The Ditches of the Slum

How Venice’s Squalid Past Shaped Today’s Glitzy Canals

When I lived in Venice Beach, I regularly walked visitors through the picturesque canals. We meandered up and down the maze of sidewalks, where evenly manicured shrubs separate the footpaths from six sparkling waterways. Arched wooden footbridges allowed us to cross over each of the channels and catch a better view of the remodeled and colorfully painted California bungalows, bright and open three-story homes, and a few much larger gingerbread-looking houses with undulating rooftops. The songs of various birds could be heard everywhere, and a slow-moving current slapped the concrete …