A few blocks back from the beach, Abbot Kinney Boulevard is the polished counterpart to the boardwalk's chaos: a roughly mile-long strip of independent fashion boutiques, design shops, coffee roasters, and well-regarded restaurants. Named for the developer who built Venice in 1905, it has become one of the most fashionable shopping streets on the Westside, regularly cited in the kind of magazine round-up that drives up the rents.
It draws a creative, moneyed crowd, especially at weekends and on the monthly First Friday evenings when food trucks line the street. Come for the browsing, the people-watching, and the cafes; prices reflect the address. It pairs naturally with a walk along the nearby Venice Canals.