Quick answer
The venice canals la district is a restored grid of man-made waterways in Los Angeles. Built in nineteen zero five, the canals were renovated in nineteen ninety-two and re-opened in nineteen ninety-three. Walk the footbridges, watch birds, and notice the quiet residential streets that replaced old amusement-era publicity.
Full transcript
Canal Grid and Bridges
The venice canals la grid is small enough to read on foot. Six canals run about one and a half miles long and fifty feet wide, with Carroll, Linnie, Howland, and Sherman east to west, and Eastern and Grand north to south. Enter from Dell Avenue at Sherman Canal, then look for the four bridges that cross Dell Avenue from south to north. Courts A through E branch toward the homes, while nine footbridges stitch the water lanes together. The walls are not just scenery; they were rebuilt during the renovation, and the center was deepened to five feet. Stand at a footbridge and watch the water move under the bridge shadow.
From Amusement Pitch to Historic District
The story begins in nineteen zero five, when developer Abbot Kinney built these man-made wetland canals as part of his Venice of America. The names were meant to sell lots: Aldebaran, Altair, Cabrillo, Coral, Grand, Lion, and Venus. Cars changed the neighborhood, and a number of canals were filled in nineteen twenty-nine for paved roads. By nineteen forty, the remaining sidewalks were condemned, and the district stayed poor for more than forty years. Later, the canals were renovated in nineteen ninety-two and re-opened in nineteen ninety-three. The historic district was added to the National Register in nineteen eighty-two and designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in nineteen eighty-three. From a bridge, look for the canal names on nearby signs.
Wildlife and Tidal Water
The water here is not decorative. It comes from Marina del Rey and is controlled by tidal gates at the jetty and at Washington Boulevard. To maintain quality, the Washington Boulevard gates are opened twice a week for natural flushing. During a flush, a seal or even a leopard shark can accidentally swim into the canals. The canals are a designated wildlife preserve, so look for herons, egrets, mergansers, coots, cormorants, sea gulls, pelicans, and domesticated mallard ducks. The renovation used Loffelblocks on the sides and planted a protective saltbush barrier along the sidewalks. The canals also provide a valuable nursery for fish. Stand quietly at the water's edge and watch for a bird lifting off from the saltbush.