Wanderlust | The Merchants of Venice

At some point Venice, the longtime epicenter of Los Angeles cool, surrendered its title to other neighborhoods, like Silver Lake and Los Feliz. But some recently opened businesses are beckoning that attention back, particularly along Rose Avenue, thoroughfare to the Pacific Ocean.

 

Big Red Sun
An offshoot from its flagship location in Austin, Tex., Big Red Sun is a garden store as envisioned by Dr. Seuss. The building itself is painted a vibrant green, surely to match its contents. A visit to the store is a passive education in botany and an inspiration for those cursed with a yellow thumb to cultivate a beautiful garden.
564 Rose Avenue

 

Venice Beach Wines
Oscar Hermosillo opened a boutique wine shop here two years ago but decided he wanted something more. After a four-month renovation, he recently reopened the wine shop as a casual restaurant. Lunchtime is bustling with locals chowing down on pressed sandwiches, salads and a hearty selection of cheeses and meats. At night, the heated front patio fills up with a jaunty crowd of California hipsters.
529 Rose Avenue

 

 

C.A.V.E.
Originally opened in 2001 as a series of visual, film and art performances, the Center for Audio and Visual Expression found a home and gallery in Venice this past summer. The gallery features mostly street and skater-style artists from the So-Cal region.
507 Rose Avenue

 

 

Parker Pettit
Partners Jessica Lynn Parker and Kris Petti opened their bo-haute clothing shop in a whitewashed cottage this summer. Here you can choose from restored vintage dresses by Ossie Clark and dresses by Lanvin as well as printed caftans from India and Pakistan. There are accessories like leather necklaces and the store’s own line of angora baby booties, as well as original designs the two make on the premises.
1337 Abbot Kinney Boulevard

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