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Long
Beach
Formerly ranchland dating back to early Spanish land grants, the modern
city of LONG BEACH was named during the real estate boom of the 1880s
and conceived as a seaside resort community. But industry and commerce
quickly took over, with the discovery of oil and the development of Long
Beach Harbor (along with adjacent San Pedro) as the primary Port of Los
Angeles. Despite a devastating 1933 earthquake, downtown Long Beach
enjoyed a steady prosperity throughout the first half of the 20th century,
acquiring the nick-name of "Iowa by the Sea" due to the many
Midwest transplants who made their home here—and whose conservative,
pragmatic culture still pervades the area. An aggressive downtown redevelopment
plan that began in the 1970s has helped draw visitors back with
new tourist attractions, an expensive waterfront Convention Center, and
the small-town flavor of remarkably well-preserved residential neighborhoods.
Visitor information and maps are available from the LONG BEACH AREA CONVENTION
& VISITORS BUREAU (One World Trade Center, Suite 300; 562/436-3645
or 800/4LB-STAY; www.golongbeach.
org). Each April the star-studded LONG BEACH GRAND PRIX races through
the streets around the Convention Center and harbor, attracting the likes
of Jason Priestley and Paul Newman to burn some serious off- screen rubber;
get schedule and ticket information through 562/981- 2600 or www.longbeachgp.com.
Mention Long Beach to many people, and they're apt to associate the name
with this city's biggest tourist attraction, and one that virtually saved
it from bankrupt obscurity in the 1970s. Once the world's largest and
most luxurious Atlantic ocean liner, the regal QUEEN MARY (located at
the end of 1-710; 562/435-3511; www.queenmary.com) sits permanently docked
in Long Beach harbor, open to visitors, diners, and overnight guests.
Easy to dismiss as a tourist trap, the ship is really a living museum,
the only surviving example of a particular kind of 20th- century elegance
and excess that's hard to imagine until you actually stroll the gangways
and grand salons of this splendid vessel. Vast teak- wood decks, priceless
interiors, and lavish staterooms once occupied by notables like Winston
Churchill, the Duke of Windsor, and Greta Garbo all tell the story of
a vanished era. Kiosk displays of historic photographs and memorabilia
are everywhere, and guided tours take you from poop deck to pump room,
passing through perfectly preserved crew quarters along the way. The ship
is a must-see for nautical history buffs. Across the waterway is Long
Beach's newest attraction, the AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC (100 Aquarium Way;
562/590-3100; www.aquariumofpacific. org), which opened in 1998. City
planners gave their all to the project, hoping that what worked in Baltimore
and Monterey would re-energize the waterfront. Re-creating three separate
regions of the Pacific, the Aquarium features animals native to tropical
lagoons, coral reefs, the chilly Bering Sea, and temperate Baja waters.
Kids and adults alike can learn little-known facts about sea creatures
from sharks and sea lions to
delicate sea horses and moon jellies—three-story-high tanks let
you get nose-to-nose with these denizens of the oceans. Across the way
is the aging SHORELINE VILLAGE, a shopping/dining/marina complex disguised
as a 19th-century fishing village. Savvy crowds seem no longer enchanted
by its kitschy theme, but it still makes a pleasant stroll if you're
in the area, and it's also home to a 1906 Charles Looff carousel. Nearby
Rainbow Harbor is where the tall ship CALIFORNIAN, flagship of the Nautical
Heritage Society, is docked during the winter months. A day sail aboard
this two-masted, 145-foot wooden cutter offers passengers a chance to
help raise and lower the eight sails, take a turn at the helm, and
experience the "romance of the high seas"; call the NATIONAL
HERITAGE SOCIETY (800/432-2201), for reservations and schedule. The LONG
BEACH MUSEUM OF ART (2300 E Ocean Blvd; 562/439- 2119; www.lbma.com) is
situated on a prime waterfront knoll along Ocean Boulevard, in one of
the several grand old mansions that still line this picturesque stretch.
Built in 1912 as the summer home of New York philanthropist Elizabeth
Milbank Anderson, the house was designed by the firm that built Los Angeles's
landmark Chinese and Egyptian theaters, and it functioned as a private
social club and WWII officers' club before becoming the museum's home
in 1957. In 1999 a yearlong expansion project began to restore the home
to its original state and build a complementary gallery annex on the property.
In addition to its interest as an historic site, the museum is notable
for its collection of 20th- century European modernists, post-World War
II art from California, and the largest video art archive in the nation.
If you travel east of downtown Long Beach, you'll quickly find yourself
in the neighborhood communities of BELMONT SHORE and NAPLES, whose quaint
village feel and prewar bungalow-lined streets are in sharp contrast to
the harbor district's industrial energy. East Second Street and East Broadway
bisect Belmont shore— known locally as "the Shore"—
and provide hours' worth of strolling amongst ANTIQUE AND COLLECTIBLE
SHOPS, CAFES, BOUTIQUES, and an increasing number of
high-profile retailers like The Gap, Banana Republic, and Jamba Juice,
happily co-existing alongside old-style hardware stores, barbershops,
and delicatessens. The Belmont pleasure pier offers a romantic bayfront
stroll; a bait-and-tackle shop, snack bar, and ice cream stand operate
at the pier's end in summer. Naples is a manmade island community of picturesque
canals, boardwalks lined with million-dollar homes, tiny sandy lagoons,
and the romantic GONDOLA GETAWAY (562/433-9595; www. clevennet/gondolas).
Since 1982 these authentic Venetian gondolas have been snaking through
the canals, camping it up with experienced gondoliers ready to belt out
an Italian aria at the drop of a straw hat. Pasisengers are encouraged
to bring a beverage—the fee includes a nice basket of bread, cheese,
and salami, plus wineglasses and a full ice bucket.
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