Venice

Barnyard: Opening on Friday in Venice is the new Barnyard , helmed by Tasting Kitchen alum Jesse Barber. Barber, who also worked at Thomas Keller's French Laundry and Bouchon , succeeds chef Jeremy Fox after he split with the owners this summer. The Pacific Avenue restaurant's menu focuses on local ingredients but skews Mediterranean: olive-oil-poached baby octopus with fresh chickpeas; French fries with harissa and creme fraiche; honey-glazed ribs; clams with white beans and fennel; prawns with olives and romesco; braised sausage and cabbage; kale with sunchokes and marcona almonds; lamb and seared escarole; risotto allo pilota (Italian fried rice)

There are few things more frustrating than being hungry in Venice. Yeah, I know, talk about your First World Problems. But for all of its beautiful sights, of all Italian cities, Venice may have the lowest percentage of decent restaurants; being a tourist magnet for several centuries will do that. Plus, the very canals and winding narrow streets that make that Italian city so lovely are also bound to frustrate the casual visitor -- at least one that hasn't memorized the street maps.

Katherine LaNasa plays a deliciously hard-edged, evil wife in the new TV series “Deception,” but at home in her Venice bungalow, she showcases a soft side influenced by her native New Orleans. “Being from New Orleans completely dominates my sense of style,” said the actress, who's also starring in “Jayne Mansfield's Car,” the forthcoming film directed by Billy Bob Thornton. “There is a drama and a funk to New Orleans. It's the last place people play it safe. They celebrate the vibrancy of life.” Following her divorce in 2010, LaNasa moved to the 950-square-foot bungalow to be near her son and his ill father, Dennis Hopper.

A new crop of brick and mortar shops has quietly opened in Venice, along the unlikely stretch of Lincoln Boulevard between Palms and Venice boulevards that most commuters speed by en route to Marina del Rey or LAX. An alternative to the increasingly commercial Abbot Kinney Boulevard retail strip, these artfully curated boutiques are almost designed to be missed - doubling as hipster destinations for those in the know. All of these boutiques place an emphasis on local designers or California sources - a welcome return to the authenticity and eclecticism that hit at the core of Venice's original design vibe.

Hayley Starr is a modern-day flower child. The artist and designer (whose given last name is Keenan but who describes "Hayley Starr" as her "highest self and inner superhero") may not wear fringe and flash peace signs. But a desire to promote creativity and self-confidence prompted her last fall to open the Quest by Hayley Starr, her one-stop boutique, art gallery, New Age refuge, classroom, studio and event space in Venice. The shop, which is clean and feminine but decidedly offbeat, is like a three-dimensional Pinterest page, communicating Starr's whimsical outlook via an eclectic collage of her favorite things.

Dutch starchitect Rem Koolhaas has been tapped to curate one of architecture's most high-profile events -- the Venice Architecture Biennale. Koolhaas will curate the 2014 edition of the Biennale, taking over from British architect David Chipperfield, who directed this year's edition.  Koolhaas' appointment was announced Tuesday by the Biennale's board of directors. Koolhaas heads the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, one of the most prominent architecture firms in the world.

RG Club Where: 2536 Lincoln Blvd., Venice When: Thu.-Sat. Price: Cover varies Info: http://www.rgclubvenice.com

As befits a new jazz venue, Brad Neal's RG Club in Venice is kind of an improvisatory venture. "This is so stupid, why would anyone do this," Neal joked, surveying the bright Art Deco-inspired room, which opened seven weeks ago. "I don't have any experience running a bar. I'm just a guy who loves music. " Neal's a real estate professional by day (albeit one who greets guests in a Hindu "Om" T-shirt befitting his hippie-ish home turf). But his new night job running a jazz joint might prove to be an extended solo.

The Lantern House, used as a single-family compound but legally a trio of cottages, has become a Venice landmark over the years. The funky vibed, colorful dwelling is being offered fully furnished, including the larger-than-life movie props, artwork and fountains. Location: 745 Milwood Ave., Venice 90291 Asking price: $5.4 million Year built: 1923 Last sold: 1988, for $232,000 Cottage sizes: Unit 1: one bedroom, one bathroom; Unit 2: one bedroom, one bathroom; Unit 3: one bedroom, one half-bath Lot size: 5,399 square feet Features: Den/office, dining room, living room, eat-in kitchen, vaulted ceilings, skylights, French doors, five fireplaces, lantern-filled trees, extensive decking, outdoor dining room, lighted deck stair risers, decorative wrought-iron gates, outdoor bathtub About the area: In the third quarter, 59 single-family homes sold in the 90291 ZIP Code at a median price of $1 million, according to DataQuick.

VENICE, Italy - During most of the last 1,200 years, this watery Italian city was a nation unto itself - powerful, prosperous and proud. Now, many of its residents are convinced that their best shot at the future lies in turning back the clock. Venice and the surrounding region, known as the Veneto, would be much better off as an independent state again, uncoupled from Italy, a growing number of people say. They're tired of paying billions of dollars in taxes to Rome, only to see the money frittered away on other, less productive parts of the country.