Venice Canal Historic District is the Closest You Will Get to Venezia on The West Coast of the US

Venice Canal Historic District is the Closest You Will Get to Venezia on The West Coast of the US

Venice Canal Historic District is the closest you will get to Venezia on the West Coast of the US. It is a residential Venice suburb of Los Angeles, California. This historic district is noteworthy for its man-made canals, built in 1905 by developer Abbot Kinney was an American developer, conservationist, water supply expert and tree expert.  He is  best known for his vision to build the “Venice of America” in Los Angeles.. Kinney was seeking a way to recreate the appearance and feel of Venice (“Venezia” in Italian), Italy, in Los Angeles.

By the 1920s, as cars began to be commonplace, the canals were viewed as outdated. As a result a number of canals were filled in 1929 to make room for paved roads. By 1940 the remaining canals had fallen into disrepair, and the sidewalks were condemned by the City of Los Angeles. The Canal district remained in poor condition for more than 40 years as several proposals to renovate the canals failed due to lack of funding, environmental concerns, and disputes as to who should bear the financial responsibility. The canals were finally renovated in 1992 and re-opened in 1993. The residential district surrounding the remaining canals was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Homes in the district are generally luxurious and expensive.

The water enters the canals through sea gates in Marina Del Rey and in Washington Boulevard. They open at low tide to drain most of the water, and at high tide they are closed. Abbot Kinney Boulevard is a well-known street in Venice, California that is expensive fashion, art and a variety of restaurants. If you are in the area, come by to Venice, California.

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