Abbot Kinney Boulevard

Abbot Kinney Boulevard is one of the most famed shopping streets in the Los Angeles area. It stretches out for nearly a full mile from Venice Boulevard to Main Street, lined with an eclectic mix of retail and service establishments indicative of Southern California's culture and lifestyle. In total, there are more than 110 boutiques, salons, design firms, restaurants, coffee houses, nightclubs, yoga studios, and art galleries to explore, drawing visitors from far and wide.

Each September since 1984, residents of Venice crowd the length of Abbot Kinney Boulevard for a day-long Sunday celebration known as the "Abbott Kinney Festival." Food, music, and merchandise are available in abundance. Exhibitors set up booths, bands take to the stage, and more than 150,000 "culturally aware, eco-conscious consumers" take part in the festivities. Proceeds are reinvested in the community through the non-profit Abbot Kinney Festival Association.

In October, a relatively new event, "A Taste of Albert Kinney," is held. It is an annual tasting, walking, drinking tour of Abbot Kinney Boulevard, with proceeds benefiting Inside Out Community Art. Individual shops also sponsor events continually, from fashion shows to wine tastings and more. And just for reference, the man for whom all these activities are named, Abbot Kinney (1850~1920), was a developer and conservationist who conceptualized the "Venice of America" development in Los Angeles