Downtown Long Beach, Long Beach, California
Encyclopedia
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and is the location for most of the city's major tourist attractions and municipal services. It is also the location for numerous businesses. There are many hotels and restaurants in the area that serve locals, tourists, and convention visitors.
Location
Los Angeles River
The Los Angeles River is a river that starts in the San Fernando Valley, in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the western end of the San Fernando Valley, nearly southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
to the west, the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
to the south, Alamitos Avenue to the east, and 7th Street to the north.
This greater downtown area includes the neighborhoods of the East Village Arts District
East Village, Long Beach, California
East Village Arts District is the name of the eastern half of Downtown Long Beach, California. The borders are Ocean Blvd. to the south, Long Beach Blvd. to the west, 7th Street to the north, and Alamitos Avenue to the east...
east of Long Beach Blvd and north of Ocean Blvd, West End to the west of Pacific Ave and north of Ocean. The area between Long Beach Blvd and Pacific Avenue constitutes the Downtown Core. The Shoreline district south of Ocean Blvd includes many attractions including the Pike, the convention center, Sports Arena, Marina and Shoreline Village.
Most of the commercial and restaurant activity is along Pine Avenue and Shoreline Drive; most of the municipal and governmental buildings are along West Ocean Boulevard and Broadway, and the residential towers are along Ocean Boulevard.
Tourist attractions and shopping
- Aquarium of the PacificAquarium of the Pacific-External links:*...
- Catalina Cruises - boats to Catalina IslandSanta Catalina Island, CaliforniaSanta Catalina Island, often called Catalina Island, or just Catalina, is a rocky island off the coast of the U.S. state of California. The island is long and across at its greatest width. The island is located about south-southwest of Los Angeles, California. The highest point on the island is...
- East Village Arts District
- Long Beach Convention and Entertainment CenterLong Beach Convention and Entertainment CenterThe Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center is a convention center located in Long Beach, California. It was built on the site of the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium beginning in 1962. The primary venues of the complex include:-Long Beach Arena:...
- Terrace TheaterTerrace TheaterThe Terrace Theater is a full theatrical and performance venue located in Long Beach, California. The theater seats 3,051 patrons at its maximum configuration in Orchestra, Loge, and Balcony sections. The Orchestra seating section is arranged in the Continental seating style with no center aisle...
- Terrace Theater
- Long Beach Sports Arena (which has one of WylandWylandRobert Wyland , known simply as Wyland, is an artist best known for painting large, outdoor murals of whales and other ocean life.-Personal life:...
's Whaling Walls) - Long Beach Plaza - shopping
- Museum of Latin American ArtMuseum of Latin American ArtThe Museum of Latin American Art was founded by Dr. Robert Gumbiner in 1996 in Long Beach, California and serves the greater Los Angeles area. MoLAA is the only museum in the United States exclusively dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American art. Since its inception, MoLAA has doubled...
- The PikeThe PikeThe Pike became a world famous Long Beach, California amusement zone in 1902 along the shoreline south of Ocean Boulevard with several independent arcades, food stands, gift shops, a variety of rides and a grand bath house...
- shopping - Pine Avenue - restaurants and nightclubs
- Queen MaryRMS Queen MaryRMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...
- historic ship, hotel, restaurants & conventions (nearby) - Shoreline Village - shopping and restaurants
Events
- Certified Organic Farmers Market (Fridays)
- Bob Marley Reggae Festival (February)
- Congressional Cup (sailing races, April)
- Long Beach Grand PrixLong Beach Grand PrixThe Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is an open-wheel race held on a street circuit in Long Beach, California. Christopher Pook is the founder and promoter which began as a vision while working at a travel agency in downtown Long Beach. It was the premier circuit in the Champ Car from 1996, and...
(April) - Cajun & Zydeco Festival (May)
- Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Parade & Festival (May)
- Aloha Concert Jam (Hawaiian music, June)
- Anime ExpoAnime ExpoAnime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation . With rare exceptions, the convention is traditionally held on the July 4th weekend and lasts for four days...
or AX (SPJA) (Promotion of Japanese Animation & Culture June 29 to July 2) - Catalina Ski Race (July)
- Queen Mary Scottish Festival - (February)
Local government
- Long Beach City Hall
- Long Beach Municipal Court
- Long Beach Police Dept. Headquarters
- Municipal Library
County, state, and federal representation
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
Downtown Long Beach Post Office is located at 300 Long Beach Boulevard.
Businesses
The Downtown Long Beach Associates manages the business- and commercial property-based improvement districts in Downtown Long Beach. There are approximately 1,400 businesses in Downtown Long Beach, including several law firms given the proximity of the Los Angeles County Courthouse, as well as over 150 restaurants, wine bars, performing arts venues, and the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. A complete and frequently updated business directory is available online at Downtown Long Beach Associates' website.The California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
system headquarters are at 401 Golden Shore in Downtown Long Beach.
- Long Beach Rescue MissionLong Beach Rescue MissionThe Long Beach Rescue Mission, started in 1972, is a Christian social service center for the homeless and poor in Long Beach, California. The mission provides food, clothing, shelter and spiritual guidance to men, women and children. Senior citizens and neighborhood families also come for meals...
- Long Beach World Trade Center
- Port of Long BeachPort of Long BeachThe Port of Long Beach, also known as Long Beach’s Harbor Department, is the 2nd busiest container port in the USA. It adjoins the separate Port of Los Angeles. Acting as a major gateway for U.S.-Asian trade, the port occupies of land with of waterfront in the city of Long Beach, California...
(nearby)
Transportation
Long Beach TransitLong Beach Transit
Long Beach Transit is a municipal transit company providing fixed and flexible bus transit services in Long Beach, California, United States, other communities in South and Southeast Los Angeles County and Northwestern Orange County. Long Beach Transit also operates the Passport shuttle, Aquabus,...
has a transit center in Downtown Long Beach. The southern terminus of the LACMTA Blue Line
LACMTA Blue Line
The Blue Line is a light rail line running north-south route between Long Beach and downtown Los Angeles passing through Downtown LA, including South Los Angeles, Watts, Willowbrook, Compton, and Long Beach in the Los Angeles County; it is one of five lines in the Metro Rail System...
as well as the southern end of Interstate 710
Interstate 710
Interstate 710 is a major north–south interstate freeway running for 23 miles through Los Angeles County, California...
(Long Beach Freeway) is also downtown. Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
, Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
Thruway, Torrance Transit
Torrance Transit
Torrance Transit is a transit agency serving mainly the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.-Routes:Torrance Transit is a transit agency serving mainly the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.-Routes:...
, LADOT, and LACMTA all have bus service to Downtown Long Beach.
Architecture
- International Tower (700 E. Ocean Blvd)
- Ocean ClubOcean ClubThe Ocean Club is a beachfront residential highrise located in Downtown Long Beach, featuring 116 condominiums. The units range from one to three bedrooms...
(1310 E. Ocean Blvd) - Tichenor House (Greene and GreeneGreene and GreeneGreene and Greene was an architectural firm established by brothers Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Greene , influential early 20th Century American architects...
) (852 E. Ocean Blvd) - Villa RivieraVilla RivieraVilla Riviera is a registered historic building on Ocean Boulevard in the Alamitos Beach neighborhood of Long Beach, California, USA. From the time of its completion in 1929 through the mid-1950s, it was the second-tallest building, and the tallest private building, in Southern California...
(800 E. Ocean Blvd)