1. A hipper than its own good coffee shop- Intelligentsia (with its $7.00 coffee)
2. Nerds- a Google campus inside a building designed by Gehry (yes, I am referring to the Binoculars)
3. A fancy clothing boutique for men- Jack Spade/Steve Alan
4. a slew of popular eateries - Wolf In Sheep's Clothing, Tasting Kitchen--not to mention-- Gjelina, have you even tried to get a dinner reservation there lately? I think the waitlist puts you months back and gives you a time slot for dinner at like 4 pm or 11 at night.
5. "Enviro-health conscious" minded peeps --I cannot even count the number of trendy bikes strapped with yoga mats and latte holders I've spotted in Venice.
GENTIFRICATION = GOOD COFFEE + NERDS + FANCY CLOTHES FOR MEN + RESTAURANTS GALORE + YUPPIES
My whole diatribe/mathematic equation about gentrification is besides the point.
Let's get back to Rose Avenue and its fleeting grunge. Also, the shabby-ramshackle-seedy Lincoln Boulevard might also turn the corner if it hasn't already with the most monstrous Whole Foods plopped at the corner of Rose & Lincoln. According to the LA Times, Lincoln Boulevard is sometimes now referred to as "the Linc" by weasel hipsters (okay, fine, I added the word "weasel").
So does that mean goodbye to Venice grunge? The only place to find it might just be the boardwalk. Epic drum circles still exist, but the homeless and the bohemians have been pushed off even the boardwalk and into the dirty sand (which might as well be the Pacific Ocean). SuperBa, Venice Beach Wines, Cafe Gratitude, Moon Juice, some yoga studio, Big Red Sun, another yoga studio, and live/work lofts chic up the town. That's cool, I am fine with it. I go to most of the restaurants on bike post-yoga anyways, but I have a question: As chic as Venice becomes-- Can the Tranny Clown stay?--as a symbol of yesteryear when we were cheaper, rougher around the edges, and even a bit tacky?
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