Empty (and neglected) in Venice
When I was young, Venice was an affordable haven for artists, misfits, and the working poor. That hasn’t been the case for some time now.
I’ve previously covered the removal of hundreds of rent-stabilized homes from the rental market (many of which have been converted, legally or not, into hotels or short-term rentals).
And we wonder why Venice is clogged with encampments and has so many people living in RVs parked on its streets?
I received a tip-off from a reliable source about four empty properties wrapping around a corner in Venice. Not just any corner: 4th and Indiana is walking distance from Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Gjusta, and Google’s Venice campus. It may not be the canals, but it’s still valuable real estate.
I suspect the land value is the reason why these four adjoining properties are empty. Would it be a surprise if someone was planning to flip them? (No.)
Photos are courtesy of Richard Schave.
Look up 419 Indiana Avenue on Google Street View and the most recent image (May 2024, as of this writing) shows a massive RV parked in front of the empty house. Empty house and people living in an RV immediately outside? Welcome to Venice.
Here’s what the house looks like:
Next door, at 417 Indiana Avenue, there’s another little house in heartbreaking shape:
There’s a non-residential property at the corner. 720 4th Avenue appears to have been a daycare or preschool.
And right next door at 718 4th Avenue, a long-empty old-school California bungalow. This is EXACTLY the kind of starter home I would love to buy and restore for myself…if I had that kind of money. But I know the land is worth more than the house itself.
Four empty buildings surrounded by countless displaced households. It’s unconscionable.