Save Windward Farms, Celebrate Hama Sushi!

Hi there. I MISS you all. Life has been nuts, and really hard, battling to keep my mother in good care in Minnesota. I meant to post this on Monday, but in all the mayhem going on in my life, it's happening today.... have a great and safe weekend, please!


It's even harder to be away from Venice when so many of our favorite haunts are disappearing. Canal Club closed while I've been away, Surfside closed, Kifune closing, Baja Cantina closing ... but the heaviest hammer so far was the news that our neighborhood grocer would be closing ... Windward Farms had their rent increased 120%, making it impossible to stay open and be able to charge their customers their always reasonable prices on their great food.

Then, to rub salt in the very deep community wound, it was announced that Great White would be taking over the space, and they let everyone know with an open letter that was right up there with the audacity of Adidas' absurd claim that they were "Defining Venice". Great White thought that they created the vibrancy to the corner of Windward & Pacific, and they had caused locals to return to the area. What?! Uh, no. Hecho En Venice creator, Oscar Galan, had his first surf shop right where Great White now is, and I promise you that you don't get any more local than that.

Windward Farms has ALWAYS been for locals, and you knew you would always run into someone you knew while you were stopping in for some basics, or for an excellent smoothie, quesadilla, or chicken salad (my jams). You could zip in to grab a bottle of wine to enjoy with your meal up the street at Venice Cucina. You could go get that quart of milk or thing of flour you forgot for your recipe already underway at home (me more than once).

It was a true neighborhood institution, and everyone that came out to show their love and support for Windward Farms when they heard the news was right. Greed IS ruining Venice.

The outpouring of love - and total outrage - means that there has been a reprieve given, and Windward Farms is still open for business as of now. They are apparently renegotiating the lease, and obviously everyone hopes for the best. Especially me, who does not want to have missed out on one more smoothie! Venice needs Windward Farms, and that's that.

On a happier note (but sad for me), I also missed the 40th Anniversary party of Hama Sushi! FORTY YEARS of sushi in Venice, there in the Windward Circle in the shadow of the Venice sign, that was lit up in Hama colors for the occasion!

There was a block party with live music and cool cars and all the Venice friends and customers mingling over sushi and sake happily - realizing there are still some local institutions that are thriving and not going anywhere. Thank God.

Congratulations and love to Windward Farms for still being open, and for getting to know how very beloved you are! Congratulations to Hama Sushi, Esther Chaing, and all of the staff for the wonderful milestone of your 40th year in Venice!

WE LOVE YOU BOTH!!!! And I sure do miss you.

*Windward Farms photos by Ray Rae/Venice Beach Photos

*Hama photo one from John Vester, two from Todd Van Hoffman

A Weekend Protest For Venice - No Chains On Ocean Front Walk!

There was a second protest this past Saturday on Ocean Front Walk to oppose the opening of an awful Starbuck's on our Venice Boardwalk in the space left vacant by the evicted Venice Freak Show - the ultimate slap in the face to Venice and its unique history.

A first protest happened early this year, but it was raining all day (and I was out of town) so the turnout wasn't what was hoped for, so another was planned ... and frankly, we should be protesting this b.s. every day anyway. This time it was bright, sunny, clear skied, and brisk after a week of rain left everything in bold Technicolor once again. Locals gathered on Ocean Front Walk in front of the dreaded Starbuck's, carrying signs and bullhorns and generally heckling anyone who would climb the steps up to the neighborhood-wrecking symbol of gentrification with shouts of "NOOOOO!" "DON'T DO IT!!!!" "JUST SAY NO!!!!" "BRING BACK THE FREAK SHOW!" "NO CHAINS IN VENICE!" and other chants with that general sentiment. Whether they went inside or not, now they know.

You can kind of forgive tourists (kind of) for not knowing, but honestly, what tourist comes to the Venice Boardwalk to go to Starbuck's? Every town - even lame ones - have that jive ... travel is supposed to open your world up to NEW experiences, places, and people ... not repeat the same homogenized behavior as the suburban dwellers that brought this scourge on society to prominence. Venice is for ONE OF A KIND places. Venice has always been about LOCAL business, Mom and Pops. Families bring their kids to Venice (for free, the day after Disneyland) to see something out there, something memorable ... and I promise you, that is not yet another Starbuck's.

Guards were posted up outside of the blight on our community, for no real need. Venice Dogz and concerned members of our changing community are a peaceful bunch, and it got no crazier than bullhorned messages being transformed to the passersby - who heard loudly and clearly that Venice is not just going to sit back and accept this greedy, gentrifying money grab. Now, I've always liked Ben & Jerry's ice cream, but I'll never go to one of their franchise stores on the Boardwalk - RIGHT NEXT to Charly Temmel's ice cream! The NERVE!!!! Whose idea was it to open up a chain directly next to an original, one of a kind ice cream parlor that has been there for decades?! It's so rude and mean, I can't believe the groovy hippie guys from Vermont ever really thought this through. I've never seen anyone sitting outside of there with ice cream, so hopefully everyone knows to go to Charly Temmel when in Venice ... but STILL. The audacity.

I hear a lot of people say things like "Oh, Venice is over" and "Umm .. I think it's too late for Venice" and that kind of thing, and it's almost always from someone who threw in the towel on Venice, left, probably misess it a lot. and it makes them feel better to dis the place that we're all still trying to preserve - at great cost and sacrifice. I shrug, let them think that, and go out to join my friends and neighbors in a peaceful protest to let everyone know we're not happy about it - and they're gonna hear about it, whether they like it or not. The hope is that maybe some other giant corporation will think twice about opening up here in Venice, where they are not welcome by anyone other than greedy landlords and New Venice people who just don't get it - and probably never will.

So, scoff all you want, I don't care. I love Venice, and I'll be arm in arm in solidarity with any and everyone who feels the same and is willing to stand up for it. To stand together and loudly proclaim: NO CHAINS ON OCEAN FRONT WALK!!!

Fists raised.

Lucky Stop Liquor Getting The Boot Off Abbot Kinney

Update 5/9/18:

The new owner, Jesse, contacted me to let me know that Lucky Stop will remain a liquor/convenience store ... they will remain open while a remodel happens after they take over on May 16th. They say they will remain affordable, have new products, and will be offering Door Dash delivery. I guess if they're willing to pay the new outrageous rent that pushed our old friends out, we can be willing to give them a chance in the neighborhood. Best of luck!


Well, I stopped in to see my friends at Lucky Stop Liquor on Abbot Kinney today, and found out that the bad news rumor is true. They are closing for good in a couple of weeks. The spot that everyone on the block goes to for their various daily items will be no longer, because the owner thinks that they should jack up the rent from $15,000 a month to $30,000. They already forced the store to cut itself in half a few years ago to create the Will Leather store (when their rent already went up from $7,000 for the whole big space to $15,000 for half the space), and now they're just getting the total boot.

In yet another example of complete greed and no bigger picture, Abbot Kinney is getting less and less cool every day. It's getting to where only corporate retailers are able to pay this highway robbery called these outrageous rents. I've been friends with Lucky Stop's Justin Cho for a long time, and he could only laugh about it today. Because it's laughable - if it also weren't so awful and downright sinister.

Cho thinks it might still be a liquor store, but a fancy one, if some chump wants to pay that much for that little. We both looked across the street at Abbot's Habit still sitting there empty after almost a year since closing, and just shook our heads at the greed and shameless money grab that continues to go down in our community. That is, in fact, killing our community.

Hey, Landlords ... how about have a heart? How about getting the fact - once again - that people do not come to Venice to see the same old chain stores everywhere else in the world has. They come to see unique, cool things, in one of the most unique and cool places on Earth ... for now. Stop trying to homogenize everything ... how much money does any one person need, anyway? You can't take it with you. When no one bothers to come to Venice anymore because it's the same as every other generic town, then who is going to pay your jacked up rents? Have some vision.

I'm disgusted. And I'm really going to miss Cho and Company there on the block. Dumb.

Another Venice Family Leaves ...

I was walking down Pacific Avenue yesterday, and got a lump in my throat to see that yet another Venice family is having to leave their house.  This great old beach house is on the corner of Clubhouse and Pacific, and you just know it's going to be torn down for yet another BUB.

I don't know the real story on this situation at all, but I can tell by looking at it that it meant a lot to the "Venice Beach Pontius Family" from 1965 - 2018. 53 years in a wonderful pad full of happy memories ... and I bet they didn't want to leave. I didn't know them, I don't think, but I'm still sad to see them go.

Oh, Venice ... we're doing our best to keep you real, but when will this housing madness end? How? Let's hope we are not reduced to merely a cautionary tale, and folklore about how cool it used to be here. There's still time, while there's still cool. I love you, Venice ... no matter what.

Venice Is Not For Sale - Only It Is.

I was walking down the street this morning when I came upon this little tag on the sidewalk ... "Venice is not for sale". I have to figure it must be old ... because at this point in time, Venice is for sure for sale.

Not the SPIRIT of Venice, of course, but Venice property has been so pimped out and sold, it's nearly unrecognizable if you haven't been here in a while. It's so disheartening. For the first time since I moved here over 20 years ago, I'm thinking I'm not as sure that this is the place for me anymore. I mean, I LOVE VENICE, as everyone knows ... but what I love so much seems to be in ever increasing danger of disappearing completely.

The new people moving in don't get it at all. You can tell just by the things that they complain about that they have no idea what Venice was ever truly like. The fact that Adidas and Smashbox - massive chains that were never tolerated in this town - both just opened for business on Abbot Kinney. Thi should really tell you all you need to know. That Venice, like America itself, has been bought and sold to the highest bidders. It's disgusting, and sad, and I'm getting weary of the battle. I can't stand walking around listening to these entitled, self-centered jerks acting like they own the world, and thinking they can take over our little beach-side Community. It's heartbreaking.

The future is wide open, and it is what we make it. I have no idea what's next, but I'm no longer as sure that whatever happens will be in Venice. I'd hate to be one to throw in the towel on a place in the world that is downright sacred to me, but the greed sickens me on the daily.

It's true that those magical qualities that originally defined Venice cannot be bought and sold ... but you have to still be able to feel them to want to be here, and that's getting harder and harder every day.

We shall see.

A Tie-Dye Town

I was out and about last weekend and saw this great display on the fencing around the Venice Post Office. A guy had set up all sorts of tie-dyed items for sale, and it was a fantastic cacophony of color there on Windward Circle. I wish I hadn't been in such a rush so I could have stopped and got this guy's story, and hopefully he'll return. Tie-dye has always represented a nice, hippie vibe to me, an unspoken message of peace and love and grooviness that has always worn well in Venice.

These days, with the encroachment of money and the greed for it, there has been less tie-dye and more designer labels. Less peace and love and more anger and complaining. I've heard a lot more honking in Venice, if that tells you anything. I was in the crosswalk at Venice Boulevard and Abbot Kinney the other day and this woman was laying on her horn and swearing out her window, needing to make her left real bad. I passed by and mentioned that she might think about relaxing, which did not go over well. Neither did my laughing at her yelling at me.

That is not Venice behavior, People. Not the Venice I know and love and fight for. The big Abbot Kinney Hotel project would only make things worse, especially on the traffic tip. No, thanks. They rescheduled the hearing for the project to tomorrow morning at 9:30, and I hope all who can attend in opposition, will. At LEAST sign the petition. I've already written to Bonin, as should you. Real Venice voices need to be heard on this, not just the loudest, wealthiest, and bitchiest (Yeah. You, lady!).  Tomorrow morning. Please use this link for the details:

https://www.change.org/p/mike-bonin-stop-the-venice-place-hotel/u/17915888

Stand up to this b.s. Fight the power. Wear more tie-dye. Peace!!!

Ban The B.I.D. In Venice!

Seriously. Please stop what you're doing now and sign this petition. They're trying to put a "Business Improvement District" into Venice, which means more restrictions, more big money, and perhaps the final nail in the coffin for any vestige of our Bohemian style in Venice to remain. And we're not having it.

It just takes a second to sign, and then you can feel like you helped to do SOMETHING to fight this madness that is taking over our beloved Community. I hear an awful lot of complaining about it, so now here's your chance to take a little bit of power back. Please. Thank you. 

WE LOVE YOU, VENICE!