Crave L.A. – First Friday’s on Abbot Kinney In Venice

Abbot Kinney Shopping on First Friday’s in Venice

Once named “Coolest Block in America” by GQ, this short but bustling drag of commerce a mile east of Venice Beach still has some of the most eclectic stores in the area – each with their own personality, purpose and painstakingly detailed décor. There isn’t one shop on the street that doesn’t seem like it’s been inspired by the most cutting edge trends in the worlds of fashion, farm to table eateries, and artisinal craftsmanship.

“I think I could actually live in half these stores. They’re beautiful to look at, and feel like they would be soooo comfortable to come home to every night”, said a man in his late twenty’s as he walked by VNYL – the record store that opened this past April on the corner of Abbot Kinney and San Juan Avenue.

First Friday’s Food Trucks in Venice

After walking past dozens of these awesome shops, my friends and I headed east towards Venice Boulevard, where the streets opened up and two clusters of the most sought after food trucks in the area congregated in semi-circles.  Weaving around the menagerie of brightly colored aluminum frames and dozens of active iPads taking customer orders, were dense lines of obviuosly hungry people saying things like “ooohh, I would crush some lobster mac and cheese right now”, and “holy shit, thats the biggest 6 cheese texas toast I have seen in my entire life.”

Of course, your first Friday’s experience wouldn’t feel complete unless after you took the last bite of your delicious dinner, there was a man sitting on a folding chair strumming away on his classical guitar, smiling as widely as his face could stretch, and singing his heart out to the best covers of Billy Joel you could hear for miles.

Images courtesy of Jeffrey Walter