VENICE BEACH About This Page:

[julia down]

has anyone been? is it worth going to (am tempted just to see the muscles), lol and is it the best beach around, or is newport beach better?

[w-steele]

Originally Posted by julia down

has anyone been? is it worth going to (am tempted just to see the muscles), lol and is it the best beach around, or is newport beach better?

Julia, I'v lived nearly all of my life here in Southern California and never once have I been to Venice Beach, I guess I am not the muscle type, hahaha. I have however been to Newport Beach but then again that was years ago. If I remember correctly it was a very good beach. I now live down here in San Diego and we have several great beaches so we don't have a need to go 'up north' to get our feet wet and sand in our shorts. hahaha

[belle0517]

Venice Beach is a great people watching beach. Lots of different "types" of people. Probably not a beach you want to take young kids to though. Santa Monica Beach is pretty cool and has a great pier (with rides and games). Newport or Laguna Beach are also very nice to go to.

[ChristyLeni]

Venice beach is def an experience!! I always had fun there. They have shops that line the sidewalks kinda like an east coast boardwalk. Most of the beaches in Cali have big houses along the beach and not boardwalks. It was something I missed when I lived there. Anyway, I love Newport and Laguna as well. Newport has Balboa Island which has some rides and such. My favorite beach was down from Laguna. It was called Inspiration Point. I called it a mom beach. In other words, the people on it didn't look like they just stepped off the Baywatch set. I was a little more comfortable in my bathing suit there. Anyway, I saw Santa Monica mentioned as well. It's another cool beach. To answer your question, if you've never been to Venice, I would check it out, even if just for a couple hours.

[DopeyGirl]

As far as actual beach going, I would choose Laguna or Newport over Venice, definitely.

Venice is more crowded, better for people watching, IMO.

Newport and Laguna are closer in vicinity to DL as well.

Best Beaches of Orange County

[julia down]

tnx. for the replies. Really interested in Santa Monica now. Is it possible to do that and venice beach in a day. Also the one where i can sit in a swimsuit and stop holding my stomach in, lol? DS likes arcade games, and we all like rides.

[HeatherD]

I prefer Newport Beach. You can find some good spots between Newport and Balboa Piers - that's where we're staying this summer! Laguna is nice, as well, but I like the accessability of Newport Beach (from highways, plenty of parking, etc). I've not been to Venice (ah, Venice! Oh, wait....other one), but I hear it's questionable, in terms of comfort level. If I want to go enjoy a beach, that's not the place I'll go. If I'm going because I want to experience a beach, it may be an option. But not with kids....too many people to have to keep one eye glued to each kid!

[LauraBelle V. Hime]

I agree, Venice is not the best beach for children. Newport/Balboa is one of my favorite areas (besides Santa Barbara ).

[julia down]

Why isn't venice beach really suitable for children? Is it lack of facilities, or is it the people that are there/sights u can see? Sort of thinking of Newport or Santa Monica now, which has more arcades/shops? I like the beach, but when we start to overheat, it's nice to have a wander and see the sights.

[HeatherD]

Originally Posted by julia down

Why isn't venice beach really suitable for children? Is it lack of facilities, or is it the people that are there/sights u can see? Sort of thinking of Newport or Santa Monica now, which has more arcades/shops? I like the beach, but when we start to overheat, it's nice to have a wander and see the sights.

It's mostly, from what I hear, the people. It attracts a more dubious collection of people, from vagrants to weirdos to those that would bring out the protective instincts in any parent. Aside from the beach itself, I think the facilities tend toward older crowds anyway.

Like I said before, we love Newport. I visited Santa Monica once - followed I-10 until it ended at the pier (literally). It's nice, too, but I like the proximity of Newport better. There are 2 piers (Balboa and Newport), with plenty of beach and parking. There is an amusement area near Balboa pier that we didn't visit last year and I'm hoping to fit it in this year (you know, in between all the laying around on the beach). To make the most of your wandering ability, park close to one of the piers (even with Santa Monica). That's where the stores, parking lots, restaurants, etc., will all be centered. I don't know about SM, but at Newport, there are a bunch of stores where you can rent bikes and the like to ride up and down the boardwalk (sidewalk). There's a line down the middle and people follow it like the rules of the road.

[ibmaryann]

We went to Venice Beach last month because we were told it was a must see for strange people. That was an understatement!!! My kids were scared of the "strange people". It might not have been so bad if it werent so close to dark and I didnt want to be caught there close to dark. Lots of people eating out of trash cans. LAPD helecopter flying overhead with people yelling and shaking their hands at it. A large circular group of hundreds "dancing" around on the beach. Lots of homeless just sitting on the sides of the sidewalk. Lots of "mental" drugged or drunk people around (could not tell for sure which).

[julia down]

Yeah, I think i'm going to pass on that one then, lol. My son really gets freaked out by people acting strangely, so I think we are going to stick to Newport/Santa Monica. I really like quirky, but that just sounds really bad.

Thanks for the advice. It saves us having a ruined day of the vacation.

[SoCalAndersons]

Hi -
Another beach to consider is Huntington Beach. It's just down (up?) from Newport and since it's a State beach, the parking is much easier (it has big lots, bathrooms, snack shops). This is a good beach to play in the sand and water and relax. They have volleyball nets and firepits too. There is a pier (no rides, just a pier), but the downtown street is cute with shops. Huntington is a good "family" beach.

I find Newport kind of frustrating, as the lots are small and you have to feed meters (unless that's changed). But it's a nice beach. Lot's of neat shops and places to eat.

I agree with the other posters about Venice Beach. I've lived in So Cal my whole life and just last year finally got down to Venice. It was really strange. I guess I'm glad I saw it, but wouldn't take little kids. Having my 16 year old with me, I was still a little nervous (mostly for pickpockets, etc.). Lots of street people. Frankly, I wasn't really impressed with the Santa Monica pier either. Again, parking was a real hassle because it's touristy.

I think if you are looking for a good, family friendly beach to just play and relax on, go for Newport or Huntington. Hope this helps.

Sherri

[julia down]

Cool, tnx. I know this sounds stupid, but what is a firepit? Is it for barbecuing? I don't think we have them in the UK

[HeatherD]

Originally Posted by julia down

Cool, tnx. I know this sounds stupid, but what is a firepit? Is it for barbecuing? I don't think we have them in the UK

I don't think you can BBQ on them...I think they are just for having a bonfire type of fire without it being in the sand...It's nice at night, when it gets chilly on the water.

Someone else may be able to chime in as to whether you can cook on them?