Things to do in Mar Vista

Just east of Venice is a neighborhood called Mar Vista. It is a mix of mom-and-pop shops and local chains concentrated on the busy Venice Blvd. and Washington Blvd. between rows of apartment buildings. In recent years the area has exploded with great places to shop and eat, as well as pop-up events supporting small businesses. It is easy to think that Mar Vista is only for locals, but I think it is a neighborhood that everyone can enjoy. Here are my recommendations for things to do in Mar Vista.

Art in Mar Vista

At first look, Mar Vista seems to be a nine-to-five neighborhood. Small businesses that shutter early nestled between dingbat apartments. Looks can be deceiving; there is a lot that happens in this neighborhood after hours and on weekends. 

Mar Vista Art Walk

This quarterly art walk started in 2015 as a way to bring the community together around art. There are several galleries and art collectives in Mar Vista that are within walking distance of each other. Art Walk provides the opportunity to explore the artistic side of the neighborhood. Galleries are open for you to see art, listen to live performances, and buy one-of-a-kind pieces on select Saturdays throughout the year.

Much of the public art murals that you see around Mar Vista, including the featured image of this post, were commissioned by Mar Vista Art Walk. Take the opportunity, even when the Mar Vista Art walk is on hiatus, to explore these murals. 

Art walk takes place on the first Saturday of March, June, and September. There is a special small business edition on the last Saturday of November for all of your holiday shopping needs.

Hours, cost, and other information

• Website: https://www.marvistaartwalk.org/
• Cost: Free
• Other: Art Walk is virtual for the time being.

Weekend fests

When I was researching for my twice-monthly list of Los Angeles events for subscribers, I was surprised that there were so many weekends when Venice Blvd. was closed for street fairs. I am learning that this is a more common experience in Mar Vista than I realized. 

The Venice Fest

The Venice Fest is a periodic event that is a block party and small business market all in one. There is food, live music, DJs, photo booths, and other opportunities to keep you entertained. It is a great way to support local businesses all year round. I always think one-of-a-kind gifts are the best, especially when you can’t make them yourself.

Hours, cost, and other information

• Website: https://www.thevenicefest.com/ 

Events Calendars

These places have weekly events that range from music to business networking.

Alana’s Coffee Roasters

This coffee roaster and coffee shop also serves as a neighborhood hangout. Besides it being a great alternative for WFH, they host events like concerts from the kids of School of Rock, open mic nights, and Mar Vista Art Walk events. I will talk about their coffee in my next post about where to eat in Mar Vista.

The back patio is great for working from elsewhere, and if you stay long enough, there might be a show.

Note: School of Rock was inspired by the 2003 movie starring Jack Black and is now a chain of music schools around the world.

Hours, cost, other information

• Website: https://shop.alanascoffeeroasters.com/
• Address: 12511 Venice Blvd.
• Other: Check out my next post for more information about coffee.

The Art Bar

Does art look better with craft beer? I don’t know, but it is worth it to find out. Art Bar is a hub for the Mar Vista Art Walk and holds events all year round. From album release parties to weekly trivia, there are many reasons to stop by. Exhibits focus on local artists, and I love their mission to show artists “solely based on the quality of work rather than the artists’ exhibit and sales history. This allows us to introduce new and underexposed talent.”

They do have a bar and serve craft beers and lower-alcohol cocktails. This is a rarity for local galleries.

Hours, cost, and other information

• Website: https://www.artbarla.com/
• Address: 12071 Venice Blvd

Want to know when these events are happening? Become a paid Substack subscriber and receive my twice-monthly curated lists of events, join me for neighborhood tours, and more.

Bowlero

Hours, cost, and other information

• Website: https://www.bowlero.com/location/bowlero-mar-vista/features
• Address: 12125 Venice Ave.
• Cost: On a weekend night, it costs $331 for 4 people, including shoe rental and $80 worth of food credit. It is approximately $100 on a weeknight.

Mar Vista Guide to Shopping

I know it may seem weird to have so much produce and grocery on my list of things to do in Mar Vista, but many of these places offer more than veggies to put in your juicer. 

Mar Vista Farmer’s Market

My favorite farmer’s market in all of Los Angeles is the Mar Vista Farmer’s Market on Sundays. There are tons of fruit and vegetable vendors. You can buy tea, salsas, and artisan olive oils all while listening to music from live bands or DJs. My favorite non-food thing to buy here is flowers. A couple of floral vendors here offer a wide variety of flowers you can’t get at your local grocery store. I always think that flowers are the best gift for the host who tells you not to bring anything but you are from the Midwest and can’t help yourself.

I wrote a pretty long post about it here. See below for places to eat in Mar Vista for my farmer’s market ready-to-eat picks.

Hours, cost, and other information

• Website: http://www.marvistafarmersmarket.org/farmers2.asp
• Address: Grandview and Venice
• Hours: Sundays 9:am-2:PM

Vintage on Venice

You don’t have to go all the way to Magnolia Blvd or Los Feliz to find great vintage. This store hides a bit, set back a bit from the street on Venice and Grandview. Racks of clothing lure you in from the street. Inside, you can find rock-n-roll t-shirts, 1940s dresses, costume jewelry from all decades, and some home decor.

Hours, cost, and other information

• Website: https://vintageonvenice.com/
• Address: 12218 Venice Blvd.

Mitsuwa Marketplace/Books Kinokuniya

Mitsuwa is also a local chain of Japanese malls. Although centered on Japanese food products and produce, it does include stores within the marketplace that sells Japanese cosmetics and beauty brands (Shiseido) and kitchenware like donabes and sake sets.

What I love about this Mitsuwa, in particular, is the Japanese book and stationery store Books Kinokuniya. Here you can get anime and other Japanese comic books. If you are learning Japanese or have been interested in traveling to Japan, this is a great place to come for travel books, language books, and textbooks. You can also find tons of things to keep yourself organized, from cute and functional journals, gel pens in every shade, and other supplies for scrapbookers and bullet journalers. 

Note: All of the information says it is Santa Monica. It is in fact, in Mar Vista.

Website, cost, and other information

• Website: https://usa.kinokuniya.com/stores-kinokuniya-santa-monica
• Address: 3760 S. Centinela, Los Angeles.

Rainbow Acres

Rainbow Acres reminds me of the co-ops I used to go to in the midwest. In fact, they carry my favorite coffee brand from Minneapolis. I can get a lot of things here that I haven’t been able to find anywhere in the city, and I don’t want to pay Erewhon prices for them. ($22 for basil pesto, $%^& it is so easy to make.) This natural foods store is a great place to go if you are on a healthier and more sustainable journey. Their vitamin, supplement, and CBD section is an entire room.

Go here for sustainable products like alternatives to pack those back-to-work lunches. 

Hours, cost, and other information

• Website: https://www.rainbowacresca.com/
• Hours: 13208 W. Washington Blvd.

Tortoise General Store

Hours, cost, and other information

• Website: https://shop.tortoisegeneralstore.com/
• Address: 12701 – 12705 Venice Blvd.

If you are looking for great places to grab coffee or a bite to eat in this neighborhood, check out my post on Where To Eat in Mar Vista.