Historic Districts of Long Beach

If you are on a street in Long Beach, look up and check out the street sign.  What color is it?

A blue sign is what you usually see.

A white sign?

That's means you are in one of Long Beach's historic districts. These are neighborhoods that have been recognized as having special architectural and/or historic value for the City of Long Beach.  It is the City Council that designates the historic status for neighborhoods, buildings, places, objects or landmarks. 

The historic districts are houses that would not be significant on their own, but as a group they preserve the visual quality and ambiance of the past.  Typically the older homes are unaltered and intact.  Any changes to the exterior of the homes must go through the City's planning department and meet strict guidelines to keep the architectural compatibility of the area.  At least two-thirds of homes in an area must meet the standards of the historic district to be designated as such.

Homes in historic districts tend to hold their value and are a great investment.  Often the neighbors are close, working to maintain the ambiance and feel through Community Watch groups, tree plantings, seasonal block parties.  Many of the areas have smaller homes, so they are great starter homes for buyers where keeping the value will help as their families grow and they need to step up to a larger home.

There are currently 17 historic districts in Long Beach.  Some of the better known ones are Rose Park, Bluff Heights, California Heights, Wrigley Area, Belmont Heights, Carroll Park.

Here is a link, from the City's website, to a map of the historic districts of Long Beach.
Long Beach Historic Districts

Explore the city and check out the historic districts.  And if you want to move into one, let me know.

California Heights Historic District







Willmore City Historic District

 

Rose Park Historic District

Holiday Traditions - Food!

While getting ready for an annual Christmas party at our home, I was making recipes that were my grandmother's traditions and a couple that friends had handed down.  Making the rounds to the usual area stores (Costco, Trader Joe's, Albertsons) I wondered how many others were shopping for their traditional recipe ingredients, too.  How many Long Beach holiday traditions were in the provisioning stages?  I checked baskets and decided quite a few!

At Thanksgiving and Christmas I always make my Grandma Audrey's cranberry nut bread.  It's a family expectation and one I follow to the letter, using the recipe card my grandmother lovingly wrote out for me.  Although she passed in 2000, I still miss her and making the bread makes me feel close to her.  This year I made her "delicious cake", which calls for a whole can of fruit cocktail, with syrup!  When is the last time anyone bought fruit cocktail?  Luckily, it's still made, and her cake was a hit.  I remember my grandmother making that cake for her potlucks at St. Mary's Hospital so many decades ago.  It might just be a Long Beach tradition on its own.

A new tradition for us, from a friend's recipe, is the inclusion of Eggnog Martinis at the party.  One part eggnog, one part vodka, a little less than 1 part Amaretto:  shake over ice and pour into a martini glass, then top with nutmeg or cinnamon.  In a word?  Yum.  Tradition now.

What traditional things do you make?  What kind of kitchen do you need to make them in?  Do you have that kitchen now or are you looking for it?  I can help you with the search for that special kitchen in a new home.  I might share Grandma Audrey's cranberry nut bread and delicious cake recipes with you, too.  Maybe you already know what the first thing is you would make in that new kitchen to claim it as "yours".

I would love to hear about your holiday traditions.  How about a great latke recipe or the perfect Christmas candy?  Happy 9 days before Christmas!

Naples, Long Beach

Back in 1903, about the time Abbot Kinney was creating the canals up the coast in Venice, CA, the firm of Mayberry and Parker developed Naples in Long Beach.  It is one of my favorite areas in Long Beach, embracing the waterfront location and the easy lifestyle.

Made up of three islands in Alamitos Bay, Naples has many waterfront homes on the canals and the bay.  It's a popular spot this time of year as people walk the Rivo Alto, kayak, hydro-bike or cruise on Duffy boats through the canals to look at the holiday lights.  My husband and I walk the canals as one of our annual Christmas traditions.  From time to time we see friends who live there and stop for a chat and a glass of something.  You might find us out on the evening of the 17th this month, enjoying the light show.

The Gondola Getaway has been offering tours through Naples since 1982.  They have small gondolas for romantic twosomes and larger boats that can accommodate a brunch or pizza party.  Kayak rentals and Stand Up Paddleboards are also great ways to see the islands and beautiful homes.  Duffy boats can be rented from Pelican Joe's and McKenna's.  Watch for the tide levels as the Duffy Boats are only allowed through the canals when the tides are lower.  Any time of day or year is a wonderful time to explore this area.

There are also various swims around the island from the recently introduced Naples Island Swims to local high school water polo and swim teams doing it for training.  Occasionally you will also see seals in the canals.  If you look closely you will find Captain Morgan and Bob's Big Boy, too.

Speaking of food, if you're hungry, there are excellent restaurants on Naples:  Michaels on Naples, Naples Rib Company, Nico's Restaurant, Fora Restaurant, Russo's Neighborhood Ristorante, Naples Sushi, Michael's Pizza, Kelly's and more.  Naples Locker specializes in clothing for that nautical lifestyle, as well as related gifts.  Most of the Naples establishments are locally owned and participate in the community through donations to local charities.

Currently, 7 of the 10 most expensive homes for sale in Long Beach are in Naples.  They include beautiful views, boat docks and true luxury living.  Features of these homes include elevators, floor to ceiling windows, incredible gourmet kitchens and huge walk-in closets.  You can also find a home in Naples for under $1 million if you don't mind not having a water view.  You're never more than a block or two from the water.

This year the 67th Annual Naples Island Boat Parade, themed "Vintage Christmas" will be held Saturday, December 21th at 6:00 p.m. Streets close at 5:00 p.m., so get there early and dress warmly.

And, if you'd like to buy or sell a home in Naples or the surrounding areas, I'd be happy to help.  I'm never too busy for your referrals.

Cruising Naples canals in a Duffy boat with neighbors, December 2012

Holidays in Long Beach - Lights On!

Thanksgiving is over, we are in the middle of Hanukkah and Christmas is fast approaching.  There are the traditional parades to enjoy and new holiday traditions being started here in Long Beach, many centered around lights.

The floating Christmas trees in Alamitos Bay and other public recreation areas have been up for a few weeks and they were turned on the day after Thanksgiving.  The tradition of Trees in the Bay goes back to 1949, but the first of the wooden structures you see today started in 1953.  The trees are maintained and lit through generous donations of local organizations and individuals.

This year Shul by the Shore's Fire & Ice Extravaganza was a public menorah lighting and celebration of Hanukkah.  Located at the Citibank parking lot on 2nd Street, the event was held on December 1st, and was the first one held in the Shore.  Here's hoping that becomes a tradition.

This week we have the 31st Annual Belmont Shore Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 7th.  The parade starts at 6:00 p.m. at the corner of 2nd Street and Livingston, continuing the length of 2nd Street to Bayshore.  You can set up chairs and blankets after 5p.  Dress warmly!

The Shoreline Marina Yacht Club puts on the Parade of 1,000 Lights on December 14th, after the 60th Annual Daisy Avenue Christmas Parade, which begins at 5:00 p.m.

Mark your calendar for the Naples Island Annual Holiday Boat Parade on December 21st.  It's the 67th edition of the floating tradition. 

You don't need a date and a time to walk the canals of Naples to enjoy the holiday lights.  Make your own parade by renting a Duffy Boat to view the lights from the water.

There are so many more events that make Long Beach the place to be for the holidays.  And if you're looking to buy or sell a home here, don't just tell Santa, please let me know!  I'd love to help your holiday home dreams come true.  Wishing you a Joyous Hanukkah, a Merry Christmas, a Happy Kwanzaa and a wonderful holiday season.

Pierpoint Landing, Long Beach history

Decades later I can still smell the fish, feel the sea breeze and hear the seals barking at Pierpoint Landing.  Located at the end of Pier A, it operated from 1948 to 1972 as a sportfishing, eating and entertainment venue.

My uncle worked in one of the fishing shops there and we could walk behind the counter, look at the different lures, squirming at the slimy bait, daring each other to touch it.  There were picnic tables near the seal tank where we would take our paper containers of fried shrimp out and try to keep the seagulls away from our lunch.

Going there was always an outing, and we usually went with my grandmother.  I know there were coin-operated rides there, but I can't recall anything specific.  My favorite part, after the fried shrimp, was watching the seals in the seal tank.  We could feel them fish, purchased from a small concession.

When I do a Google search on Pierpoint Landing, it says it was once the largest sportfishing operation in the world, with more than 2,000,000 fisherman going through there a year. 

The first time I visited the Long Beach Aquarium, I was so excited to see the sign for Pierpoint Landing and childhood memories came rushing back.  I walked over to the building with the Pierpoint Landing sign, but there was nothing familiar about it.  I subsequently found out that it's just another sportfishing company that took the name and is not even in the same location (which might explain why nothing looked familiar).  The original Pierpoint Landing is now part of Long Beach history, with the area taken over by containers and cranes in the Port. 

Who else remembers Pierpoint Landing?

Iowa by the Sea

As a very young girl I remember going to Recreation Park in Long Beach for the annual Iowa State Picnic.  There were signs hung on 99 trees, for each of the 99 counties in Iowa.  People could gather to talk about the cornfields, the weather, Iowa Hawkeye football and maybe run into someone they knew.

We would gather at the Woodbury County sign, as my mother was from Sioux City.  You would write your name on a tablet attached to the tree to see if anyone you knew was there.  The picnics had stopped by the time my husband and his family located to Southern California, otherwise we might have met as little kids, instead of as college kids.  His dad was from Riceville, in Howard County.

With the oil industry, the navy shipyards and the port, many came here from the Midwest in the 1940's and '50's to settle and make their living.  The California weather didn't hurt either.  Many of the Long Beach neighborhoods we know today were built during this boom:  Los Altos, Plaza, Carson Park, South of Conant, the Whaley homes of La Marina Estates. 

Long Beach has a rich history of welcoming migrants and immigrants.  It has morphed from "Iowa by the Sea" to "International City" over the last 60 years.  Long Beach is now the 7th largest city in California and home to the second busiest container port in the United States.

Even as a large city you can still get that small town, Iowa by the Sea, feel within the neighborhoods.  There are neighborhood associations, people have banded together to preserve their areas by getting a designation as an Historic District, there are neighborhood block parties.  It's one of the things I love most about living here, the feeling of belonging, regardless of where we came from before we found our way here.

Long Beach for me

Welcome to my blog about Long Beach and the surrounding area.  I am passionate about this area and look forward to sharing stories and observations with you.

My credentials to write about Long Beach? 

I was born in Long Beach, in St. Mary's Hospital at 10th and Atlantic.  My paternal grandmother worked at St. Mary's at the time.  In fact, my parents met there while my mother was volunteering at the hospital and my grandmother wanted her to meet her son.  My parents were married in St. Anthony Parish on Olive Avenue.  My mother graduated from Wilson High School here in Long Beach, as did my nephew, 60 years later.

My father worked at Douglas Aircraft on Lakewood before joining the Orange County Sheriff's Office.  My mother worked for McDonnell Douglas Automation for a while in the 1970's.

Both of my brothers were born at Community Hospital, just above the traffic circle.  My maternal grandmother was a nurse there.  I'll have a story about my two grandmothers, both nurses, who worked in two different Long Beach hospitals.  One of my brothers graduated from Long Beach State aka CSULB.

Although I moved from Long Beach when I was just 5 months old, to a brand new house waaaaaay far away in Westminster, I lived here again from 1996-1998.  At that time I rented a house in the South of Conant neighborhood.  In 2005 my husband and I purchased our home in the La Marina Estates neighborhood, where we still live.  I'll tell you about the neighborhoods of Long Beach later, too.

I am a REALTOR(r) focusing on the East Long Beach/West Orange County area and I know Long Beach.  I'll be sharing bits of history, local school stories, anecdotes and just some rambling thoughts on life here.

I look forward to hearing back from you.