Venice Boardwalk Vendors Getting Territorial

One of my favorite spots in Los Angeles is Venice Beach. It's a care-free area where people can take an afternoon stroll, listen to music, see some hippies and enjoy hand made artwork from hundreds of vendors on the boardwalk.

According to a recent article from the Daily Breeze, the peaceful Venice hippies are getting a little hostile when it comes to vendor space. Thanks, in part, to the tough economy, lack of space and increased number of vendor requests, the 200 vendor spots along the boardwalk are tougher to come by and frustrated peddlers are taking out their anger on their counterparts:

The number of performers wanting a spot has jumped by 80 percent over the past year, while the number of vendors has doubled. That's led to some boisterous raffles.

"They get into it, calling each other all kinds of names," Jauregui said. "It's the frustration, especially if you get someone who is truly an artist and they haven't gotten a space in a few weeks."

Police say the tension is spilling onto the boardwalk with complaints about illegal selling and even fistfights.

This is a very frustrating situation. Not only are people starting to resort to violence to secure a spot on the boardwalk, but the influx of the many out-of-town and commercial vendors is taking away from the funky, Bohemian style that Venice is famous for. As Mike Newhouse, a 15 year resident of Venice, said in the Daily Breeze article,

"Venice has got to stay funky or else Venice is no longer Venice."

Thanks to LAist.com for the news tip and to their featured photographer, vmiramontes, for the awesome photo.