4:57pm
By Sam Skopp
Venice Beach is always busy, but attractions meant to draw large crowds of out-of-town tourists were especially crowded this past Saturday. Street performances, the Venice Beach Freakshow and head shops all drew large crowds.
However, Mike Lutkiss, who has been a merchant at Venice Beach for more than five years, has found that business at Venice Beach has been at an all-time low. “Tourists with money aren’t coming here,” Lutkiss said. “It’s not what it was.”
According to Lutkiss, last winter drew an unusually low amount of business, and he expects this summer to follow suit. Mary, a local ice-cream vendor who’s lived in Venice for 20 years, saw things differently. “Holidays always bring more people to the beach,” she said.
Whether the large crowds were part of an upward or downward trend may have differed depending on each vendor’s point of view, but one thing remains true: Venice Beach is still very, very busy.
