"Not so nasty anymore..."

Good news for beach lovers today (in the Guardian) with a report that the much maligned Venice Beach in Los Angeles has transformed itself from beauty to the beast..

Ruth Fowler says that "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. However, they soon ran into neglect and by the 50s 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 cafes on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Whether it's tea at Dola, whose tiny courtyard is full of earnest-looking 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, anyone?) – the vibe is the same: friendly, relaxed and warm. Artists, actors, writers, directors, musicians, surfers, skaters, professionals of all kinds, the very poor and the very rich, as well as celebrities including Dennis Hopper, Robert Downey Jr and Julia Roberts, have all – like me – come to call Venice home, lured here by the chilled atmosphere and the sea breeze, which means temperatures never reach the unendurable heat of inland LA..

The artists themselves have interesting stories to tell. Jules Muck is one of the fixtures of Abbot Kinney, walking along the street 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.."

A true story of positive regeneration of a coastal area to be sure..

Please read more of Ruth's story at http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/jan/31/losangeles-california to understand the remarkable transformation.

Barticus.