The charms and clotheslessness of the Southern Californian lifestyle have beckoned to gaysbians for decades; they still exert a strong pull today. If you’re thinking that gay LA means West Hollywood and nothing else though, think again.
Where to go for the apotheosis of laidback lads and ladies laying back a bit further than their straight friends? Try Venice, where everything Californian worshiped by the locals comes to life along the streets and canals of one of the most eclectic neighbourhoods on the planet. Long a beacon for alternative lifestylists, writers, musicians, and actors, even a few ordinary people have called Venice home for more than a century. It was back in 1905 that visionary conservationist Abbot Kinney created a planned community to incorporate the arts into daily life of the residents of Los Angeles and Santa Monica. With the original Venice as inspiration, Kinney built canals and lined them with Venetian-style public buildings and row after row of classic California bungalows, some of which are now beautifully restored. The classic bungalows now jostle for elbow room with modernist lofts built in the most recent reincarnation of Venice. Mr. Kinney’s legacy lives on in one small area to the south of Venice Boulevard where the few remaining canals are located (the others having been paved over by the municipal government in the 1920s and 30s), though his name is now more familiar to people thanks to the growing popularity of the high-quality shops and restaurants along his eponymous avenue. Venice is the closest spread-out LA comes to having a village in its midst. The chic shops and hipster restaurants are accompanied by Venice’s very own gay bar, Roosterfish, where all are welcome in the heterofriendly establishment, named by LA Weekly as ‘Best Escape From West Hollywood’ in 2009.
It’s not surprising to know many Venice gaysidents lead interesting lives in their prettily restored bungalows or Modernist loft/studios. Anjelica Huston has a private compound almost right on the boardwalk, but you would never know it from the outside; Maerose, like most all Venetians, prefers the quiet life and keeps to herself while respecting the privacy of others.
Other artists in residence include Sean Holman, a sweet guy with a vivid imagination to match his artistic gifts. Holman is the founder of Rated Z Studios and the force behind Myth, a pansexually erotic animation series with a devoted following. Think Superman meets Japanese animé, except there are no red caps and lots of erect penises to keep the bulging biceps and pectorals company. Sean’s refreshing attitude is that sexuality and its expression are part of life and therefore engender no need for shame, embarrassment, concealment, or any other negative association instilled by a puritanical society. Bravo, Sean!
Gay talent in Venice is not limited to the visual arts—not when Tim Miller and Alistair McCartney are at home anyway. Here we have an interesting pair. American Tim, firebrand of a performer, travels the world daring audiences to understand the injustices of Gayworld regardless of where they may be perpetrated and perpetuated. His current show, Lay Of The Land, challenges the erroneous assumption that all is okay in the US now that there is a Democrat as President. Tim’s longtime partner, author Alistair McCartney is a native Western Australian who fled the sunny, semi-arid west coast of Australia and now resides on the sunny, semi-arid west coast of the US. Alistair’s first novel, The End Of The World Book, is a provocative examination of life as he knows it presented in an unconventional format, one that is immediately familiar to the more studious among us. Highly praised and eagerly read, this young (for a) professor of literature has followed in the footsteps of many an Australian who has made a name for himself in LA. The End Of The World Book can be purchased on Amazon.
Renowned for zany characters and offbeat merchants found on any given day along this most carefree of beach promenades, Ocean Front Walk, as the Venice Beach boardwalk is officially known, is a world of entertainment free to the public. Also free are the many municipal sports facilities right on the beach. The basketball hoops have been the training grounds of more than a few professional stars of the game today. There is also a sealed bicycle path right in the sand, but Venice Beach’s most famous facilities are the exercise equipment at Muscle Beach, where the widest lats in the world spread their wings under the California sunshine.
All the aforementioned attractions are within walking distance of the very hip and happening Hotel Erwin, a member of Joie De Vivre Hotels (headed by openly gay and unconventionally intelligent CEO Chip Conley). Recent renovation and upgrade have raised the hotel’s profile dramatically among those in the know. Locals flock to Hotel Erwin’s rooftop lounge, High, where sweeping views of the coastline are visible from the highest building in Venice. Visitors with cash to flash will enjoy the Dogtown Suite, complete with round bed, private terrace, and personal DJ station. Hotel Erwin is a great base for visitors to LA who want to leave the car keys at home. Who needs to face the city’s brutal traffic when there are comfy sofas in private enclaves on a deck reminiscent of an old-fashioned boardwalk waiting for you to enjoy views of the Pacific? The only fuel you need to pump here is one of the delicious, high-octane cocktails brought to your outdoor living room above LA’s coolest place to chill. One drink is enough to have your head spinning, so have three and enjoy the rest of your night. The Venice Chamber Of Commerce website has a lot of helpful information about the charms of Venice, leaving a few for you to discover yourself.
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