Marina del Rey

Being Scottish and living in the artistic chaos that is Venice Beach was one of the best experiences of my life. No matter what day of the week it was, or even what time of day it was, there was always a party somewhere.
Whether it was a late-night Art Crawl that ran until the sun came up and kept going, or "First Friday" where gourmet food trucks line Abbot Kinney Boulevard, filling the air with the scent of unavoidable culinary creations, Venice always finds a way to drag you out of bed and show you something new.

And those pleasant-sounding events would be just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. One minute you're enjoying a delicious Cuban sandwich, the next thing you know its 4am and you're dancing on the beach with new-found friends.

Good restaurants, 4th of July fireworks, Boat Parade, Food trucks, Farmers Market weekly. Mother's Beach for kids; Ocean Beach, good hotels.