RSS FeedThe PQ Is My Venice Beach (In Disguise)
I used to live the quintessential California lifestyle on the southern edge of Venice Beach, but weekends in the PQ remind me I don’t have to travel 2689 miles to get a familiar urban flavor. During my Cali days, being a consultant meant I could be a beach bum a few days a week leaving plenty of time to walk, jog or rollerblade along the Pacific coast through the funky, artsy community of Venice Beach. Those weekend jaunts up Ocean Front Walk opened a door on the diversity of Los Angeles’ urban life – artists, vendors, bums, musicians, nightlife, diners lingering at outdoor cafes and people representing every race coming together in one festive mixing bowl. When I go on foot for Saturday outings around the PQ, I see an ode to that Cali sensibility everywhere. It’s not obvious at first but let me run the tally for you…
- the Asian calligrapher sketching out names on H St
- the prison art vendor on the Gallery Place walk on 7th St
- the bums drinking singles on the stoops next to the Chinatown Market on G St
- the lone guitar player (reverb cranked) on 7th St at D St
- the clubber patrons lined up on F St
- the diners outside Zaytinya on G St
- all sorts sitting in the Chipotle “Reviewing Stand” outside on H St
Every race imaginable saunters the streets and threading downtown near 10th and E Streets on my running route, I see and hear plenty of visitors with tongues wagging in English, Spanish, French and other languages. They all grin when they buy the wacky tourist apparel for sale (see our article on Tourist Alley). What I’d see in Venice Beach is what I see here albeit arranged differently on the neighborhood stage.
There is no Muscle Beach, glittering surf or weekend outdoor roller disco in the PQ (gotta’ love the quad skating disco divas!); the PQ is not a carbon copy and it isn’t supposed to be. Downtown DC living has some hard edges to it such as exposure to panhandlers and some aggressive youth behavior (see the Incident Last Night post) but what I enjoyed about living near the beach is what I enjoy about living here – being part of a diverse, vibrant urban fabric.
You might say the PQ is my Venice Beach in disguise.
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Comments
Are you kidding? I know you’ll remove this post, but seriously . . . PQ shares more in common with Brea than Venice Beach
Funny you should mention 10th & E. Last Sunday I was walking up E St, between 10th & 11th. As I walked past Gilfords ice cream shop and Qdoba Mexican Grill with the outdoor tables in front, I felt I was walking down a European street instead of Washington. Epecially hearing a few people speaking foreign languages.
I am from the area and this has always been known as “Muscle Beach” until recent years, when it was replaced by the “outdoor gym”.
I am following the story, be kind.
The comparison may sound ridiculous on face value, but I can somewhat see what pqresident is getting at. There’s a life and vitality in PQ that’s nice to see. Yes, the chains are coming in out the wazoo–but, you know, we can’t all be U St. or Wisconsin Ave. I like the street entertainers, the sidewalk dining, the languages you can’t quite figure out. God help me, I even kind of like the Verizon video boards. I wouldn’t want all of D.C. to be like this, but I’m a sucker for the 7th street “scene” every once in awhile, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.
Not quite Venice, Beach but PQ ambiance.
The new Shakespeare Theatre will be having an open house as part of this year’s Arts on Foot Festival Sept 15. Free performances,tours and kids activities.
http://www.shakespearetheatre.org/news/detail.aspx?id=52
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I would call it Venice beach on crack.