Between yesterday and today
Earlier this year, a new perfume boutique opened on Abbot Kinney, the approximately one-mile long Venice boulevard named for the area’s founder.
Strange Invisible Perfumes is a lovely spot. Housed in a tidy craftsman bungalow freshly painted in muted designer tones, it features Capiz shell chandeliers and curtains in a sophisticated boudoir setting. The ready-made scents, with lilting names like Lyric Rain and Vine, are packaged in 1-ounce bottles costing $200. Customers can also choose to have a scent custom blended. This is a little pricier: $700.
On a recent Saturday afternoon, several women sat in the shade on the front porch outside the shop. These included the owner, Alexandra Balahoutis, a self-taught perfumer, Balahoutis’ stepmother and another more familiar face: Brooke Shields, seen a few minutes later outside Massimo’s up the street, enjoying what looked like a chocolate cone while she waited for her ride to arrive.
Welcome to the new Abbot Kinney: upscale Abbot Kinney, a place to see and be seen, spot celebrities, eat $8 pancakes, buy $200 jeans, a $1,000 vintage wood school chair ($985 to be exact), or maybe a $2-million loft.
Not everyone is cheering the changes.
“I’m not upset there are nice grocery stores here and nice places to shop,” says Khalil Anderson, 26, a television producer’s assistant who has spent his entire life in Venice and felt at home with its anything goes culture. “There was a grunge element of Venice and it’s gone and that’s what made it attractive.”
Most business owners, however, are thrilled. After all, more high-end shops and chichi dining spots mean more people with money to spend are making Abbot Kinney a destination.
“I’m very pleased by what’s happening with the street,” says Hal Frederick, whose eponymous restaurant, Hal’s, is considered by many the street’s physical and social center. (The restaurant is also one of the oldest businesses on the boulevard, having celebrated its 15th birthday last year.) “It has kept its character. It hasn’t become a Montana [Avenue]. And there has not been a transformation of the bricks and mortar of the street. I know it’s become expensive. But anything that’s close to the beach is going to be expensive.”
Furthermore, hippie/new age/freaky/indie Venice is still alive here. The Green House Smoke Shop, which opens daily at “11ish” according to the business card -- talk about laid back -- sells a terrific array of pipes, bongs and rolling papers. The shop’s owners, Sandor Caplan and Bunny Lua, sit on the Abbot Kinney District Assn. board, a group responsible for the beautification of the boulevard and the annual street festival. This year’s festival is slated for Sunday.
Every other store carries incense. Audrey’s Good Vibrations offers free chakra readings and features products such as Karmic Chord Cutter Bath Salts for the Aura and Flower Essence Therapy for Animals. A new boutique called the Goddess offers classes in bead stringing and wire wrapping and has signs identifying every stone’s healing power. Rutilated quartz, for instance, “stimulates brain functions, increases clairvoyance and transmutes negativity.”
And no one seems surprised when a middle-aged man with a scraggly blond ponytail high atop his head walks by, this despite the fact that he sports 6-inch-long florescent fingernails on both his hands. Whatever, seems to the attitude here.
Abbot Kinney is also home to at least half a dozen art galleries and, despite rising rents and property values, several artists’ studios. Tara Sandroni Hirshberg and her business partner, Kristin Rey, opened Sandroni Rey gallery five years ago.
“When we came in, Abbot Kinney was definitely under the radar,” says Sandroni Hirshberg. “Some of our colleagues raised an eyebrow. But the whole street has turned in the last couple of years and it’s just fantastic. It was definitely a little bit of a risk when we started, but luckily it paid off.”
The regular show openings at Sandroni Rey are especially popular, attracting people from all over the city.
“The Silver Lake people come out here and make a whole night of it,” says Sandroni Hirshberg. “They go to Axe or they go to Lilly’s [two popular restaurants on the street]. Then they go to the Brig.”
The Brig is one of two bar bars, as opposed to restaurant bars, on Abbot Kinney. The other is Roosterfish, a 24-year-old gay bar housed in an electric blue building that is short on atmosphere (unless you count posters of half-naked men) but a mecca of good-looking guys.
If you wanted to sum up the changes that have occurred on Abbot Kinney in the last couple of years, the Brig would be a good place to consider. For years, it was a classic dive bar. It was dingy. It wasn’t particularly warm. It lacked charm. But it was a decent place to get a cheap beer and play a game of pool. Locals went there. Everyone else went to the bars on nearby Main Street or around Third Street Promenade.
A couple of years ago, the Brig was transformed. Fortunately, the new owner kept the fabulous old sign outside of the original owner, boxer Babe Brandelli. There’s also still a pool table, albeit one that has seen a bit less wear and tear than its predecessors. But other than that, the Brig is unrecognizable. It’s slick. It’s stylish. There are groovy metallic surfaces and security guards. There’s a DJ booth. And on Friday and Saturday nights, the place is packed with girls in tight jeans and spaghetti strap tanks and guys in Abercrombie & Fitch.
“I like the atmosphere,” said lawyer Josh Krom, 26, over the blasting music on a recent Friday night. “It’s kind of yuppieish,” added the Beverly Hills resident. “But it’s a friendly place to go.”
Jake Harvey, 30, who has lived about a block from Abbot Kinney for nine years and worked at the Sculpture Gardens nursery there for a year and a half, used to love the Brig. “That was my favorite spot.” Now, for the most part, he avoids it.
“It used to be the kind of place you’d see a lot of neighborhood people. Now I go there and I don’t know any of these people,” says Harvey. “It seems like it’s gotten the Pepperdine crowd. It’s part of the whole bar-hopping tour.”
But the Brig, in its new incarnation, has brought life to Abbot Kinney. And if there’s one complaint local business owners have, it’s the lack of people on the street.
“Look at it,” said Lianne Gold, staring out the window of her design shop, Neptina, on a Saturday afternoon. “It’s like ghost town USA.” Because the foot traffic can be light, Gold opens her home furnishings, accessories and art store only about 12 hours a week, usually on weekends.
Many shops on the boulevard are open only three days a week, Thursday through Saturday, which seems odd, at least to an outsider, since there are certainly more than enough retailers here to support a vibrant seven-day-a-week shopping scene. Apparently, that isn’t necessarily the goal however.
“We really like being in an area that isn’t cluttered with a lot of professional shoppers,” says perfumer Balahoutis.
Besides, were the Prada crowd to descend in large numbers, the store owners and workers here might actually have to dress up, which isn’t something Joseph Bortoli, the owner and designer of Nagual jewelry and accessories, and one of several hard-core surfers on his block, is eager to do. His summer work uniform consists of baggy shorts and a T-shirt -- untucked, naturally.
“It all boils down to lifestyle,” says Bortoli, who characterizes the Abbot Kinney vibe as “neo-bohemianism.”
“I think it’s the new SoHo, the SoHo of L.A.,” he continues. “There are a lot of live-in artists and funky little boutiques. We’re just hoping no corporates come in or it will turn into the SoHo of New York.”
It is fitting then that Abbot Kinney, the founder of Venice, was something of an eccentric himself, albeit a very learned and well traveled eccentric who wrote extensively on a variety of subjects, including Native American culture, sex education and metaphysics.
The New Jersey native was born in 1850 into a middle-class family and later made a small fortune in the tobacco business. In 1880, he came to Los Angeles on a whim and tried to check into a Sierra Madre health resort he’d heard of. The resort was fully booked, but the proprietor offered him the parlor room.
The story goes that Kinney, who’d long suffered from asthma, slept on the billiard table, woke up refreshed and breathing easily and decided to stay in the area. He bought more than 500 acres in the nearby foothills. Real estate would become his passion.
In 1891, Kinney and a business partner purchased a large swath of coastal land that included most of south Santa Monica, as well as some marshy land to the south. Twelve years after that, Kinney’s partner decided to sell off his half.
When the relationship between Kinney and his new partners turned sour, the two parties decided to flip a coin to divvy up the property. Kinney won.
Instead of choosing the developed Santa Monica half, which featured a beach resort and a popular casino, Kinney took the marsh land.
“They thought he was crazy,” says Elayne Alexander, past president of the Venice Historical Society. (Alexander is currently at work on an authorized biography of Kinney.)
Kinney proceeded to build several miles of canals, in part out of necessity -- to drain the land and make it usable -- and in part because he wanted to create a Venice of America. He envisioned this Venice, like Venice, Italy, a cultural mecca.
Venice became a city in 1911. Kinney died nine years later; he is buried in Santa Monica’s Westlawn cemetery. In 1925, Venice was consolidated into the city of Los Angeles, which proceeded to fill in Kinney’s canals. They later built new canals.
Several remnants of Kinney’s Venice remain, including portions of Windward Avenue, a home on Cabrillo Avenue featuring an onion dome and, of course, a strong sense of endless possibility.
An association of Venice business people and residents began a campaign in the late 1980s to have West Washington Boulevard renamed Abbot Kinney.
In 1990, the name change finally took place.
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Navigating Abbot Kinney
New kids on the block
1. Bluelink Surf Boutique, 1140 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Find Birdwell board shorts, the original surf uniform, as well as Kunna denim and Toes On the Nose vintage-inspired surf line. Or design your own board shorts. Just select a fabric. The in-house tailor will do the rest.
2. The Goddess, 1507 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Walk through the doors of this spiffed-up Craftsman bungalow and prepare to tap into your creative side. Design your own necklace or earrings. Sign up for an evening bead knotting class with wine and cheese.
3. Pearce, 1225 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Alma Allen’s beautiful and simple designs -- turned wood bowls and stools, tables, wood and stone sculpture -- star in this perfect little shop/gallery: an aesthete’s dream.
4. Primitivo Wine Bistro, 1025 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Oenophiles love the varied and reasonably priced wine offerings at this tapas bar.
5. Strange Invisible Perfumes, 1209 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Olfactory bliss in a bottle is the draw at this swanky new perfumery. Let Alexandra Balahoutis custom blend a scent for you or choose one of the ready-made intoxicants.
6. Stroh’s Gourmet, 1239 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Neighborhood residents and shopkeepers cheered the arrival of this gourmet shop/delicatessen specializing in artisanal cheeses, fine chocolates and killer sandwiches on La Brea Bakery bread.
7. Wolf, 1337 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
This boutique for the stylin’ guy carries old school Fred Perry polo shirts, PaperDenim&Cloth; jeans and smart, colorful dress shirts by Robert Graham. Don’t miss the R-rated dressing rooms.
Old standbys
8. Abbot’s Habit, 1401 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
This local coffeehouse makes a mean blended mocha. Good pastries too. In sum, a fine place to hang out.
9. Abbot’s Pizza, 1407 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Lovingly made pizza with a bagel dough crust has earned this modest storefront with a few counter spots local legend status.
10. Audrey’s Good Vibrations, 1204 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
If you’re looking for that perfect essential oil or a little color therapy, this is the place.
11. Axe, 1009 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Communal tables and less is more decor mean food is the star at this hip spot pronounced “Ah-shay,” and boy is it tasty, albeit a bit pricey. We dream of the poached egg with bitter greens, crisp smoky bacon and tender potato slices.
12. Capri, 1616 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
This airy dining room is a great date spot. Not that you need to be wooing someone to enjoy the homemade ravioli filled with mild pumpkin and a glass of Chardonnay.
13. Double Vision, 1225 Abbot Kinney
Blvd.
Find vintage French school posters, mid-century ceramics, costume jewelry and uncommon objects of all sorts in this compact but stellar design showroom.
14. Firefly, 1413 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
It’s super fun browsing the shelves of this eclectic gift shop: groovy bags, fancy soaps, jewelry, books and “ooh” items for baby.
15. French Market Cafe, 2321 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Because this spot is on the less traveled end of the boulevard, it attracts mostly locals, who jam the patio on weekends to enjoy flaky croissants and savory crepes.
16. Glen Crest Bar-B-Que, 1146 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Nothing fancy here. Just respectable barbecue, top-notch fried chicken and peach cobbler to finish.
17. The Green House, 1428 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
It’s all about a good smoke: rolling papers, pipes, bongs etc. A vestige of the street’s past.
18. Hal’s, 1349 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
If there were a Most Popular contest, this place would win. Expect warm service, world class art and solid American fare. Live jazz Sunday and Monday evenings.
19. Joe’s, 1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Long a favorite of L.A. foodies, this grown-up spot does great Cal-French tasting menus. For Sunday brunch, try the peaches and cream French toast.
20. Lilly’s, 1031 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
This bistro features a charming patio out back and a menu of well executed Cal-French fare. The daily $10 lunch special, maybe a croque monsieur or a perfect omelet with a simple salad and textbook frites, is a deal.
21. Massimo’s, 1029 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
In the summertime, the gelato bar beckons. But this sweet cafe also offers pastries, satisfying sandwiches and salads and a quaint shaded patio in the rear.
22. Neptina, 1329 1/2 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Twentieth century furniture and sculptural glass, along with paintings by local boy Michael Illes, get top billing here.
23. Nagual, 1142 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Joseph Bortoli has won celebrity and rocker fans with his Mayan- and Aztec-inspired jewelry designs showcased here.
24. Roosterfish, 1302 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
This low-key, neighborhood watering hole has been serving reasonably priced drinks for more than 20 years to a mixed gay and straight crowd.
25. Sandroni Rey, 1224 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
This 5-year-old gallery represents an eclectic roster of international artists. Their openings are smokin’.
26. Scentiments, 1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
No teddy bears, carnations or baby’s breath in this flower shop. The look is clean and modern. Great glass and ceramic pieces too.
27. Sculpture Gardens, 1029 1/2 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Fans of exotic flowering plants like the purple bat vine won’t want to miss this fabulous sculpture-filled garden that meanders behind Lilly’s and Massimo’s.
28. Tortilla Grill, 1357 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Reasonably priced massive burritos that serve two easily and fresh watermelon juice have made this one of the street’s most beloved spots.
29. Wabi-Sabi, 1635 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
This place is proof that hip and stellar fish are not mutually exclusive. It is also one of the few sushi dens in the city to feature outdoor seating, albeit only a few tables.
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Abbot Kinney Boulevard Festival
Think of the 19th annual Abbot Kinney Boulevard Festival as the ultimate block party. Typically about 30,000 people spend the day.
* 300 booths from surfboard makers to photography to handmade jewelry, and a classic car show.
* Taste of Venice: 15 local eateries with plates priced between $4 and $8.
* Music: Three stages, 24 bands, DJs spin between sets. Local favorite Venice scheduled to perform at 5 p.m.
* Poetry: Beyond Baroque poetry readings.
* Kids: A Youth and Children’s Court: a live theater, petting zoo, Ferris wheel, spin art, caricatures and face painting.
* Catching air: Wannabe Tony Hawks can watch top skateboarders tear it up.
When: Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice
Why: Profits from the festival go to the Abbot Kinney District Assn. for future projects such as a planned sculpture garden at the intersection of Abbot Kinney and Venice boulevards, as well as youth programs
Info: www.abbotkinney.org
Leslee Komaiko can be contacted at weekend@latimes.com.
