I had a studio in this neighborhood for 3 years. Just take your camera and spend a couple hours walking around admiring the colors and people and odd shops. 

This is the place you want to go to have a awesome brunch. Be prepared for a waiting line outside on the weekends. The place is packed then. My personal favorites is the Polenta with Maple syrup, bacon, spinach and chicken apple sausage. If you had a rough night before I would suggest the "Hangover Helper", with the bottomless fresh mint-lemonade. Always does the trick.

For feeling.

The view from my window of the concert hall and downtown LA is a great experience as an outside perspective of the city life at night.

I’ll say it again, I love living in a city where I can easily go to the beach for the day and be home by dark. Venice speaks for itself, I guess. I’m originally from the east coast and the sunset over the ocean still hasn’t gotten old.