Meet the city of Long Beach, the Pacific sister city of Sochi. Long Beach Promenade Interesting places in the city

04.09.2023

At first glance, Long Beach seems like a suburb of the huge Los Angeles, but if you read the numbers, it turns out that the city ranks 34th in population in the United States, is one of the largest ports in the world, and is also famous for the oil industry, manufacturing plants aircraft, automobile parts and electronics. At the same time, for the average tourist, Long Beach is still the ocean and the sun. The temperature here rarely drops below 20 degrees Celsius.

However, the average tourist rejoiced early. Indeed, Long Beach was once a resort (with a small share of agricultural production). The city had many amusement parks, but with the discovery of oil, industry became a priority, and water and air pollution did not allow the city to continue to enjoy the status of a resort. Now oil rigs and port buildings are visible from the shore in the ocean, and those crazy people who try to swim are ridiculed by the public. Why, if many people have their own swimming pools?

So a tourist in Long Beach will have to entertain himself not with the ocean, and this post is about alternatives. First of all, you can download a map of attractions, but here is another map (click to enlarge):

A free red bus runs through the main attractions; if you google Long Beach Transit, you can find a map of its route.

The main attractions are, of course, concentrated near the ocean. This is, first of all, Shoreline Village, offering everything from shopping, restaurants, cruises (from $15 - sightseeing tour, from $30 - dolphins and whales in the open ocean) to funerals in the ocean.

Not far away, the retired liner Queen Mary is permanently moored, also offering excursions, restaurants, and accommodation. For three years in the 1930s, the ship was the largest in the world, carrying such stars as Bob Hope, Clark Gable and Winston Churchill. However, with the outbreak of World War II, the luxury liner was converted into a warship, even repainted in camouflage colors. After the end of the war, the ship was again converted into a tourist liner within 10 months. The ship made its last cruise in 1967.

Another ship nearby is the battleship Iowa, on which any tourist can see an exhibition about World War II, the Korean War, and the Cold War, as well as learn more about the life of a sailor on a warship.
Shoreline village also houses an aquarium. We recommend visiting it, but it is better on weekdays, since on weekends there are a lot of people with children. The aquarium compares favorably with others due to the presence of an external exhibition, the scale of the exhibition and interactivity. You can touch many sea creatures or see how they are fed.

And this is not grass, but a sea dragon.

Not far from the aquarium and Shoreline village is the Naples area - one of the most expensive not only in Long Beach, but in all of California. You can explore the area on a gondola tour, or you can just walk around. In fact, the houses are practically built on top of each other, with no privacy, so property prices seem inflated.

If you go from the ocean further into the city, there's a lot more to see than the standard arts district graffiti.

Firstly, there is a museum of Latin American art here - small, but simply excellent, and even free on Sundays.

An exhibition dedicated to All Saints' Day in the Latin American region was held here. To honor the memory of ancestors, their relatives build unique altars from photographs, favorite objects of grandparents, and offerings.

Secondly, there is a Cambodian area here. True, it does not stand out at all from the background of other American streets, and you better find out on the Internet in advance what you want here: they say that there are many good shops and restaurants hidden in it.

Thirdly, everyone recommends visiting the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, but not far from the city (although you can only get there by car) there is a much larger botanical garden. The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens includes more than 20 different gardens, including Australian, Japanese, Chinese, camellia, rose, desert, lily, jungle... We recommend getting there around lunchtime: the garden closes on the 5th an hour, and there is a lot to see in it.

In addition to bonsai, unusual features include a dry Japanese garden and a model of a Japanese house.

There are many places to eat in Long Beach, the cuisine is very diverse. Among others, we recommend the Peruvian restaurant Aji Peruvian Fusion (2310 E. 4th St., try the ceviche), Pier 76 Fish Grill (95 N. Pine Ave.), ABC Seafood Restaurant with dim sum:

And you also need to definitely travel around the area: there is Disneyland, Los Angeles itself, and Santa Barbara. We will definitely tell you about the last two.

Long Beach is a large port city located in the state of California south of Los Angeles. Long Beach is part of Los Angeles County and is actually one of the "Greater Los Angeles" areas. The community was originally named Willmore City, but due to its long, wide beaches, it was renamed Long Beach in 1888.

According to statistics for 2013, over 469 thousand people live in the city. At the same time, the population density is higher than in the surrounding areas of Los Angeles. Downtown Long Beach is located 40 km south of downtown Los Angeles.

Long Beach is a mixture of diverse neighborhoods. Large industrial zones are combined with areas where the middle class lives, prestigious ones, as well as frankly marginal ones. It's not surprising that you hear diametrically opposed things about Long Beach: both wonderful and terrible.

The Port of Long Beach is the second largest port in the United States by container traffic. It has a major impact on the local economy, employing 30,000 people in the region. The value of cargo transported through the port annually is estimated at $100 million. In addition, Boeing's enterprises are located in the city, the production of auto parts and other production facilities have been established.

Parts of Long Beach suffer from severe air pollution. It is considered one of the worst in Southern California. Prevailing westerly and southwesterly winds drive air from the industrial port areas directly into the city. The main source of pollution is exhaust from ships, railways and freight transport. In addition, the wind brings air currents from oil refineries located nearby. In addition to the air, the quality of water in many places leaves much to be desired, which, however, is natural for a large port city. Dirty water and a lack of waves (due to the presence of a breakwater) explain the typical lack of more people on Long Beach's wide, sandy beaches. Alamitos Bay is usually chosen for swimming.

Port of Long Beach

The racial composition of Long Beach's population as of 2013 is:

Hispanic (any race) 42.1%
white - 28.7%
African Americans - 12.9%
Asians - 12.4%
mixed races - 2.6%
Pacific origin - 0.8%
Indians - 0.2%

Since the 1950s, the racial composition of the population has changed significantly. Until this time, the majority were white. Because of this, Long Beach was ironically called “Iowa by the sea” or “Iowa under the palm trees.” But even now, Long Beach's racial makeup is a little more like a Midwestern or East Coast city than a typical coastal California town.

Socio-economic indicators for 2013:

average income per person - $25993
population living below the poverty line - 20.5%
unemployment in the region (as of June 2014) - 9.0% (above average values)
cost of living index - 134.3 (high, 34% higher than the US average)
42% of the population live in their own housing, 56% rent.

Overall, Long Beach is considered a slightly less expensive destination than other Southern California coastal cities.

Interesting places and attractions

Compared to other areas of Los Angeles (such as Hollywood, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles), Long Beach falls short in terms of tourist attraction, but it also has interesting attractions.

Queen Mary is a famous ocean liner moored at the Port of Long Beach since 1967. Today, this historic vessel is used as an over-water museum with a hotel and several restaurants. In addition to the Queen Mary, you can get on a Soviet submarine;
Aquarium of the Pacific is one of the largest aquariums in the United States with 3 dozen exhibits and 1000 species of inhabitants;
Naples Island is an interesting neighborhood in southeast Long Beach with canals and expensive homes.
Belmont Shores is a popular coastal area.

There is a huge port town - Long Beach, which is part of the Los Angeles County district. Hence, it is considered a district of this huge city. Initially, Long Beach was called Willmore City, but due to the long sandy beaches it was renamed.

Looking at the statistics, you can find that the city's population is approaching half a million residents.

Long Beach has a mixture of different neighborhoods. Huge industrial enterprises are combined with quiet, prestigious places, so you can hear both wonderful and opposite things about the city.

The city's port is considered the second largest in terms of maritime traffic in the United States. The port promotes the region's domestic economy and provides jobs. The value of cargo valuables transported through the port city is about one hundred million US dollars. The city district is also home to enterprises producing spare parts and aircraft manufacturing.

Long Beach's main problem is air pollution. The negative environmental factor is explained by westerly winds, which transport air masses from one area of the city to another. Additional sources of pollution are exhaust from railway and road transport. Another negative factor is the poor water in the region, but this is explained by the presence of the port. The local population practically does not swim on the beach areas in Long Beach. They use Alamitos Bay for swimming.

Fascinating places in the city

If we compare the surrounding areas of the “City of Angels,” Long Beach definitely loses in tourism. But there are interesting places that travelers should visit.

"Queen Mary". A very famous cruise ship that docked at the port of Long Beach in the 67th year of the twentieth century. Currently, the ship is used as a history museum. The ship includes a hotel and large restaurants. In addition to the Queen Mary, you can visit a Soviet-era submarine.
Oceanarium. The largest aquatic universe in the States, which houses many exhibits and inhabitants.
Naples Island. A very famous area of Long Beach. The island deserves attention.

Demonstration festivals

Long Beach Grand Prix. Every spring there are car competitions on the city streets.
Long Beach Sea Festival.
Belmont Car Show.

Climatic conditions

Long Beach's weather conditions are very comfortable. Ocean waters affect air temperature and it is not as hot here as in similar areas of the country at the same latitude. In the hottest month, the air temperature will be about 23 degrees, with a slight breeze blowing. Winter conditions are very mild. The average daily temperature in January fluctuates around 14 degrees Celsius. The sun shines in the region for almost 300 days.

Long Beach city on a map of the USA

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Long Beach from A to Z: map, hotels, attractions, restaurants, entertainment. Shopping, shops. Photos, videos and reviews about Long Beach.

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Long Beach is a large coastal city in Southern California, just on the southeastern border of Los Angeles. Long Beach is known as one of the most culturally diverse cities in the United States. There are Latinos, African Americans, Americans and Asians living here, and in general, Long Beach is much more reminiscent of cities on the East Coast or the Midwest than any other in California. There is also a world-class aquarium and a floating museum/hotel, the Queen Mary.

How to get to Long Beach

Getting into the city is not difficult: any of the five airports in the Los Angeles area is suitable, starting from Los Angeles LAX and ending with Long Beach's own small airport. From downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach you can take the Blue Line metro. In addition, the Long Beach Cruise Terminal is home to the Carnival Cruise ferries, which operate on Bahia California and the Mexican Riviera.

Search for flights to Los Angeles (closest airport to Long Beach)

Entertainment and attractions in Long Beach

The Aquarium of the Pacific is one of the largest in the country. About 1,000 inhabitants live here in 19 main aquariums and 32 specific exhibitions. Visitors can successively admire the flora and fauna of three regions of the Pacific Ocean: Southern California (Bahia), tropical and northern.

The Queen Mary is a historic ocean liner that served as a military transport during World War II. Today the ship is declared a national monument. Various tours have been developed to explore the ship, including the “Ghosts and Legends” tour. On board, there is a hotel, several restaurants and a shopping promenade. You can purchase combined tickets to visit the liner and the aquarium or the liner and the B-427 submarine.

The B-427 Foxtrot-class submarine, moored next to the Queen Mary, is a Soviet combat submarine from the Cold War. A retired Russian submarine officer works here as a guide.

3 things to do in Long Beach:

Take a gondola ride along the canals of the Knapples area.
Photograph the historic Villa Riviera, built in 1929 on Ocean Boulevard - "the city's most elegant landmark." The imposing building with a hint of French Gothic style is unmistakable thanks to its central pointed turret.
Sail to Catalina Island.

The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden is located on the campus of Cal State Long Beach. It features a classically designed 1.3-acre garden with a traditional tea house and a pond stocked with koi carp. You can walk around the garden on your own for a small entrance fee.

The Long Beach Museum of Art is located on East Ocean Boulevard and occupies the old Elizabeth Milbank Anderson mansion. This is a small museum with a collection of works by 20th century authors and decorative arts. The main place in the exhibitions is given to Californian artists. And the Museum of Latin American Art, on Alamitos Avenue, is the only one in the western states that is dedicated exclusively to contemporary art from Latin America. It takes pride of place in the newly developed East Village art district. The University Art Museum has become nationally renowned for its innovative programs. The city's newest museum is the Pacific Islands Folk Art Museum, which opened in 2010.

The historic Rancho Los Cerritos is located on Virginia Road. It is a two-story Monterey-style mansion built in 1844. The ranch is listed as a National Landmark, along with an old garden and a scientific library. There are guided docent-led tours of the building every hour from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, and it's free (though donations are welcome).

Knapples Island is a specific neighborhood in the southeastern part of Long Beach. It is penetrated by many canals with pedestrian embankments and million-dollar mansions on them. On Christmas Eve, locals decorate their homes, competing with each other in extravagance, so the streets are filled with admiring spectators who come here specifically to admire the splendor.

In the past, Long Beach was sometimes called "Maritime Iowa" for its predominantly white American population with food and culture to match.

Long Beach is famous for its street art. His most famous object is the Ocean Planet mural, which covers the entire surface of the city's indoor sports stadium. The painting is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest street mural in the world. Image with an area of 11,000 sq. m was created by the famous environmental street artist Richard Wyland as part of his “Whale Walls” series of works, in which the author depicts life-size whales, dolphins and other inhabitants of the sea.

The name of the project “Whale Walls” - Whaling walls is based on a play on words: it is consonant with the phrase Wailing wall - that is, “wailing wall”. The painting “Ocean Planet” in 1992 became the 33rd in a series of similar murals by Wyland, the last of which, the hundredth, he painted in 2008 in Beijing.

Long Beach Events

The annual events that take place in Long Beach have a distinct touch of extravagance and glamor. This, for example, is the April Long Beach Grand Prix, an Indy Car race along the central streets, in which various celebrities take part. In May, the city hosts the Pride parade of sexual minorities. On Labor Day weekend, the city hosts a Greek festival and at the same time an open-air blues festival at the university stadium. The West Coast's largest one-day auto show takes place in Long Beach in September. And throughout the summer, the Long Beach Maritime Festival hosts a series of events throughout the city (many of them free to attend). The city also hosts the From the Dog Parade, featuring canine fashion shows, as well as a sidewalk chalk art and poetry festival.

Long Beach Neighborhood

Catalina Island (officially Santa Catalina) is a popular day trip destination for locals and tourists alike. It is part of a group of islands and is located approximately 35 km from the mainland. This is a small closed world away from the usual noise and din of Southern California. 88% of the island's territory belongs to the protected area. Besides it, there are two “cities” here - Avalon and Two Harbors.

Avalon on Catalina Island

Avalon received city status in 1913, and about 4 thousand people permanently live here (in the summer, due to vacationers, the number of residents reaches 10 thousand). The city hosts several regular events throughout the year, including film festivals, marathons, golf tournaments, music festivals and art events. Due to the narrow streets and general overcrowding, the most popular way to get around the city is by golf cart.

Avalon is home to some pretty special attractions. In particular, this is the Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Garden, which is 2.5 km from the city. The memorial is dedicated to William Wrigley, the founder of the famous gum corporation and a serious philanthropist who played a key role in preserving the natural environment of Catalina Island for future generations. And in the botanical garden you can see plants characteristic of the Californian islands, including those endemic to Catalina.

Another notable feature of Avalon is the casino, an Art Deco building built in 1929 as a movie theater and dance hall.

The elite of Los Angeles vacationed in this exclusive place, and today you can explore it on a guided tour, not forgetting to look into the island museum located here. The latter introduces tourists to the history of Catalina, from the times when it was inhabited by the Tongva Indians, until the mid-20th century, when the island became a hangout for the richest and most famous.

Two Harbors is nothing like Avalon. With a population of less than 300 residents, Two Harbors is a great place for sailing, kayaking, diving, cycling, hiking and relaxing time in nature.

You can sail to the island on the Carnival cruise ship, a high-speed catamaran, a special Catalina Express, a charter yacht, and even a helicopter. Traveling by boat will take you about an hour (and about 36 USD), by helicopter - about 15 minutes (and four times as much money). Prices on the page are as of September 2018.