L.A. Boulevard's Star Turn Has Neighbors Feeling Upstaged

Venice's Abbot Kinney Boulevard has staged a remarkable turnaround over the past thirty years, from gang hotbed and the scene of a notorious murder to a hip enclave of "arty, indie fare."

"An upgrade was inevitable, given the street's location and the area's favorably evolving demographics, including the arrival of Google and other Silicon Beach companies," writes Martha Groves. "'But now,' said Los Angeles Councilman Mike Bonin, who lives in neighboring Mar Vista, 'it may be at risk of being a victim of its own success.'"

"Some sense in the offing a replay of familiar flame-outs such as once hot and now not so much Melrose and Montana avenues," Groves adds. 

"More and more every day, it feels like Abbot Kinney is separating itself from the neighborhood," said Marta Evry, a longtime resident. "It's a street for tourists, people from outside the area, but not a street for the people who live here."