Classifieds: Santa Monica Resident Seeks Position in Venice Drum Circle or Graffiti Gang.

Once upon a time, this man, while cruising around Venice on his Rollerblades, sang me a song called, "Mysterious Angel." It was lovely, really.

Venice, CA, is one of my favorite places in the country. Venice shares a border with Santa Monica and while the two cities are separated by nothing more than an imaginary, government-created line, the cultures of the two towns couldn't be more different. Santa Monica seems to cater to the lives of young professionals while Venice is the place that hippies, yogis and vegans call home.

Despite the fact that I love living in Santa Monica and that I've found much that I can relate to in my neighborhood on Colorado Avenue, there is something about Venice that is irreplaceable. I always end up taking visitors there; I think it would be a travesty for anyone to miss out on this one-of-a-kind town. Take the Venetian local in the above photo, for instance. He was hilarious, entertaining and quirky. And though I met him probably four or five years ago (when he serenaded me with his smash hit, "Mysterious Angel"), I never forgot him. The same goes for the muscular guy who wears a Speedo and yellow cat-eye contact lenses while he cruises the streets lining the beach. Or the kids lounging on the side of the street market, waving signs that proclaim that they "will work 4 weed."

I think the thing that I appreciate most about Venice is that, as weird as the community is there, the people are so refreshingly real. The Rollerblading musician? Doesn't care what Hollywood (or anyone with ears, really) claims the definition of "music" should be. The weight-lifting Speedo-clad man? Clearly has no worries regarding body image. The languid potheads? Just honestly want weed, and aren't going to pretend that they're something they're not.

A few weeks ago, I went for a run along the beach in Venice and I found myself deciding to walk through the street market on my way back to observe the people there. It was in that moment that I found myself to be the most down-to-earth I'd been in awhile. I felt as though I was truly a part of humanity, a part of a community that protects the idea of being true to who you are, a part of a town that cherishes individuality. Are there some (legally) insane people in Venice? Absolutely. But I'd take the honest, soul-baring, true-to-themselves crazies over anyone else any day.

One day I'll join a graffiti gang or a drum circle in Venice.