Mayor’s Greeting
Welcome to Long Beach, California's 5th largest city and Southern California's newest coastal destination.Long Beach boasts amenities few other cities can offer. Our blend of big city convenience with the friendly, relaxed atmosphere of an ocean side community is unmatched. We hopeyou will enjoy all the pleasures our city has to offer.
Our scenic downtown and waterfront marina set the standard for "walk-ability." Within conveniently close proximity you will find first-class accommodations, shopping, numerous entertainment options andmorethan100 restaurants within an eight-block area.
Explore eachdynamic region creating the heart of our city--Pine Avenue, The Pike at RainbowHarbor and ShorelineVillage; each offers an array of activity and add their own distinct, local flavor. Take a harbor cruise alongside breathtaking ocean bays, bike or simply walk on dedicated paths next to5.5 miles of sandy beaches. Year-round Long Beach offers sunny skies and moderate climate.
Visit our world class attractions, the Queen Mary, the largest, fastest, most luxurious ocean liner of her time, entertains passengers in fine restaurants and on historical toursand the Aquarium of the Pacific featuringmore than 12,500 inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean, undersea galleries and live shows. Long Beach is also home to severaleclectic museums including the Long Beach Museum of Art and the Museum of Latin American Art.
The city's East Village Arts District includes one-of-a kind art galleries andshops.In addition, just three miles from downtown is BelmontShore and 2nd Street, the quintessential beachfront community. Easy to reach by the Long Beach Transit's Passport Shuttles, here you will discover trendy shops and terrific restaurants. You can even experience the romance of Italy and weave your way around our very own canals in an authentic gondola.
Enjoy our city. See our neighborhoods. Stroll our streets. Browse through the shops and take advantage of the wide variety of dining and entertainment. Most of all, thank you for visiting Long Beach and we hope you will return soon.
Sincerely,
Bob Foster
Mayor
1784The area that is now Long Beach was first settled as part of a massive Spanish land grant to soldier Manuel Nieto, encompassing the historic 28,000-acre Ranch Los Alamitos and its sister rancho, 27,000-acre Rancho Los Cerritos.
1866Rancho Los Cerritos was sold to Lewellyn Bixby and then managed by his brother Jotham. The Bixby family soon became prominent ranchers and developers of Long Beach.
1882Long Beach, originally planned as WillmoreCity by developer William Willmore, began forming along the coast.
1885Competition between the new Santa Fe Railroad and older southern Pacific Railroad attracted hordes of visitors to Long Beach and created a real estate boom.
1888Original residents of the foiled WillmoreCity renamed their town Long Beach, after its long, wide beaches, and the city became incorporated.
1902The introduction of the Pacific Electric trolley caused the city to grow both as a resort and commercial center.
1902-1910Long Beach was the fastest growing city in the United States.
1911The Port of Long Beach was established.
1921Oil was discovered on Signal Hill and Long Beach flourished with a million-dollar-per-month building boom downtown.
1933Long Beach was struck by a major earthquake. Downtown Long Beach was rebuilt in Art Deco style.
1936More oil was discovered and the port expanded and improved its facilities.
1941The U.S. Naval base was constructed in the harbor area.
1947The first and only flight of Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, the world's largest airplane, took off over Long BeachHarbor.
1949California State University Long Beach was founded.
1967The city of Long Beach purchased Cunard's former luxury cruise liner, the Queen Mary, to be docked in Long BeachHarbor as a major tourism attraction and hotel.
1974The State Coastal Commission turns over control of local redevelopment to the city.
1975The city embarked on a multi-billion dollar redevelopment program to continue through the year 2000.
1978The Long BeachConvention & EntertainmentCenter opened, adjacent to the Long Beach Arena.
1982ShorelineVillage, the Downtown Shoreline Marina and ShorelinePark opened.
1984Long Beachhosted four Olympic events -yachting, volleyball, fencing and archery.
1988Long Beach celebrated its Centennial.
1989The Greater Los AngelesWorldTradeCenter in Long Beach opened.
1990The Long Beach to Los Angeles Metro Blue Line, the first link in the Los Angeles Metro Rail project, started service.
1994Completion of the Long BeachConvention & EntertainmentCenter expansion, tripling the existing exhibit space to 334,000 square feet.
1996Long Beach breaks ground on RainbowHarbor, the centerpiece of the city's $650 million QueenswayBay waterfront development project.
1997The Queen Mary celebrates 30 years in Long Beach as a first-class hotel and popular Southern California attraction.
1998The Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific opened. Through dozens of exhibits, you'll meet more than 10,000 of this ocean's inhabitants, representing 550 different species.
1999The Long Beach Town Centre opened offering entertainment and shopping for the entire family.
2003Carnival Cruise lines opened a terminal adjacent to the Queen Mary and becomes the first cruise line to operate in Long Beach.
2004The Long Beach Aquatic Festival features the US Olympic Team Trails-Swimming, the most successful Trials ever in both records broken and attendance.
2007Long Beach is the host city for the "overall finish" of the AMGEN Tour of California professional bicycle race."Tour de France style" cross country race.
Situated in between busy Los Angeles and laid-back OrangeCounty, Long Beach boasts an atmosphere that is a combination of the two cities bordering it. With its beaches and parks, Long Beach is a relaxing place to kick back, read a book and people-watch. Take a few steps away from the waterfront and you’re in the hustle and bustle of the downtown area where businesspeople and convention-goers are known to congregate.
While Long Beach may be the fifth largest city in California and home to the busy Port of Los Angeles, it is a welcoming city and is very tourist-friendly. The big red Passport buses can be spotted along the streets and provide service to and from the city’s main attractions. Rides west of Alamitos Avenue in the downtown area are free of charge.
This city has a lot to offer when it comes to entertainment and attractions. The Queen Mary, which was once a luxurious ocean liner, is open to the public. Many of its state rooms are still used today as the ship also functions as a floating hotel. With various exhibits, shops and a number of restaurants, spending a day at The Queen Mary can be enjoyable for all ages. Long Beach is also home to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Located right on the harbor in downtown, this aquarium boasts some of the best sea-life exhibits in the country. Across the street from the Aquarium is The Pike at Long Beach . This is an entertainment complex that has a movie theatre, plentiful restaurants and even a giant ferris wheel.
The Long Beach population is known for its rich cultural diversity. At BelmontShores, restaurants ranging from Asian to European cuisine can be found. Along 2nd Street are not only ethnic and local restaurants but a number of unique boutique shops as well. This area even offers Gondola rides reminiscent of those in Italy.
Long Beach stays alive all year long with its various festivals such as the Long Beach Jazz Festival. The nationally recognized Long BeachConvention Center also stays busy throughout the year with various conventions and expos.
Away from the waterfront and downtown areas is Cal State University Long Beach. Many flock to this university to visit its exquisite botanical gardens. Its ponds, plants, and grassy areas make it the perfect location for an afternoon or morning stroll.
Long Beach has a variety of hotels, most of which are centrally located in the downtown area. Whether you’re going to long beach for a convention for leisure, this city is bound to please. With its world-famous attractions, conveniently located hotels and easy-to-use public transportation, Long Beach is eagerly awaiting your visit.