Downtown Long Beach

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Downtown Long Beach
Neighborhood of Long Beach
Aerial view of downtown Long Beach, California, looking southwest. San Pedro Bay and the Port of Long Beach are visible beyond, with Catalina Island faintly visible on the horizon.
Aerial view of downtown Long Beach, California, looking southwest. San Pedro Bay and the Port of Long Beach are visible beyond, with Catalina Island faintly visible on the horizon.
Country United States
State California
County Los Angeles
City Long Beach

Downtown Long Beach is the heart of Long Beach, California, United States, 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[]

Downtown Long Beach
Golden Shore and Ocean Boulevard
Downtown Shoreline, 2009
Pine Avenue
Dr. Rowan Building, constructed 1930[1]
Insurance Exchange Building
Security Pacific National Bank Building, constructed 1924[2]
Farmers and Merchants Bank Office Tower, constructed 1922-1923[3]
Pacific Tower, constructed 1923, Renaissance Revival architecture[4][5]

Downtown Long Beach is bounded by the Los Angeles River to the west, and Ocean Boulevard to the south (south of Ocean is considered the "Downtown Shoreline," a separate area[6]). Alamitos Avenue roughly delimits downtown to the east, although the City's actual downtown zoning extends a few blocks east of Alamitos.[7] Similarly, downtown effectively ends around 7th Street to the north, but the City's downtown zoning carries as far north as Anaheim Street between Pacific Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard, and up to 10th Street east of that.[7]

The greater downtown area includes the neighborhoods of the East Village Arts District, the , North Pine, the Civic Center, and the "Downtown Core" or central business and entertainment area.[7]

Tourist attractions and shopping[]

  • Aquarium of the Pacific
  • Catalina Express – boats to Catalina Island
  • East Village Arts District
  • Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center
  • Terrace Theater
  • Long Beach Sports Arena (which has one of Wyland's Whaling Walls)
  • Long Beach Plaza – shopping
  • Museum of Latin American Art
  • The Pike – shopping
  • — restaurants and nightclubs
  • Queen Mary – historic ship, hotel, restaurants & conventions (nearby)
  • Rainbow Harbor – shopping and restaurants
  • Shoreline Village – shopping and restaurants
  • Harvey Milk Promenade Park

Events[]

  • Second Saturday Art Walk (East Village)
  • Third Fridays Twilight Walk (Historic Pine Avenue)
  • Certified Organic Farmers Market (Fridays)
  • Bob Marley Reggae Festival (February)
  • Queen Mary Scottish Festival (February)
  • Congressional Cup (sailing races, April)
  • Long Beach Grand Prix (April)
  • Cajun & Zydeco Festival (May)
  • Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Parade & Festival (May)
  • Aloha Concert Jam (Hawaiian music, June)
  • Anime Expo or AX (SPJA) (Promotion of Japanese Animation & Culture July 2 to July 6)
  • Catalina Ski Race (July)

2028 Summer Olympics[]

During the 2028 Summer Olympics, downtown Long Beach will host , Water Polo, Triathlon and Open Water Swimming. [8]

Government and infrastructure[]

Local government[]

County, state, and federal representation[]

Businesses[]

The Downtown Long Beach Alliance manages the business- and commercial property-based improvement districts in Downtown Long Beach. There are approximately 1,500 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 Alliance's website.

The California State University system headquarters are at 401 Golden Shore in Downtown Long Beach.[11]

Revitalization Projects[]

Outdated office buildings that have reached the end of their competitive life-cycle are finding a new beginning as residential conversions.[12] In 2014 the city's Municipal Code provided for , which is a "construction or remodeling project that reconfigures existing spaces, structures or buildings to accommodate a new use or to accommodate another purpose than what it was originally designed for."[13] The City created the Adaptive Reuse Incentive Program to guide developers through the process.[14] Re-purposing a building avoids demolition, sending the structure to landfills, while preserving the historic value and unique architecture of downtown Long Beach. Examples of buildings converted for reuse include the Verizon office building on 200 W. Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach which is changed into a mixed-use apartment building over retail.[15]

The Long Beach Professional Building, an eight story poured in place concrete Art Deco medical office tower constructed in 1929 and once in danger of being torn down,[16] was most recently renovated in 2018. The historic building is on the List of City of Long Beach Historic Landmarks and the California Office of Historic Preservation.[17] The building was accepted in 2005 into the National Register of Historic Places.[18] The restoration project was conducted by Global Premier Development and KTGY Architecture + Planning. The structure is now called The Regency Palms, an assisted living and memory care facility.[19]

Refer to the Downtown Update of the Long Beach Development Services for a presentation document showing completed, approved and pending projects.[20]

Transportation[]

The following are located in Long Beach's downtown area:

  • A transit center of Long Beach Transit (bus)
  • The southern terminus of Metro Rail's A Line: Downtown Long Beach Station (Transit Mall Station)
  • The southern end of Interstate 710 (Long Beach Freeway)
  • Bus service of Greyhound Lines, Amtrak Thruway, Torrance Transit, LADOT, and LACMTA

From 1902 to 1961, the neighborhood was served by the Pacific Electric Long Beach Line.

Education[]

Downtown Long Beach is within the Long Beach Unified School District.

Architecture[]

See also: List of City of Long Beach historic landmarks

References[]

  1. ^ "Rowan Bradley Building". City of Long Beach.
  2. ^ Van Dyke, Jonathan. "Downtown Security Pacific National Bank Converting To Condominums Above Federal Bar". www.Gazettes.com.
  3. ^ "PCAD - Farmers and Merchants National Bank of Los Angeles, Office Building, Long Beach, CA". pcad.lib.washington.edu.
  4. ^ "Pacific Tower". City of Long Beach.
  5. ^ "PCAD - William Horace Austin Jr". pcad.lib.washington.edu.
  6. ^ "Downtown Shoreline Planned Development District (PD-6)". lbds.longbeach.gov. City of Long Beach. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  7. ^ a b c "Downtown Plan (PD-30)". lbds.longbeach.gov. City of Long Beach. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  8. ^ http://la24-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/pdf/LA2024-canditature-part2_english.pdf
  9. ^ "Post Office Location - DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
  10. ^ "Courthouses in Los Angeles County – Contacts and Locations – LA Court". www.lacourt.org. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  11. ^ Home Page. California State University. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
  12. ^ Nahigyan, Pierce (5 October 2018). "Transforming Downtown Long Beach: Converting Office Space To Living Space". www.lbbusinessjournal.com. Long Beach Business Journal. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  13. ^ Long Beach Municipal Code Definition of Adaptive Reuse - eLaws.us
  14. ^ Long Beach Adaptive Reuse Incentive Program
  15. ^ More apartments added to plan for Long Beach Verizon building
  16. ^ Preservation: Lost Long Beach Landmarks
  17. ^ California Office of Historic Preservation
  18. ^ National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
  19. ^ Regency Palms Renovation Information
  20. ^ 2018 in Review, Downtown Plan Update
  21. ^ Edwards, Andrew (25 August 2016). "Former Edison building in downtown Long Beach converted to high-end apartments". Press Telegram.
  22. ^ "PCAD - Tichenor, Adelaide M., House, Long Beach, CA". pcad.lib.washington.edu.

Coordinates: 33°46′20″N 118°11′37″W / 33.7721°N 118.1935°W / 33.7721; -118.1935

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