Venice: Where wall art lives.

One year ago July, my son Sirous had open heart surgery (OHS) to replace his pulmonary valve. For his cardiology appointments we head to UCLA to see his cardiologist. In an effort to create an experience that’s not only health related, we decided to make a weekend out of it.

Even though Los Angeles is only about 45 minutes from our house, we decided to get a hotel, explore the vibrant street art of Venice and have dinner in Beverly Hills. What kid wouldn’t want to do that? What adult wouldn’t want to do that?

When we arrived in Venice (Abbot Kinney) we had a spectacular meal at The Tasting Kitchen. The waffles with bacon inside, fried chicken spiced perfectly and the hand crafted beverages were to die for! It has a hip vibe, but not so much you feel put off. After filling up on brunch we headed out to the streets. Just walking up Abbott Kinney you feel like you’re in a different world. The art, the shops, the crowds. It’s a damn fun time! The wall I wanted to see was The Love Wall. It felt symbolic of our trip and I’m a sucker for anything heart related.

As you continue your journey on the street there are walls with animals, musicians and faces. It’s like being at an outdoor art museum! It was fantastic taking pictures of the kids, seeing all the locals and checking out the thriving coffee/food scene. I also like that you’re not in the hustle, bustle of Venice Beach. We got our Venice feel without being slammed by too many tourists.