Is Rose Ave the New Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach?
by Alex Quaid on January 6, 2012
Last February I wrote about how Rose was a developing enclave that was quickly growing in popularity. Here we are almost a year later, and Rose is generating a lot of hype as Venice’s newest hot spot, so . . . is it fair to say Rose Ave is the new Abbot Kinney?
Several new developments have contributed to the buzz around Rose.
- The construction of 512 Rose – retail and 70 residential units - is nearing completion, and Google has officially moved into its 100,000 square foot space on Main. Certainly this will help drive both traffic and residents to the area, but it is also the crop of new restaurants on Rose that has people excited.
- Rose already has quite a few great restaurants, but a handful more are set to open in the 3 months or so. The Venice Beach Brewing Company is set to open in January near Rose and 7th and is touting a “Venice Ale” which is sure to be a hit.
- Also snagging a spot at the new development at 512 Rose is Café Gratitude, which is a raw vegan chain restaurant from Northern California. They are still awaiting final approval from VNC for several permits, but I’m sure this type of restaurant will be incredibly popular.
- Finally, rumor has it that this house at 533 Rose which recently sold, will be turned into a new restaurant as well. No word on what the cuisine will be yet, but the owner is a reputable restaurateur, so you can be sure it will be good.
It’s clear to see that Rose is Venice’s newest hot spot, but does that mean it will be the new Abbot Kinney? I think it will be tough for Rose to ever build the cache that Abbot Kinney has developed, and honestly I think the draws of each location are different.
Abbot Kinney has long been associated with art, due to the volume of galleries, and with boutique shopping – both of which don’t figure to be heavily featured on Rose. Whereas due to all the restaurants, I envision Rose more as hub for locals living in North Venice – especially with Whole Foods close by – and as a destination for foodies. It won’t have as much of the artsy appeal of Abbot Kinney, but will still be immensely popular.
One thing is for sure, the development of Rose will mean great things for Venice. Having a new space with its own unique identity and vibrant community will only increase the popularity of our area.
What do you think of the new developments on Rose? Is there something you are most looking forward to seeing? What do you think the vibe will be like on Rose?
I don’t make it to Venice as often as I’d like, but I’m definitely looking forward to trying Café Gratitude!
Rose Ave. needs more public parking if it will become like AK. Rose Ave. is C4 zoned, but with out parking it will be impossible to open restaurants except in the few properties that had legacy restaurants in them, or can rent spaces in 512 Rose’s underground lot.
I’m all for Rose Ave. improving and becoming more commercial and community serving, but the city needs to actively assist. We need some help from the LA planning department or Rose Ave. is going to die on the vine as a vital commercial destination. paul
Good point Paul. We all know that Abbot Kinney lacks parking and it has way more than Rose does. Do you think the city could build a parking garage nearby? Would that solve the problem and where would it go?
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