Blocks before Venice Beach, my boulevard oasis looms: Abbot Kinney, a grunge-chic haven where the city pretties mix with the beach easies. Benz and turquoise bicycles zip by larger-than-life murals. Artists: anonymous. Exhale from the L.A. hustle, I’m at ease. A stroll to my usual corner café, Abbot’s Habit: I order a creamy iced chai tea and strike up a conversation with a new friend, Billy the barista. “This is home,” he says. “This is Venice.”

Christie Brooke is an intern at Zócalo Public Square.