Venice has a lot to live up to. It is, after all, named after the most beautiful city in the world. And even its California cousin is deservedly famous for its beach and canals. How can little Venice, Fla., hope to compete? Our Venice trades on its charm. Its splendid physical location is a big plus—a white- sand tropical beach and palm trees everywhere you look. But it is the houses themselves, the places the residents call home, that provide the intangible ingredient. Particularly on the Island of Venice—the town’s birthplace, and its heart and soul—they radiate an atmosphere of peace, nostalgia, prosperous comfort and perfect scale, not to mention some very well cared-for lawns.