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Long Beach

Long Beach History

   Long Beach is a city that's fit for a queen -- particularly the Queen Mary, the town's most famous resident. But the city itself had more humble beginnings. In the early 1880s, it was known as Willmore City after its developer, William Willmore. The city was renamed Long Beach in 1888 to bring more attention to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean.
   In 1933, 120 people died in a massive earthquake that caused significant damage to the city. Many buildings were destroyed, and downtown Long Beach was rebuilt in an Art Deco style that still draws architecture buffs to the area.
   The ocean has played a major part in Long Beach's development. The city began as a seaside resort featuring one of the West Coast's most famous amusement parks, The Pike, which operated from 1902 to 1979. When the Signal Hill oil field was discovered in 1921, Long Beach developed into a port and naval shipyard. Today, the Port of Long Beach is the second busiest seaport in the United States.
   Long Beach Harbor was the site of the first and only flight of Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, the world's largest airplane. The plane was displayed in Long Beach until 1992, when it was moved to its present home in McMinnville, Ore.
   Although the Goose is gone, the Queen Mary remains to draw visitors to Long Beach. When the world's largest luxury liner retired in 1967, it sailed into Long Beach, where it remains a permanent fixture.

Activities

   The Queen Mary should be the first stop on any visit to Long Beach. The former luxury liner now serves as a 365-room hotel, some of which is supposedly haunted! While you're there, take a tour of the Russian Scorpion Submarine that's docked nearby.
   The 55-acre Queen Mary Seaport, where the great ship is housed, includes the Queen's Marketplace shopping and dining area, located within a faux English village. Shoreline Village also offers a unique shopping experience. The waterfront boardwalk offers specialty shops, souvenir stores and restaurants, all within a block of brightly colored clapboard buildings.
   The Aquarium of the Pacific, located just across the harbor from The Queen Mary, has nearly 50 major habitats representing three major regions of the Pacific Ocean. The aquarium is home to everything from seals and sea lions to sharks and spider crabs.
   The Long Beach Arena pays homage to the ocean with its famous "Whaling Wall XXXIII: Planet Ocean," a 116,000-square-foot painting by renowned artist Wyland. Other sites for art lovers include the American Museum of Straw Art, Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site and the Museum of Latin American Art.
   The El Dorado Nature Center is an 85-acre wildlife sanctuary in the middle of the busy city. Take a hike, view the turtles and sea creatures, or just learn a little more about nature at this hands-on facility.
   Long Beach also hosts a variety of annual events, from auto races to music festivals. Events include the Toyota Grand Prix, the Long Beach Bayou Festival, the Bob Marley Festival and the Renaissance Arts Festival.

Long Beach Fast Facts

   Location: Long Beach is located between Redondo Beach and Huntington Beach, about 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles
  *Total area: 65.87 square miles (50.44 square miles land area; 15.43 square miles water area)
  *Population: 461,522
  *Housing units: 171,632
   Average annual rainfall: 12.94 inches
   Average temperatures: 75ºF in summer, 57ºF in winter
*Information provided by 2000 Census

Schools

   There are 79 public schools in Long Beach and several colleges, including California State University at Long Beach and Long Beach City College.

Beaches

   Long Beach is bordered by nearly six miles of sandy beaches that run along scenic Ocean Boulevard. Protected bays provide great spots for experienced boaters and would-be sailors.
   Walk, bike or rollerblade on the paved bike path that spans the length of the beach, or enjoy watersports such as swimming, sailing and kayaking. You can reach the beach in the Belmont Shore-Alamitos Bay area, or from downtown's Marina Green Park or Bluff Park.

More Long Beach Photos
Photos by Ella Batalon for CoastParadise.com

             
        Views of the City            Hotels and Condos                   Homes

Maps of Long Beach

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