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Entertainment & Nightlife

Abbott Kinney Blvd., has emerged as an off-the-beaten-path destination for neighborhood locals. Primitivo is a wine bistro with tapas. It has a good, mature 30ish crowd and a back garden courtyard that opens up at night. Venice Place is a popular bar, especially Sunday evenings. Hal's is popular for those in their late 30's-plus with a jazzy attitude. The Other Room is a lounge micobrewery with more than 60 beers on tap. Dark and cozy ,it's also a wine bar that is intoxicatingly popular. What we really like about the place is it's "locals first" policy. As the colorful doorman Caesar will tell those lined up on weekends, those with Venice identification get in first. "We don't take money and we don't take sexual favors at the door," he says. But The Other Room does take care of locals. The place does need to turn up the lights and turn down the music; it's a relaxing mingling bar but too dark and a bit too loud for long conversations.

On the lighter side, a rustic Irish pub with a big outdoor deck hosts – are you ready for this – turtle races every Thursday night. That's right, turtle races. It's dumb and fun at the same time, but Brennan's has been doing it for nearly 30 years, so it obviously works. The emcee is especially colorful – just don't point! Believe it or not, it packs in a crowd and a band entertains people between post times (10:30 and midnight).There's some good tail in there, and we're not referring to the turtles. Mostly, it's a mix of old-style pubbers, party-minded professionals and college students.

Here is a directory of the nightlife spotlights in Venice Beach and its surrounding area.

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