Venice, I think I like you

My boyfriend lives in Venice, a block from the beach.
I really, really hated Venice a couple of years ago.
Dirty, crowded and overrated would have been my top 3 adjectives for Venice. The bf loves it though. Can't imagine living anywhere else in LA. And I just didn't get it. Is it because I'm a girl and need more aesthetically pleasing scenery? Or because I'm a girl and I'm afraid of the crazies and the crooks?

Two years later, I have good days and bad days in my relationship with Venice Beach.

During the summer, it's a lot of bad days. Parking is a bi*ch. It's filled with crazies - both of the performing and accosting/ranting type. It's dirty - on the boardwalk and sometimes on the beach too. There are very bad smells. Although, to be fair, no worse than the odor outside my old hollywood apartment which was right near the dog park...on rainy days, P to the U. And it feels a billion times more crowded than Manhattan Beach or Zuma or any beach not directly adjacent to LA, which doesn't make for a very relaxing afternoon by the ocean. And my bf's apartment has been broken into...but only once.

However now, during the winter, I feel much better over there. We can play paddle tennis, go to Benice or the Sidewalk Cafe for brunch, and just cruise the boardwalk...without fighting crowds of tourists and mentally unstable Venitians. Just the occasional hip hop artist. It's a treat to see GoldMan and SpeedoMan making their daily rounds. Nikki's and James Beach are great for evening drinks. And the Robin's Nest is a cute, hip convenience store right next to the boardwalk. Plus, where else can you buy bikinis, sunglasses, bongs, original artwork, hats, tshirts, psychic readings - all with a view of the Pacific Ocean?

I'm excited about my maturing relationship with Venice. I think we've come to an understanding. As long as I'm never expected to live down there full time, I think we'll be quite happy together.