As eclectic as it is scenic, Venice Beach has a personality unlike any other city in southern California. Still home to artists, musicians and hipsters galore, Venice seems to attract both the odd and adventurous to its shores. An almost daily ritual consists of walking along the extensive boardwalk and partaking in the sights and sounds of the many people that visit it daily. From dozens of tattoo parlors, sunglass and clothing huts, to get-it-on-the-go food joints, the bustle of activity is always evident. There is never a dull moment as one walks past snake charmers and gold-plated mimes or stops to take in the superhero-like proportions of the weightlifters pumping iron at Muscle Beach.

Basketball games on the local beachfront courts always seam to draw a large crowd especially on Saturday afternoons. Another favorite are the musical performers who bravely get up to share their music on the beach's main stage. You can often also run into the very same musicians, artists and their friends hawking their latest CD or painting as you stroll along the scenic route by the water.

Further away from the sand lies a part of town replete with cool restaurants and after-dinner lounges. The local pizza is of the mouth-watering variety and some of the more established haunts even let customers bring in their own bottles of wine, corked by the house for a small fee of course. Around each corner are streets filled with stylish houses jutting out from beyond walls of ivy and flowery bushes dressed in the deepest green. Grass lined streets turn into dog parks and recreational areas for skaters and families alike. Apartments in then area are at a premium as many seek to live in the thriving jungle of activity and eccentricity that is Venice Beach.