Abbot Kinney Blvd.

Just within a few blocks, Abbot Kinney Blvd offers a broad variety of shops: food, desserts, clothes, shoes, and novelty shops. Its location, blocks away from Venice Beach’s boardwalk, gives Abbot Kinney bohemian, warm, laid-back vibes that perfectly define what SoCal is known for. It is perfect for dining, shopping, or simply enjoying a leisurely walk.

                                                   (Source: http://www.seathos.org)
The boulevard offers several dining options. For breakfast, Intelligenca is a unique coffee shop where the baristas stay with one customer at a time, and go through the process of making their order with them. Gjelina, located on the corner of Milwood Ave, is another good option for both lunch and dinner. Their menu is rather limited, however, it is filled with amazing salads and gourmet, organic homemade pizzas. Parties under four are seated at a communal table, making it significantly different from other restaurants of its kind.

For a quick dessert, make sure to stop by N’ice Cream across California Ave to try their organic gelato sorbets and Italian style frozen yogurts. If available, I recommend their Honey Yogurt and Mint Chip flavors. If none of these options sound appealing to you, Abbot Kinney has a variety of restaurants and cuisines, such as sushi, Mexican food, gluten-free pizzas, and juiceries.




Along Abbot Kinney, there are 20+ clothing/shoe stores for women, men, and children. My favorite, Principessa is a Women’s designer boutique that offers the latest in trends. The store is divided by color, style, and type of clothing, from casual wear to shoes to intimates to party dresses.

                                                   (Source: http://www.localemagazine.com)       

On the other side of the spectrum, Aviator Nation, (originating in Venice, CA) exclusively focuses on casual Stone-Washed tees, sweatpants, and sweaters. The designs use vintage pieces as inspiration to create quality, cool, and comfy clothing for men, women, and children. Every piece of clothing in the store reflects the famous “Californian” style.

Lastly, Rag and Bone serves to women and men with high-end designer clothing, shoes and accessories. Although it is a NYC based store, their beautifully designed stores are scattered all throughout Los Angeles.

Walking along the store fronts of Abbot Kinney is a perfect way to spend an afternoon. Each store has its own individual architectural design, which is fascinating to watch, as well as the numerous street art murals.

Abbot Kinney is filled with shops to stroll through with no pressure of buying anything. If you go to the TOMS Flagship Store, you will see a little hidden alley on the left. If you go down and make a turn, you will find a beautiful outdoor hang out spot with people talking, drinking coffee, and working on their laptops. It is the perfect place to meet with friends, read a book, or take pictures. 

Furthermore, make sure to browse through Bountiful, a French antique/home decor shop.  Although super crowded, perusing through their chic, colorful baubles will make you feel as if you teleported to Paris!

Lastly, but definitely not least, don’t forget to visit Abbot Kinneys' popular, modern, pop-art galleries. The G2 Gallery, C.A.V.E Gallery, and Altered Space are only a few out of many to visit.

Make sure to check out Abbot Kinneys' website to find more. Thanks for reading!

- Shirelle

*All photos are mine unless otherwise noted.*