Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
156
beef sandwiches, fr esh-pressed peanut butter , and all kinds of international fast foods.
You can still buy pr oduce here—it's no longer a farm-fr esh bargain, but the selection 's
better than at the grocery store. Don't miss
Loteria Grill
(
&
323/930-2211
) for
cocinita
pibil
tacos on handmade tortillas and cool
aguas frescas,
or
Du-Par's
(
&
323/933-8446;
p. 147) for a slice of pie.
The seafood gumbo and gumbo ya ya at the
Gumbo Pot
(
&
323/933-0358
) are also very popular.
At the eastern end of the Farmers Market is the
Grove,
a massive 575,000-square-foot
Vegas-style r etail complex composed of v arious ar chitectural styles ranging fr om Ar t
Deco to Italian Renaissance. Miniature streets link the Grove to the Market via a double-
deck electric trolley. Granted, it's all a bit Disney-gaudy, but the locals love it. Where else
can you power-shop until noon, check all your bags at a drop-off station, get a spa treat-
ment at
Amadeus Aveda Spa
(
&
323/297-0311;
www.amadeusspa.com), see a mo vie
at the 14-screen
Grove Theatre
(
&
323/692-0829;
www.thegrovela.com), have an early
dinner at
Morels French Steakhouse & B istro
(
&
323/965-9595
), and be home b y
7pm? The Grove is located at 6333 W. 3rd St. (at Fairfax Ave.), Hollywood (
&
888/315-
8883
or 323/900-8080; www .thegrovela.com). I t is open M onday thr ough Thursday
from 10am to 9pm, F riday and Saturday from 10am to 10pm, and S unday from 11am
to 8pm. P ark in either the G rove parking structure (entry on The Grove Dr. or off of
Fairfax Blvd.) or the Farmers Market parking lot, which is free for 2 hours with validation
from one of the market vendors.
OCEANSIDE DELIGHTS
Venice Beach's Ocean Front Walk
has long been one of L.A. 's most color ful
areas and a must-see for any first-time visitor . Founded at the turn of the last centur y,
Venice was a dev elopment inspir ed b y its I talian namesake. A uthentic gondolas plied
miles of inland water ways lined with r ococo palaces. I n the 1950s, Venice became the
stamping gr ounds of J ack K erouac, Allen G insberg, William S. B urroughs, and other
Beats. In the 1960s, this was the epicenter of L.A. 's hippie scene.
Today, Venice is still one of the world 's most engaging bohemian locales. I t's not an
exaggeration to say that no visit to L.A. would be complete without a str oll along the
famous paved beach path, an almost surr eal assemblage of ev ery L.A. ster eotype—and
then some. Among stalls and stands selling cheap sunglasses, M exican blankets, and
“herbal ecstasy” pills swirls a carniv al of humanity that includes bikini-clad in-line skat-
ers, tattooed bikers, tan hunks pumping iron at Muscle Beach, panhandling vets, beauti-
ful wannabes, and plenty of tourists and gawkers. O n any giv en day, you're bound to
come across all kinds of performers: mimes, break-dancers, stoned drummers, chain-saw
jugglers, talking parr ots, and the occasional apocalyptic ev angelist. The walk is located
along the beach in Venice between Venice Boulevard and Rose Avenue.
About a mile up the O cean Front Walk from Venice, and making for a gr eat round-
trip stroll, is the world-famous
Santa Monica Pier
. Piers have been a tradition in
Southern California since the ar ea's 19th-centur y seaside r esort days. M any have long
7
Tips
Parking: Better Secure than Sorry
If you're driving to Venice Beach, pay the $5 to $7 fee for a secured lot, hide your
valuables, and walk to the beach—car break-ins aren't uncommon.
