Visiting Venice, L.A.’s cultural hotspot

THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BY LAUREN ROBERTS AND PUBLISHED BY DAILY BRUIN ON OCTOBER 26, 2011.
I’m convinced that there’s nowhere quite like Venice. It’s a cultural mecca for all things quirky and the people-watching capital of Los Angeles—if not the state.
Its pseudo hippie culture is capable of producing any form of entertainment, from rainbow-wigged juggling performers, sidewalk artists and acrobatic break dancers to serenading street dwellers.
Granted, I’d been here before. But this time I came back with the semblance of a game plan, as it’s inevitable that the easily distracted would get lost on the boardwalk where there is no shortage of colorfully outrageous sights to choose from.
As a classic rock fan and an even bigger art nerd, I set out for some Venice highlights—its local Doors history and its signature murals by artist Rip Cronk. The latter definitely made up for the former.