with its tiny courtyard full of writers tapping away at laptops, fresh lemonade at Abbot's Habit, a rickety coffee place or cappuccino at Intelligentsia, an upmarket espresso joint (tea for $25 or Dh92, anyone?), the vibe is the same: friendly, and relaxed. Artists, actors, writers, directors, musicians, surfers, skaters, professionals of all kinds, the poor and the rich, have all like me come to call Venice home, lured by the chilled atmosphere and the sea breeze, which means temperatures never reach the unendurable heat of inland Los Angeles.

Downtown Venice, comprising Abbot Kinney Boulevard and Main Street, reminds me of London's Portobello Road, with its stoneflagged sidewalks and old-fashioned hacienda-style houses nestling next to cottages that have been transformed into boutiques, healthfood stores, pavement cafés and restaurants. Abbot Kinney is host to First Friday, when all the boutique stores, restaurants, cafés, art spaces, even the hair salons open until late on the first Friday of every month. They host bands, show local artists' work, and serve free food to entice the crowd to stay late and the atmosphere turns from chilled-out to carnivalesque as people pour on the streets to dance until the early hours.

Most tourists head for Santa Monica's overpriced restaurants, bypassing the excellent places that have sprung up along Abbot Kinney in the past couple of years. Walking along the mile-long street, you go from Gjelina's, a smart Italian joint, past Lilly's with its delicate French cuisine, to Abbot's Pizza, offering slices for $2 (Dh7). A couple of blocks west on the Venice Beach, you can find gems such as Piccolo's Italian restaurant tucked away next to the handball courts, paddle-tennis courts, the Skate Dancing plaza, beach-volleyball courts and the bike trail.

On the Waterfront, a café with a garden overlooking the water, James's Beach restaurant and the newly opened Hotel Erwin, are within a short distance of each other, which is perfect because in Venice — like most of Los Angeles — there's a distinct absence of cabs. Walking and cycling are the best options thanks to the congestion caused by dedicated beachgoers. Bikes can be rented for as little as $6 (Dh22) a day or you could always grab a skateboard.

Since the 1970s, when a drought drained most of the swimming pools, the area has been a draw for skaters. The Z-boys from the documentary Dogtown were the founders of modern skateboarding, breaking into gardens to skate in empty pools. It's worth a walk to watch the skaters at the Venice Skatepark, which opened in October 2009. If you feel like catching a few waves instead, surfboard rentals can be found anywhere on the boardwalk. Or head to Benice, a friendly breakfast place a block from the beach to listen to the regulars swap surfing stories.

There's one thing about Venice I don't like — the huge number of artists, whose prolific productivity would make any self-respecting freelancer feel lazy. The annual Venice Art Walk in May is a huge attraction. In 2009 it featured 60 artists' studios to tour, 10 homes to visit and 400 original works to bid on.

Tales from the art world

In keeping with Venice's liberal roots, the proceeds go to the Venice Family Clinic, one of the largest providers of free healthcare in the US. Or you could always drop by artist William Attaway's house — he lines up paintings and sculptures outside on the street. Local artists also display their paintings in stores, such as the independent bookstore and publisher Equator Books.

The artists have interesting stories to tell. Jules Muck is one of the fixtures of Abbot Kinney, walking along with her chihuahua, wild bleached hair and thrift-store clothing covered in paint. She lived in her car and sold work on the boardwalk until she could afford a studio. She's just one of the new generation following in the footsteps of abstract artist Ed Moses and architect Frank Gehry, whose wacky designs somehow typify the colourful nature of Venice's history and culture.

Where to stay

The newly opened Hotel Erwin has an amazing rooftop bar with panoramic views of Venice and the coast. Doubles from $169 (Dh621). Visit www.hotelerwin.com for details.

Venice Beach House is a beautifully renovated house built in 1911, which offers upmarket B&B on the beach. Doubles from $150 (Dh551). Visit www.venicebeachhouse.com for details.

Set around a European-style courtyard, the Inn at Venice Beach offers affordable and attractive accommodation right on the beach. Doubles from $139 (Dh510). Visit innatvenicebeach.com for details.

Where to eat

James's Beach is a pleasant and popular restaurant on weekdays. At weekends the crowds get bigger and they like to party! Visit www.jamesbeach.com for details.

Abbot's Pizza is cheap and cheerful, and serves the best pizza in Venice. Visit www.abbotspizzaco.com for details.

Italian restaurant Piccolo is tucked away but you won't regret making an effort to find it. Their food is excellent. Visit www.piccolovenice.com for details.

With outdoor seating in a pretty courtyard, Lilly's French Café is a good choice for an elegant lunch or dinner. Visit www.lillysfrenchcafe.com for details.

Gjelina offers exquisite pizzas with other traditional Italian fare. Visit www.gjelina.com for details.