How to Make a Living on Venice Beach if You are Not a Lifeguard

Residents and tourists flock to Venice Beach, California to experience the local color, in one of the most colorful places in the United States. Along Venice Beach, many people try to earn, or sometimes scratch out, a living. Here is how some of them do it:

I'm going to be all over you like ... name on rice?











If a t-shirt featuring der Governator isn't your thing, how about John Goodman's crazed Jewish bowling Vietnam vet character from "The Big Lebowski," proclaiming "I don't roll on Shabbas."










Panhandlers need to be extra creative on Venice Beach. Passers by simply won't stand for the usual "can you spare some change?" request. Handmade signs and frankness are minimum requirements.














Artists of all types abound along Venice Beach. Perhaps this artist should have made use of the nearby receptacles.













This pricey eyewear shop never seems to attract many customers. Perhaps because it's a pricey eyewear shop ... on Venice Beach.













On the other hand, tattoo parlors are a popular staple of Venice Beach...













...almost as much as glass bongs.













But ultimately, Venice beach goers seem to be a hopeful bunch.