VENICE BEACH

Venice was promoted as “The Playland of the Pacific” into the 1920s, but eventually the crowds dwindled and the canals were filled to make roadways for motorcars. In the 1950s (according to a travel brochure) it became a gathering place for the “Beatniks,” to be followed by the “Hippies” in the Sixties.

For me, the distinction between these cultural groups has something to do with self expression, on the one hand, and with free expression on the other. Both entities being somewhat nebulous, I would guess that the transition from Beat to Hippie was seamless, with little effect on America's workforce.