4th Street Corridor, Long Beach, California
Encyclopedia
The 4th Street Corridor, also known as Retro Row, is a small business district in the city of Long Beach, CA, along 4th Street from Walnut Avenue to Junipero Avenue.
Located east of Downtown Long Beach, this section of streets is the place for Long Beach visitors who enjoy vintage and kitschy shopping. Fabulous furniture and clothing from bygone eras is available in good condition at antique and used clothing stores. There are also a number of bars and restaurants.
is to the south and north-west, with Rose Park South on the north-east. Carroll Park
is beyond the south-east end of the business district.
boutiques, a bookstore, and unique specialty shops.
4th Street is also home to The Art Theater, the oldest operating single screen house in Long Beach. The Art originally opened in 1924 as The Carter Theatre with 636 seats, an orchestra pit and pipe organ. It was constructed in a modest vernacular style with "orientalizing" touches reminiscent of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Two storefronts flanked the theater. In 1934, the theater was remodeled in art deco streamline "moderne" style by Schilling & Schilling after the 1933 Long Beach earthquake and renamed The Lee Theatre. Additions included the ticket booth, terrazzo floor and zigzag elements like the stepped piers, vertical fluting, and the central-stepped vertical tower that unfolds as a fern. This tower has also been likened to the bow of a ship cutting through the water. In 1947, the theatre was remodled again with a larger marquee and renamed The Art Theatre. In 2008, the theater was updated using the original blueprints, but with new interior, new sound and vision upgrades and restored exterior including a replica of the 1934 marquee and art deco trademark symmetrical storefronts.
Located east of Downtown Long Beach, this section of streets is the place for Long Beach visitors who enjoy vintage and kitschy shopping. Fabulous furniture and clothing from bygone eras is available in good condition at antique and used clothing stores. There are also a number of bars and restaurants.
Location
The 4th Street Corridor, centered on Cherry Avenue, passes between three neighborhoods: Alamitos BeachAlamitos Beach, Long Beach, California
Alamitos Beach is a coastal neighborhood in the southern portion of the city of Long Beach, California.-Location:The coastal neighborhood is bounded by Junipero Avenue on the east, Shoreline Drive and Alamitos Boulevard on the west, 4th Street on the north, and Ocean Boulevard on the south...
is to the south and north-west, with Rose Park South on the north-east. Carroll Park
Carroll Park, Long Beach, California
Carroll Park is a neighborhood in the city of Long Beach, CA.Curving streets lined with Craftsman Bungalows recall the horse-and-buggy era for this subdivision laid out in 1907. Landscaped islands are a unique neighborhood amenity.-History:...
is beyond the south-east end of the business district.
Attractions and characteristics
4th Street is a unique showcase of Long Beach culture, with a collection of independent local businesses. Portfolio Coffeehouse has served as the street's de-facto anchor since its establishment in September 1990, when it became the first coffeehouse in Long Beach to present poetry readings. 4th Street also features a number vintage clothingVintage clothing
Vintage clothing is a generic term for new or second hand garments originating from a previous era. The phrase is also used in connection with a retail outlet, e.g...
boutiques, a bookstore, and unique specialty shops.
4th Street is also home to The Art Theater, the oldest operating single screen house in Long Beach. The Art originally opened in 1924 as The Carter Theatre with 636 seats, an orchestra pit and pipe organ. It was constructed in a modest vernacular style with "orientalizing" touches reminiscent of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Two storefronts flanked the theater. In 1934, the theater was remodeled in art deco streamline "moderne" style by Schilling & Schilling after the 1933 Long Beach earthquake and renamed The Lee Theatre. Additions included the ticket booth, terrazzo floor and zigzag elements like the stepped piers, vertical fluting, and the central-stepped vertical tower that unfolds as a fern. This tower has also been likened to the bow of a ship cutting through the water. In 1947, the theatre was remodled again with a larger marquee and renamed The Art Theatre. In 2008, the theater was updated using the original blueprints, but with new interior, new sound and vision upgrades and restored exterior including a replica of the 1934 marquee and art deco trademark symmetrical storefronts.