Venice (Los Angeles), California

Venice is a residential, commercial and recreational beachfront neighborhood in the Westside of the city of Los Angeles, California.

Workers build the canals, 1905
Venice began in 1905 as a seaside resort town and was a separate city until 1926, when it consolidated with Los Angeles. In 1925 oil was discovered, and the wells kept pumping until the 1970s. Today, Venice is known for itscanals, beaches and circus-like Ocean Front Walk, a two-and-a-half-mile pedestrian-only promenade that features performers, fortune-tellers, artists, and vendors. According to the 2000 census the population is ethnically diverse but dominated by whites. Most residents are affluent, highly educated and have a low number of people in each household.