THUMS Islands: A Different Kind of Long Beach Real Estate

One of the purposes of this blog, aside from bragging about this awesome city and telling you about Long Beach real estate, is to let you in on the stories behind various Long Beach landmarks and history. 

If you look off the coast, in San Pedro Bay, you will see 4 artificial islands that look like wonderful vacation destinations.  The have colorful towers, waterfalls, and palm trees.  They look FUN!  They're much closer than Catalina.  Makes me quote Tina Fey and say, "I want to go to there."

one of the THUMS Islands

We cannot go to there, though, as these are actually oil islands, working oil islands that are tapped into the Wilmington Oil Field, one of the 10 largest oil fields in the country.  They are in production 24/7.  We would be arrested if we tried to enter the islands.  Not very friendly of them.  On occasion, though, there are sponsored tours of the islands, but contact your City Council member for more information on that.  I took these photos while on a boat in the bay on July 4th.

As a group they are called THUMS Islands, with the name standing for the consortium of oil companies who built them in 1965:  Texaco, Humble Oil (now Exxon), Union Oil, Mobil Oil and Shell Oil.  And speaking of Catalina, the boulders that rim each of the islands are from Santa Catalina Island.  The THUMS Islands were designed by theme park architect Joseph Linesch, who also worked on the design of Disneyland.  Occidental Petroleum bought the islands in 2000.

Each island has been named after an astronaut who died in the line of duty:  Island Grissom, Island, White, Island Chaffee and Island Freeman.  Island Grissom is the closest and has waterfalls and the most sculptured screens.  Island Freeman is the largest at 12 acres, the others are about 10 acres each.

Not only are the oil operations camouflaged by the screens and colorful structures, but they are sound-proofed with wellheads and pipelines below the surface to enhance the appearance of the skyline and harbor.  Ah, come on, I do want to go to there!

While the islands may not be friendly to us, they have each been certified for commendable wildlife habitat management and environmental education programs.  Approximately 25,000 barrels of oil are produced daily from 735 active wells on the islands.  Part of the net profits generated from the sale of the oil is funneled to the City's Tidelands Fund.

Island Grissom


Houses on the peninsula and along Ocean have a view of THUMS.  If you're interested in living in view of these, let me know.  We can work something out and maybe I'll figure out how to get you a tour of one.  Maybe.

Queen City - Queen Mary on 4th of July 2014

Fireworks over the Queen Mary, July 4, 2014

Sunset over the Queen Mary July 4, 2014

28% Customer Satisfaction? Not here.

I wrote the following post for LinkedIn and, although it's not Long Beach centric as this blog typically is, it does apply to real estate and other interactions in life.  Let me know what you think.

As the fodder of comedian's jokes, airlines have struggled with their customer service perception - or lack of - since airline deregulation in the late 1970's. Once airline travel moved from the elite to the masses, the issues began and only heightened in the age of such online agencies as Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia, pushed into warp speed by websites such as Yelp, Kayak, CheapFlights, CheapTickets, GetMeThereFree, etc. Okay, the last one doesn't exist, but I think you follow me.

The current environment, where weather delays, misplaced bags, a surly gate agent or a sideways glance from a flight attendant sends passengers raging on Yelp, Facebook, Twitter or a letter to the Department of Transportation, makes consistent customer service a challenge. It's so difficult that a major carrier has set 28% as its goal for customer satisfaction. They are either discounting the other 72% as not particularly valid complaints or they only think they can only make 28% of their travelers happy. And that's the goal, not necessarily what is actually happening. Either way, it's not a good story.

Most businesses - dare I say any - struggle with customer service issues when the number of employees in contact with customers increases. Look at the recent press on the Comcast phone call. I know someone who supervises customer service agents at Comcast and that's not the type of service you would get on her watch - if she knows about it. However, she can't control what happens with every individual, on every call. Airlines have tens of thousands of employees. A great plan for phenomenal customer service in Dallas might not translate to that overworked gate agent in Scranton when one flight is delayed for weather, there is a creeping mechanical delay on another, a flight crew went illegal on their hours to cancel yet another and all she has is a mass of screaming, unhappy passengers in front of her.

All she can do is communicate facts, stay calm, keep them updated and be empathetic. Will that please 50% of them? 28% of them?

When we can get to the one on one interaction, where most of what is happening is under our control, we can get pretty close to 100% satisfaction with our customers if we do the basics: communicate facts, stay calm, stay in touch, be empathetic. In the real estate business there is much that is out of our control when it comes to the loan funding, the behaviors of the party on the other side of the transaction, the unexpected news at a home inspection. We can still keep our customers satisfied and feeling valued when we communicate facts, stay calm, stay in touch and are empathetic.

We don't have dozens of angry passengers screaming at us, when making 28% of them happy would seem impossible, but we do have one or two clients in front of us who might be making a lifetime investment and are scared to death when they hear their loan approval is delayed. My goal is 100% customer satisfaction by not only going beyond expectations, by delighting my clients, but by doing the basics: communicating facts, staying calm, staying in touch and being empathetic.

Come to think of it, that could work in our personal relationships as well as our professional ones. Think about applying that to your partner, spouse, sibling, parent, child, friend, insert-relationship-here.

Communicate facts, stay calm, stay in touch, be empathetic.

Guaranteed to keep more than 28% satisfied and engaged.

Nothing says summer like a pool

Probably of no surprise that California, Florida, Arizona and Texas have 60% of the more than 8.5 million pools in the United States.  A Google search on just how many pools are in California, Los Angeles County or Long Beach got me... nowhere reliable.  Closest I could get was an article on laist.com that said there were 43,123 pools in the LA Basin, with Beverly Hills having 2,481 and Long Beach with 2,859.  I counted close to 60 in our little neighborhood alone, using Google maps one day.

The exact number doesn't matter - there are a lot!  You likely either have one or live within a soccer ball's kick of one.  Interesting factoid in the article is that the typical LA area pool has an oval shape and measures around 16 feet by 33 feet.  Public pools tend to have square edges.

Having a pool means making a commitment.  Making a commitment to the maintenance and safety of it.  Some of that can be handled by employing a pool service for weekly checks, cleanings and regular maintenance.  That cost varies with the neighborhood and services.  You can expect to spend an average of $80 a month. 

You can also be your own pool boy, cabana service optional, by educating yourself on pool maintenance and doing your own chemicals and cleaning.  There are some excellent local pool suppliers, like East Long Beach Pool & Spa Supplies on Woodruff or ABC Pools & Supplies in Los Alamitos.  These guys know what they're doing, can analyze your water and can get you on track.

Safety issues span from having a required fence around the pool, to a lock on the gate, a drain that won't trap hair or loose suits, to making sure that children in the pool are watched at all times.  Also recommended is a pool safety kit:  a first aid kit, a flotation device, a pair of scissors to cut caught hair, clothing or a pool cover, a charged phone by the pool to call 911.  If you have a pool, everyone in the home should know how to swim.  The Internet is full of great tips and resources to help you and your family enjoy your pool.  One of the best sites I found was www.poolsafely.gov.

Aside from going IN the pool, there is also a lot to be said for being AROUND the pool.  Dining al fresco with a refreshing drink in your hand, looking at the cool water is a treat.  Turning on the pool light at night lights up the backyard with a tropical glow.

Owning a home with a pool is a commitment in itself.  You have to do the maintenance (or hire that pool boy), keep it safe, and maybe have your backyard become the neighborhood kids' favorite place to play.  It's not for everyone, but it's for at least 2,859 people in Long Beach. 

Would you like to own a home with a pool?  Let me help and maybe you'll be swimming in your own pool for that Labor Day barbecue.

Long Beach Summer 2014 Part 2!

Summer Festivals and Events

Some of these are free, some have a charge for entry or food, all are fun!  Just a sample of some of the events planned this summer:

www.longbeachstuff.com          

Pirate Invasion of the Belmont Pier                         June 28-29

Fireworks in Long Beach – Party on the Pier         July 4

Catalina Ski Race                                                         July 19

Long Beach Dragon Boat Festival                             July 26-27

Long Beach Bacon Festival                                           August 2

Long Beach Crawfish Festival                                      August 2-3

Great Sand Sculpture Contest                                    August 16-17

All American Soap Box Derby                                      August 23-24

Long Beach Lobster Festival                                        September 5-7

 

LONG BEACH RESOURCES AND PHONE NUMBERS

 

Programs through City of Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine         www.longbeach.gov/park

Long Beach Police Department non-emergency number                                      562.435.6711

Airport Noise/After curfew complaints                                                                     562.570.2665

Long Beach Airport website                                                                                        www.lgb.org

Building Permits                                                                                                              562.570.6651

Long Beach Gas                                                                                                               562.570.5700

Southern California Edison                                                                                           800.684.8123

Long Beach Unified School District                                                                            562.997.8000

Trash collection and special pick-ups                                                                        562.570.2876

Long Beach Water Department                                                                                 562.570.5700

Yard Sales Permits                                                                                                           562.570.9273

Parking Tickets  (remember to note your street sweeping days)                                562.570.6822

 

 

Long Beach Summer 2014

We live in a city on the water with free resources and free cultural events throughout the neighborhoods.  Take advantage of this wonderful place we call home.  Long Beach… it will surprise you.

 

MUSIC

Long Beach Municipal Band:  A Summer Festival of Music

This is the band’s 105^th year!  Join them for free concerts this summer.  All concerts start at 6:30 p.m.

http://www.longbeach.gov/park/recreation/lb_municipal_band.asp

Whaley Park                       5620 Atherton Street                     July 1, 8

Los Cerritos Park              3750 Del Mar                                      July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Marine Stadium                Appian Way                                        July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Bluff/Bixby Park                Ocean and Junipero                        July 15, 22, 29

El Dorado Park                   2800 Studebaker                              July 11, 18, 25, Aug 1      

 

PORT TOURS

The Port of Long Beach offers both boat and train tours of the port, complimentary to the public.  The train tours are rare and fill up fast.  The Harbor tours, by boat, are offered May through November 1 on the 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of the month, at 10:00 a.m.  They also offer sunset cruises the 2^nd and 4^th Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. through August and starting at 6:30 p.m. in September.

 

Harbor cruises fill up fast and are reserved by registering online the 1^st Monday of the month, at noon.  August tour registration begins Monday, July 7^th at noon.  July cruises and waitlists are full.

http://www.polb.com/community/tours/harbortours.asp

 

MOVIES

Free, family movies are offered throughout the city.  All movies start at dusk.  Pack up the family and bring the popcorn.

http://www.longbeach.gov/park/movies_in_the_park.asp

“Frozen”                              Whaley Park June 20 (Sing-a-long), Pan American June 23, Scherer June 25, Bixby June 27, DeForest August 25, El Dorado August 27 (Sing-a-long)

“The Nut Job”                    Admiral Kidd June 30, Orizaba July 2

“Monsters University”   Coolidge July 7, Stearns Champions July 9, Chavez July 7

“The Lego Movie”            Somerset July 14, McBride July 16, Houghton July 18

“Free Birds”                        Signal Hill July 21, Veterans July 23, Heartwell July 25

“Despicable Me 2”           Davenport July 28, Drake July 30, Wardlow August 1, Grace August 18

“Smurfs 2”                          Cherry August 4, King August 6, College Estates August 8

“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2”   Seaside August 11, Ramona August 13, Signal Hill August 15

“Planes”                               MacArthur August 20, Silverado August 22

“The True Story of an American Legend”               PG-13                    Blair Stadium July 19

 

 

MORE     check out http://100daysofsummer.org or 100daysofsummer@longbeach.gov

Peace and Quiet - walking in Long Beach

As the second largest city in LA County, there are many things to see and do here, many things to entertain visiting family.  But what about the times we just want quiet?  Natural beauty?  A great place to take a walk?

The peninsula in Long Beach separates Alamitos Bay from the ocean and has the bay side and the ocean side.  Both sides are great for taking a quiet walk.  There is a boardwalk on the ocean side, fronting the homes facing south.  Around sunset you'll see people wander out to the boardwalk with glasses of wine, toasting the end of another day.  You can follow the boardwalk north and connect with the bike and walking path that goes past Belmont Plaza and along the beach, below the bluffs.  Ocean, islands, birds, people, skyline and you.

El Dorado Park has walking trails and gives you the escape to green trees, grasses and rolling landscape.  The El Dorado Nature Center has a 2 mile trail and lots of small animals like turtles and ducks, for a special stroll.  It's an easy walk, so good for younger kids and for those a little less mobile who still want to get out.

El Dorado Regional Park East is very large, with lakes and a sidewalk walking trail.  You could also stop and have a picnic here.  Both the Nature Center and the East park have restrooms.

If you want a little challenge with your walk, then try going up and over Signal Hill, with a reward of a gorgeous view from the top at Hilltop Park.

The San Gabriel bike trail can also accommodate walkers and runs the eastern length of the city, all the way into Seal Beach.  Stop at the end for refreshment at River's End Cafe or keep on walking over to Main Street, but I've digressed into Seal Beach!

On the west side of town there is DeForest Park, running along the Los Angeles River from 63rd Street to the Long Beach Blvd. bridge.  There are wetlands and forest on the southern end of it, with facilities on the northern end.

And how about a stroll through a neighborhood?  Past the historic homes in Rose Park, Cal Heights, Bluff Park; past the rolling lawns of Park Estates or Virginia Country Club; past the well-manicured lawns in so many neighborhoods.  Let me know some of your favorite walks.  Of course, if you are looking to buy or sell a home, then please walk my way and I'd be happy to help you out.  I'm never too busy for your referrals.  After all this talking about walking, I think it's time to take a walk in my own neighborhood.