Venice canalsBy suhas sahaiB-Arch , 7th sem

THE LOST CANALS OF VENICEVenice of America was founded by tobacco millionaire Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a beach resort town.

When Venice of America opened on July 4, 1905, Kinney had dug several miles of canals to drain the marshes for his residential area and bring a taste of Venice to America.He also built a 1,200-foot long pleasure pier with an auditorium, ship restaurant, and dance hall, constructed a hot salt-water plunge, and built a block-long arcaded business street with Venetian architecture.

Despite appearances, Abbot Kinneys vision was for more than a theme park attraction. Inspired by Italian Renaissance period, Kinney imagined a beach community that would foster a cultural Renaissance in America.Gondolas imported from ItalyThe canals were the first and central attraction to Kinneys Venice of America.

In 1924, the canals were under attack by new forces elected to Board of Trustees. The civic Betterment League, having no connection to Kinney Company, decided to build more roads in Venice in the name of progress. By 1929, most of the canals were paved. That same year, oil was discovered on the Venice Peninsula.From 1924 to 1929, the Venice canal residents fought the decision to pave the canals in the court. The residents argued that the pavement would result in re-assessment of their propertys value and they would lose the park-like atmosphere

Los Angeles neglected Venice for more than three decades and the canals became nothing more than a sewer

In 1960s, theVenice Canal area became a home for artists and beatniks. Beat writers such as Philomene Long, Clair Horner, Shanna Moore, Frank Rios, Stuart Perkof and Tony Scibella originated out of VeniceReconstruction plans for the canals were under discussion for decades. Finally, in the 1970s and 80s, action was taken to clean up and reconstruct the canals. The fate of the residents was still shakey.

After the California Commission approved the citys canal restoration project, work began on February 1992. Venice residents helped in canal improvement the way did everything, by working together. On October 19, 1993, reconstruction of canals was complete.

With time however, the smaller houses have been replaced by larger modern homes. Many of the original artists, writers and community members have been forced out of the area, as real estate prices have escalated.Now completely restored, the Venice Canal area is one of the most coveted locations in Los Angeles.

The canals themselves go for about as long as you would like to walk. It is just a nice place to take a leisurelystroll and take in the beautiful and serene area that seems almost out of place in the chaos of Venice Beach.Almost every house on the canals has a dock and a good half of them have some form of boat that they can take on the water. It seems like it would be a pretty cool life to simply walk outside your door, get in your gondola and travel down the waterway to the neighbors house.

THE BRIDGESEach canal seems to have at least two or three bridges that connect the two sides. While walking the area you will not have a hard time cutting across to adjacent sides, as there are enough bridges to make walking easy, but not enough to detract from the view.

The canals are now a quaint upscale neighborhood in Venice. Fully restored and remodeled homes make it a postcard scene along the canal shores. Venice California originally was to be a copy of Venice, Italy, canals and all. Few of the original canals remain today.CONCLUSION