Much of Venice demands some caution. The long-troubled Oakwood neighborhood of Venice south of Rose Avenue, west of Abbot Kinney Street, north of California Avenue, and west of Lincoln Boulevard has a long history of gang and drug activity and racial tensions and is best avoided except for major streets. However, there is very little of interest for tourists in this area.
Venice Beach, at night, demands caution; do not go on the sand at night as when the sun goes down, the beach becomes a giant swapmeet for drugs: it is often nicknamed "the meth capital of Los Angeles," complete with the violence that often accompanies open drug dealing. Such violence occasionally spills onto Ocean Front Walk, along with some prostitution activity involving both sexes so avoid walking the boardwalk at night.
In Santa Monica, the section of Pico Boulevard immediately to the east of Santa Monica College and extending to Cloverfield Avenue demands caution; residential side streets in this area are best avoided. The Del Rey neighborhood between Culver City and Marina Del Rey has some areas that should be avoided at night; however, it is unlikely that tourists would find anything of interest there. The South Robertson/Crestview neighborhood has a small gang-ridden pocket known alternately as Cadillac-Corning and La Cienega Heights but this tiny area is almost completely residential and tourists are unlikely to go there anyway.
As with Los Angeles in general and other California cities, the Westside has a large and very visible homeless problem except for Beverly Hills and Culver City. This is most noticeable in Santa Monica, Venice, Pacific Palisades, and Brentwood. Most of these individuals are harmless but some are dangerous. Exercise some caution in dealing with them.
