Venice Beach, WTF?
- brandyhaubeil
- Nov 6, 2023
- 7 min read
As I arrived at LAX in early May of 2023, I was a little anxious. I had been warned about Los Angelos prior to arriving; I told a coworker I was traveling to Los Angelos and her question to me was, "WHY?," with a very concerned look on her face. She went on to tell me that is where her son lives and the traffic is a nightmare and it is so gross, and it is a horrible place and that I should not visit there. So, naturally, now I wanted to visit even more. My plan was to take to the Amtrak from Los Angelos to Seattle, so I decided to book a few nights in a cute little studio apartment near Venice Beach.
Ok, so I absolutely LOVED this studio, it was perfect for me. The bed was so incredibly comfortable and huge with tons of space for me, myself and I. I loved the little touches of art everywhere in the studio, the cute unicorn lamp, the paisley art, the pops of blue. The kitchenette was an added bonus, and it had just about everything you needed in there, like silverware, plates, bowls, and coffee cups. There was also a large bathroom with a tub/shower combo and even a little closet to store my clothes.
My arrival to my studio was somewhat on the sketchy side. I arrived in LA mid day, a few hours befrore check-in, so I decided to tour Venice Beach to kill a little time. I liked all the little shops that were lined up and down Venice beach boardwalk, each one providing its own unique vibe. I picked up a pair of cool blue sunglasses at one of the shops.
After walking the shops for a while, I wanted to put my feet in the water. So, I headed to the beach and got ready to stick my toes in the ocean. I took off my socks and shoes, pulled my pants up and put my little piggies into the cool pacific water. But, wait. WTF was this strange substance in between my toes? It was sticky, it was dark, and when i tried to remove the substance, it became even more of a nightmare. It was all over my toes and now my fingers. I ran into a shop and said, "HELP." One of the sales clerks just looked at me and said, "Oh my god, what is that?" I said, "I don't know! Help me! How do I get this off?" Another sales associate walked up and said, "Oh, that is tar." I probably looked like a deer in headlights at this point. "TAR??" She told me that I would need to use some WD40 to get it off. The thought of using WD40 on my skin, made my skin crawl. I was convinced this was not the only solution, as I really did not want to dump WD40 on myself. So I headed to CVS and bought alcohol wipes, a bottle of alcohol, and a lot of scrubbing commenced. I think I spent about an hour and a half removing the tar from my toes, my fingers and wherever else it had stuck to at this point. I have been to a lot of beaches in my life, but have never experienced this tar!
After removing the tar, it was time for me to head to the studio for the first time. As I walked to the studio there was one thing that really stood out in Venice beach, and that is the amount of homeless people living in tents, cars, or just under some kind of tarp. Across the street from my studio, the tents were lined up in a row, probably anywhere from 30-60 tents. These people are not well, mentally. I can say this because I experienced it first hand. As I was walking with my luggage to the apartment, a homeless man on a bike stopped, looked at me and said, "AUDREY??! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU BITCH!!!!!" I looked at the three men walking in front of me and they did not say anything back to me or him. Everyone just kept walking and the homeless man went on his way and left me alone. I quickly got into my rental that was behind a locked gate and was thankful the situation ended there.
My first evening in Venice beach I went back to the beach to grab a little bite to eat and explore the shops a little more. I called my son and was facetiming with him to show him all these cute little shops when all of a sudden I had to stop talking. I could not believe my eyes. My son said, "Mom?" My first day in Venice Beach and there she was, a homeless woman, ass out, on the Venice Beach boardwalk, next to a trashcan, taking a shit. I shit you not. I just did what everyone else did, walked by and acted like nothing was going on here! Gross!
My first day in Venice beach was definitely one I will not forget! From the sticky tar toes, to a death threat, to someone taking a shit in the open public, it all proved to make some real memorable moments.
Here are some of things you will see walking around the Venice Beach area.
While my first day was a bit much, the next few days in California were less dramatic. I walked around the Venice Canals, which provided a peaceful and serene frame of mind.
I celebrated my 40th birthday in Venice beach. It was the first birthday I celebrated without my Mom, without my family, and on my own. I woke up feeling great, feeling grateful, and excited for the day. I wanted to pamper myself, so I got my hair and makeup done at a local salon early in the morning, and then went on to treat myslef with the best cup of coffee I have had during my travels. I also want to give a big shoutout to the Ukrainian girl who did my hair and makeup at Via Venice, she did an amazing job and talking to her was the highlight of my birthday.
After I was finished being pampered at the salon, it was time for lunch. I was fortunate to find a restaurant for lunch that made GLUTEN-FREE FRIED mahi-mahi tacos. Those words usually do not go together, gluten-free and fried, unless it is coming from my kitchen. It was the ultimate birthday treat, and it was so delicious! I started my birthday lunch with a bowl of street corn, which was so yummy, and a Mexican coke.
As I trotted through the streets of Venice Beach on my birthday, feeling fresh and 40, I stopped at a luggage shop to pick up a new suitcase for my travels. After flying a few times with a dark bag, I realized how many people have dark suitcases and just how easy it is to mistake your luggage for someone else's when they all look so similar. I wanted something that would catch my eye immediately and I could say, oh yeah, that is definitely mine.
I went with this pretty pink bag from Away luggage, and after using it for several months and dragging it through multiple cities, it has really held up. After checking the bag a few times, it often comes back really dirty, but I love that I can just wipe it clean with a damp cloth. The handle slides nicely in and out with ease and it rolls like a dream, even through bumpy city streets. The sales associate that helped me was so helpful and once we got to talking it turns out her family was from Dayton, Ohio, my hometown. Once I was nearly checked out I told her that it was my birthday and she asked me if I wanted a personalized tag on the house. Of course I said YES! It helped make my birthday that much sweeter!
I have flown a few times with my Away luggage and I am so glad I chose this bag. Once that pink bag hits the conveyer belt with that big BRAN tag, I have no doubt that pretty girl is mine. I also purchased a small black carryon that has a lot of storage and fits on top of the suitcase, it slides over the handles and secures itself to the handle, very convenient!
Walking around the Venice Beach area for a few days I noticed something about the people in the area, and that was the lack of friendliness. Raised as a midwestern girl, I was taught to say hello to people walking by, or at least flash a friendly smile. I was surprised at how many times I walked by someone and they did not even bother to look me in the eyes. No smile, no hello, not even a look. Often, I would say "hello," or "hi," and would be completely ignored. This was something I was not used to as a midwesterner, or as a human being.
The morning my Uber driver arrived to take me to the Amtrak, I was more than ready to board that train and get the heck out of dodge. As my driver took me from Venice Beach to downtown Los Angelos I started to reflect on my birthday by myself and started to get a little emotional. I had a great birthday by myself, but could not help but to think about my Mom and my family, and I cried in the Uber. Thankfully, I was wearing a hat and could just tilt my head and wipe my tears without my driver noticing.
When we arrived at the train station, the park adjacent to the station was full of homeless people, some half naked lying in the grass, some walking like zombies, some inside of the station asking people for food or money. I could not get to the train fast enough.
While my time in Venice Beach was for sure unforgettable, I will not be revisiting the area again until some serious changes take place. I don't know how the people who live there and pay millions of dollars for their homes are not outraged with the homeless situation. It is almost as if they were invisible. Nobody says anything to a woman defecating on a public sidewalk, people straight up ignore death threats, and the entire time I was in the Venice Beach area I can't recall seeing any police presence. This is not somewhere I would recommend going if you have children, or if you just want to feel safe. I am still grateful I had the opportunity to visit such an iconic place, and was able to have some of the best food and coffee that I have had during my travels.
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