Long Beach City Beach is located in Long Beach, CA. This city beach has everything you might expect at a beach except waves. This long, wide beach is also a popular place to bring the kids. Trust me the kids will love this place. The feeble waves makes this beach a very good place for swimming and sailing. Long Beach is also a great beach to walk, ride a bike or even roller-blade. This beach was also called "Waikiki of Southern California" before WWII.
The water here is warm. Though surfing is very limited in this beach yet Belmont Shore to the tip of the Alamitos Bay peninsula gets some surf. The lengthy breakwater, which lies two to three miles offshore, muffles most of the wave action, making this a great shore for swimming and sailing. There are likely to be lots of sailboats offshore, because this city has five yacht clubs and an estimated 4,000 boats, counting all its marinas. Regattas are held frequently. And no wonder, Long Beach was the sailing venue for the 1984 Olympics. Out among the sailboats are four disguised oil islands but you might not recognize them. They look more like little offshore resorts with hotels, especially at night when splashed with colored lights. The islands are about 10 acres each and are landscaped with decorative rocks, waterfalls, palm trees and facades to hide the drill towers.
For food you can try Alfredo's snack bar at Junipero Avenue and a second snack bar is on the pier. Near downtown is Shoreline Village, a charming commercial area of more than 30 specialty shops, boutiques, galleries, restaurants and an ornate carousel. It is just off Shoreline Drive, which every April becomes a roaring racetrack for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. For seafood with atmosphere, try Parker's Lighthouse, the big building on the point with obvious architecture. From October through March, the lighthouse dock is the home port for the Californian, a tall-masted sailing ship which is available for charter. The ship is based in Monterey in summer.
The four oil islands are a tribute to American space pioneers. The three closest to shore are named (from west to east) for astronauts Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee, who were killed Jan. 27, 1967, in a fire aboard Apollo 1 on the ground at Cape Kennedy, Fla. The fourth island, farther out and in line with Island White, is named for Theodore C. Freeman, who was killed in a training jet accident Oct. 31, 1964. He was an Air Force captain and part of the astronaut program but never flew in space.
Overall the beach is a very good place to enjoy with your family. The water is calm so you do not have to worry about any danger. So come and visit Long Beach City Beach.
Driving Directions: From Long Beach Museum Art head south-east on E Ocean Blvd towards Lindero Ave then turn right at 38th Pl.
Parking: There is street parking all along Ocean. There is a metered lot on Juniperos Street, and a lot at the pier that costs 25 cents per 15 mins. with a $10 max.
Phone: (562) 594-0951
Location: Along Ocean Boulevard from Belmont Pier to Alamitos Avenue Long Beach, CA 90803.
